Bernie Sanders and the Socialist Title
A constant point of contention within Sanders’ Left flank, is whether or not the Vermont Senator is actually a Socialist, and if not, should his and his supporters’ use of the label be contested. I contend that it should be accepted by my Socialist and Communist comrades.
The label itself has been subjected to well over a century of stretching and tearing, as many factions have quarreled over the finer details of what the label should encompass. Much like Libertarian, Liberal, and Conservative have evolved, shifted, and changed, so has Socialist. One can find themselves getting easily lost in petty arguments over these sorts of political identifiers, and that is not conducive to any sort of agenda.
It certainly is crucial however, to not allow these sorts of powerful labels to become so opaque, that they are meaningless. A balance must be stricken in order to maintain our political identities. Labels make communicating what we believe much easier, and that makes them worth the conversation.
What exists within the movement around Bernie Sanders, that qualifies the use of the Socialist label? I argue there is strong qualifying argument to be made. Sanders’ own politics are secondary however, and should not be the only thing under scrutiny, but the entirety of his political support. We must analyze the conditions that have given…
