Bernie Sanders on America’s ‘grotesquely unfair’ society

[Playinghardball]

Bernie Sanders is challenging a longstanding tradition in American politics, that major-party presidential candidates must all push for faster economic growth. In a sense, he's inverting tradition -- saying that the nation should worry first about changing the economy to direct more of its spoils to workers and less to the wealthiest Americans. I recently interviewed Sanders at length about inequality; the conversation is edited for length.

Jim Tankersley: You’ve been talking about inequality for a long time. Why is it resonating as a national issue now?

Bernie Sanders: The American people understand that it is grotesquely unfair – we are a society that prides itself on fairness, that prides itself on equal opportunity, and people are looking out and seeing, since the Great Recession of 2008, 99 percent of all new income going to the top 1 percent. So you’re seeing people working in my state, all over this country, two jobs, they’re working three jobs, and they’re getting nowhere in a hurry. They’re working hard. They can’t afford to send their kids to college in many instances. They can’t afford child care for their little babies. They’re worried to death about retirement.

And meanwhile, they see incredible wealth disparities such that the top one tenth of one percent owns almost as much as the bottom 90 percent.

The basic issue of an American society which is fair, which is providing opportunity for all, is now being replaced by the correct perception that we’re living in a rigged economy - where it doesn’t matter how hard you worked, the result will be all the income goes to the people at the very top. It’s leading to a lot of frustration and anger, and people want some fundamental changes to the way we do economics and growth.

Tankersley: In every presidential campaign I can remember, candidates have talked about how we need more growth. Do you think we need more growth?

Sanders: That’s another issue. When we look at climate change and other environmental issues, growth for the sake of growth – especially when 99 percent of all new income generated by that growth goes to the top 1 percent – becomes less significant. What we need to do is create economic policies that benefit the middle class and the working families in this country. And right now that’s not happening. So, yeah, we need economic growth, but we need growth that works well for everybody, not just the people at the top.

Tankersley: How do we achieve that kind of growth?

Sanders: Let me bore you for a minute with some facts.

Tankersley: You can’t bore me – I’m an econ reporter.

(Laughter) If the bottom 90 percent – that is a very broad definition of the middle class – had simply maintained the same share of wealth that it did in 1985, that bottom 90 percent would own $10.7 trillion more in wealth than it does today. Meanwhile, from that same period, the top one tenth of one percent has seen its wealth increase by about $8 trillion.

More questions and answers here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/07/16/bernie-sanders-on-americas-grotesquely-unfair-society/?postshare=9051437071302344

[snagglepuss]

1. " that bottom 90 percent would own $10.7 trillion more in wealth than it does today"

K and R

[merrily]

2. Sorry to contradict Bernie.

I'm not a econ reporter and I don't play one on TV, but, no, no, no, Bernie: $10.7 trillion ain't boring.

Why does Bernie harp on 1985 so often? Is it because that was the year the DLC incorporated?

Regardless of what Bernie has in mind, I don't think it's a coincidence that the movement of money to the rich accelerated so much faster once the Democratic Party officially decided that it should be more like the Republican Party.

[BlueJazz]

3. We are (partly) a nation of wealthy, sociopaths. Some traits (from web) >>>

•Glibness and Superficial Charm
•Manipulative and Conning
They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.

•Grandiose Sense of Self
Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."

•Pathological Lying
Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
•Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
•Shallow Emotions
When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.


•Incapacity for Love


•Need for Stimulation
Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.


•Callousness/Lack of Empathy
Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.


•Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.


•Irresponsibility/Unreliability
Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.



Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.
Other Related Qualities:
Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
Authoritarian
Secretive
Paranoid
Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
Unable to feel remorse or guilt
Extreme narcissism and grandiose
May state readily that their goal is to rule the world

[JDPriestly]

5. Describes Trump to a T.

[JDPriestly]

4. Excellent! Good interview.

[Enthusiast]

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