A lot of you showed interest in discussing Bernie Sanders’ new book, “It’s Okay to Be Angry About Capitalism.” Thanks for that! If you ever have suggestions or feedback on content, please shoot me an email (joemayall@gmail.com) or DM me on Twitter. I want to create content you appreciate and enjoy, and the best way to do that is by hearing what you’re interested in.
Alright, let’s get started.
You don’t need to have read the book to participate. I’m not thinking of this as a “book club,” but rather me reading the book and pulling out important passages and themes for us to discuss. For chapters 1-4, here’s what stood out to me.
It’s clear Bernie sees the electoral success of “The Squad” (AOC, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Talib, and Ayanna Pressley) as an indication of the younger generations’ want for change. He cites their 2020 victories as proof that they are not “flukes,” but indicative of a larger appetite for change.
What do you think the election of these Progressives and others like them says about the future state of politics in the United States? Do you think people want Bernie-esque change? Why, or why not?
Please share your thoughts in the comments. I look forward to discussing!
I voted for Bernie in the last two Democratic Primaries for my state. I would vote for him again. No other public figure has done as much to shift the paradigm of human concern to a center of dignity for all than Bernie Sanders.
I think the Squad often engages in theatrics and drama that is unhelpful.
I agree. TBH, I think AOC in particular means well, but she's not a great "politician." She often puts her foot in her mouth. That said, very few junior congresspeople get the spotlight she has, so it's kind of unchartered territory for her.
I hope she gets better at it, because I do think one day she could be effective.
I do too. I think if she can ever deliver a message of, “Oh, I was wrong about this and here’s morally why...also I’m right about governing based on human dignity and equality of opportunity...” I think she could be a great leader for all people.
Alright, here are my thoughts on what "The Squad" means for the future of Left politics.
To start, I think we - myself included - put too much stock in their 2018 elections. It was amidst the Trump Presidency, and I'll admit, I took AOC's victory over the establishment incumbent as a sign that the American people were ready to move past the neoliberalism of the Democratic Party in favor of a more Progressive agenda.
So while I've come to realized that none of these 4 Congresswoman will be a savior, it does still signal to me that the there are sizable parts of this country that want something different. I think this is evident in the number of voters who voted for Obama in '08, then Trump in '16, then showed interest in Bernie's '20 campaign.
So now, I don't think any individual will be the next torchbearer after Bernie. But what I do think is the election of more and more left-leaning (though still imperfect) politicians shows that there is the first steps to making a Leftist coalition to advocate for Progressive politics inside the American electoral system.
I think fundamental core values of human dignity must be a cornerstone of every level of education and at the core of all personal and public conversations. This is a critical weakness in America right now, that I refer to as, “Not enough people are watching reruns of Mister Rogers.
Clearly some people like what Bernie is selling, but I doubt it will ever be a majority of the electorate. The dems knew he would lose even to as awful candidate as Trump was.
I'm don't agree with that. Polling has been whack the last couple of cycles, so take it with a grain of salt, but RealClear had Bernie polling strongly above Trump in the run up to the 2020 election. At some points Bernie was +8.5 over Trump, with his lowest lead being +2.5. Those a re strong numbers, especially against the incumbent. (Source: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_sanders-6250.html)
I actually think the Dems were more worried that if Bernie won the nomination, it would reshape the party. A lot of Democrat consultants and staffers would be out of a job, as they'd be replaced by people more favorable to Bernie's worldview.
We'll never know for sure if Bernie would have won, but looking at the data, there was strong indication he would have.
I agree with that, Sandy. Bernie actually addresses it in the book, and it's clear he knows exactly what happened. I'm sharing a Tweet of where he talks about the establishment uniting against him, and Elizabeth Warren's decision not to drop out and endorse him.
I voted for Bernie in the last two Democratic Primaries for my state. I would vote for him again. No other public figure has done as much to shift the paradigm of human concern to a center of dignity for all than Bernie Sanders.
I think the Squad often engages in theatrics and drama that is unhelpful.
I agree. TBH, I think AOC in particular means well, but she's not a great "politician." She often puts her foot in her mouth. That said, very few junior congresspeople get the spotlight she has, so it's kind of unchartered territory for her.
I hope she gets better at it, because I do think one day she could be effective.
I do too. I think if she can ever deliver a message of, “Oh, I was wrong about this and here’s morally why...also I’m right about governing based on human dignity and equality of opportunity...” I think she could be a great leader for all people.
Very true!
But what legislation has Bernie accomplished?
The American Rescue Plan was decent. It gave direct payments amidst COVID, extended unemployment assistance, amongst other things (https://studentveterans.org/news/top-ten-takeaways-the-american-rescue-plan-act-of-2021/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwlPWgBhDHARIsAH2xdNeggswnddidaum6MWsUGjXHBh6bOvVDAWTdEhXVHiwRyQjTJsWTzTcaAiilEALw_wcB). He was an instrumental voice in getting that passed.
Also, he's the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, one of the more effective committees in the Senate.
Alright, here are my thoughts on what "The Squad" means for the future of Left politics.
To start, I think we - myself included - put too much stock in their 2018 elections. It was amidst the Trump Presidency, and I'll admit, I took AOC's victory over the establishment incumbent as a sign that the American people were ready to move past the neoliberalism of the Democratic Party in favor of a more Progressive agenda.
So while I've come to realized that none of these 4 Congresswoman will be a savior, it does still signal to me that the there are sizable parts of this country that want something different. I think this is evident in the number of voters who voted for Obama in '08, then Trump in '16, then showed interest in Bernie's '20 campaign.
So now, I don't think any individual will be the next torchbearer after Bernie. But what I do think is the election of more and more left-leaning (though still imperfect) politicians shows that there is the first steps to making a Leftist coalition to advocate for Progressive politics inside the American electoral system.
What do you think?
I think fundamental core values of human dignity must be a cornerstone of every level of education and at the core of all personal and public conversations. This is a critical weakness in America right now, that I refer to as, “Not enough people are watching reruns of Mister Rogers.
Clearly some people like what Bernie is selling, but I doubt it will ever be a majority of the electorate. The dems knew he would lose even to as awful candidate as Trump was.
I'm don't agree with that. Polling has been whack the last couple of cycles, so take it with a grain of salt, but RealClear had Bernie polling strongly above Trump in the run up to the 2020 election. At some points Bernie was +8.5 over Trump, with his lowest lead being +2.5. Those a re strong numbers, especially against the incumbent. (Source: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_sanders-6250.html)
I actually think the Dems were more worried that if Bernie won the nomination, it would reshape the party. A lot of Democrat consultants and staffers would be out of a job, as they'd be replaced by people more favorable to Bernie's worldview.
We'll never know for sure if Bernie would have won, but looking at the data, there was strong indication he would have.
I agree with this assessment, Joe.
I agree with that, Sandy. Bernie actually addresses it in the book, and it's clear he knows exactly what happened. I'm sharing a Tweet of where he talks about the establishment uniting against him, and Elizabeth Warren's decision not to drop out and endorse him.
https://twitter.com/joemayall/status/1638187365255770114?s=20