Watch the trailer and see my August 21, 2018, blog post essay "More 'socialism' than socialism."
Bernie and AOC are not socialists; they're more "socialists," that is they are FDR democrats. What would heal this country is for the rest of us to become "socialists" in the same way they are. I do not advocate tearing down the structure and engaging in academic hypotheticals. I do advocate looking toward northern Europe for solutions and the promotion of universal healthcare, universal basic income, stronger unions, an end to monopoly power, and the abolishment of the Electoral College. We should also rethink the Senate as well. These are all mainstream positions that enjoy majoritarian support. UBI sits on a knife's edge but is more popular among young people, naturally.
Just a reminder, what the Soviets implemented in post-Revolutionary Russia was not a Marxist program. (I wish people understood this.) That was not socialism—or communism. Marx was not all that interested in communism, which is why he wrote so little about it. Classically, socialism is worker control of the companies and factories and the end of capitalism. The socialism under discussion is closer to the Scandinavian model. Simply put: better governance within a capitalist framework. You can have both. Capitalism is practically a religion in the United States, so there's no point in discussing its elimination. You can have capitalism and universal healthcare. For evidence, see Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, Sweden, and the UK.
