You Say You Want a Revolution? Democratic Socialism and Political Presence

-- By JohnsonD - 19 Feb 2016

Bernie Sanders uses the word revolution to define a political awakening where millions of Americans will rise up against their corporate masters and bring about a new era of (democratic) socialist politics. For many on the American political left, his proposition sounds enticing, especially in the face of slow social progress and stagnant wage growth. People who have historically held a privileged place in society have begun to feel the the same type of social and economic pain usually reserved for people at the margins of society. At the same time, increased polarization makes it exceedingly difficult for political compromise to take place.

In the face of this new social reality, members of both political parties have begun to turn to extremist ideologies. Sanders taps into this phenomenon on the left by co-opting the language of revolution. He sells middle America a homogenized version of socialism wrapped in the language of the revolutionary. We should examine this rhetoric closely because as Malcom X succinctly stated: “you never had a revolution without bloodshed.” The fear of true revolutionary action is evidenced in many ways, the most striking being Sanders’ strict adherence to economic issues at the expense of what he sees as more divisive racial and gender issues. A true revolution would require the type of massive and rapid social change that would be unpalatable to the average Sanders supporter.

Are we all socialists now?

It seems as though the main gripe of disaffected millennials is not that the system is irrevocably broken, but rather it’s the disappointment of not having met the expectation of achieving the version of the American Dream they were promised. As long as people who looked like them had the promise of affordable college, raising a family in a gated suburb, and making a respectable amount of money at some soul-crushing 9-5, then everything was fine, regardless of what was actually occurring around them. It was only when these issues started to cause discomfort and disruption to their middle class existence that it became a real threat to them. The desire for revolution stems not from the anger that arises when one realizes the inequalities in the system, but the anger that arises from feeling excluded from the system. They see the world changing around them, and they don’t know what to do, so instead of reacting creatively they cling to an ideology that claims that it has all of the answers.

Unfortunately, the solution Sanders proposes is not based in reality. What the Sanders supporter fails to understand It’s not just the politicians and special interests who are opposed to (democratic) socialist ideas, Half of the country is opposed to much of the democratic socialist agenda, and many conservatives and liberals are opposed for reasons both based in ideology and practicality.

It may be easy to brush these people off as shills under the influence of special interests, but that sort of thinking solves nothing. The assumption of bad faith not just for those on the right, but for fellow Democrats is troubling. How exactly are they supposed to win a senate seat in a Republican state with their rigid ideological tests? What candidates will they recruit that will have widespread appeal in Republican states? They don’t seem to have a plan behind their slogan.

It is what it does

Ideas such as universal healthcare and free (or at least debt free) college tuition are welcome in a political conversation that has too often skewed to the right. But in order to effect the system the self-proclaimed democratic-socialists must recognize their place within it. The mental gymnastics needed to refer to a man who spent thirty years in politics as anti-establishment, especially one going up against a woman running to be the first female President must be done away with.

The work it takes to make actual change happen must begin. The Senate and Supreme Court might all be decided by the next election. An electoral loss could mean, the loss of voting rights and healthcare for our most vulnerable. The stakes are real and the Sanders supporter must learn to be present if they are to have a say.

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