Vermont’s favorite son, Senator Bernie Sanders, has a long history of saying strange things, comments that cast a shadow on his current spin that the socialism he favors is a “democratic” one.
He really is (or has been) quite extreme, extremist.
How extreme? He is against charity. You know, private aid provided to alleviate private suffering.
Steve Hayward at PowerLine has unearthed a New York Times piece from way back in Bernie’s mayoral days, about something he said addressing a United Way crowd:
“I don’t believe in charities,” said Mayor Sanders, bringing a shocked silence to a packed hotel banquet room. The Mayor, who is a Socialist, went on to question the “fundamental concepts on which charities are based” and contended that government, rather than charity organizations, should take over responsibility for social programs.
How telling is that?
What many of us have long suspected about anyone calling himself a socialist is that, in his heart of hearts, he really is against any degree of freedom.
The free society alternative, on the other hand, is the common sense policy: we all do the good that makes sense to us, each act or operation judged by our differing metrics, investing our time and money as we see fit.
This allows for innovation and speedy adaptation to changing needs.
Bernie, on the other hand, figures everything has to be centrally organized and taxpayer-funded. That’s not merely a good definition of socialism, it’s creeping totalitarianism … and not the least bit charitable.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
Common Sense Needs Your Help!
Also, please consider showing your appreciation by dropping something in our tip jar (this link will take you to the Citizens in Charge donation page… and your contribution will go to the support of the Common Sense website). Maintaining this site takes time and money.
Your help in spreading the message of common sense and liberty is very much appreciated!
Photo credit: Marco at Flickr
4 replies on “Extremist Against Charity”
In Sanders socialist, totalitarian and egalitarian disutopian society there will be no need or ability to be charitable. Everyone will be equally impoverished to the point they will unable to give but so what, as everyone will have received to the point they will not need (at least according to the democratic socialist Sanders government) anything anyway.
In the perfect society individual voluntary charity is unnecessary, for everything shall be provided by the government (read that the population, which will all be motivated all on the same manner as well, by the point of a bayonet.
I agree completely. Bernie seems like everybody’s slightly grumpy (“Get off my lawn, you rotten kids!) but ultimately kindly Grandpa, but he’s really a hard-hearted totalitarian, like ALL socialists, “democratic” and otherwise.
He honeymooned in the USSR and he thinks Cuba is a working people’s paradise (“free” education and “free” medical care, even though the government is the major “employer” and sets compensation for almost everyone at below poverty wages and rations almost everything) and all the crumbling infrastructure is because of the US embargo. Cuba lived off of the USSR’s teat for most of its existence, until it went broke of its own weight and now lives off limited tourism and various kinds of welfare from other Latin countries and limited exports of rum, sugar and cigars. Being officially an atheist, he probably doesn’t believe in it, but Fidel Castro will burn in Hell, along with his brother and his buddy, Che Guevara, for what he’s done to his country.
Brings up something I certainly didn’t know about BS, but there you have it, the iron fist in the velvet glove. No choice, no options. Makes Ellsworth Toohey look like Mary Poppins.
https://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/bernie-sanders because ya, he’s soooo against charity. You morons will believe any fluff piece. All he said was that the government should be doing charity, not small charities, which usually profit off huuuuge tax breaks (which is why guys like Trump donate). I’ll assume the writer is Pro-HRC, which wouldn’t surprise me.