Bernie Sanders, Burning Down America's Political Establishment

THE GOOD NEWS IS, BERNIE SANDERS, independent U.S. Senator from Vermont, self proclaimed socialist, is running for president, as a democrat, challenging the almighty Hillary. The bad news is, his chances seem slim to none. It would require a seismic shift in the electorate, an uprising of the young and restless. Sanders advocates public financing of political campaigns, the breaking up of the big banks, and free college for all who qualify, among other left wing causes. How he would pay for college is uncertain; best guess is that he would gut the military, which could be gutted deeply and still remain by far the world's strongest, capable of maintaining and defending the great American global corporate empire which we all love, cherish, or, in the case of liberals, ignore. We could save money on political campaigns by legislating nine easy words: "the sale and purchase of political advertising is prohibited". Then, require all media outlets to provide free time to candidates, in reasonable quantities. Its time for the rest of us to stop letting our ultra conservative fellow citizens demonize the word "socialism", and maybe Bernie can do it. We have socialized fire and police protection, socialized city streets, sewers, state and federal highways, and socialized schools. Then too, medicare, medicaid, and social security. And, come to think of it, our military is not privately owned for profit, now, is it? There is nothing, really, not to like about any of America's socialist institutions. They all work like a charm. So you think Bernie hasn't a chance? Bear in mind that in 1920, and again in 1932, socialist and communist candidates for U.S. president got over a million votes. If Bernie can help America understand that every republican running for president is a complete, intellectually accomplished lunatic, and that Hillary is old hat, a watered down conservative, and if he can get America's college campuses fired up like people such as Ross Perot and Ron Paul have proven can be done, you never know. Bernie might just set fire to the moribund establishment, and burn the conservative house down.