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booley

(3,855 posts)
Mon Jan 20, 2020, 03:01 PM Jan 2020

MLK's vision of economic Justice a lot like Bernie's

Or it probably more accurate to say Bernie's vision is a lot like MLK since that is probably where Sanders got it.

Here's the link for anyone who wants to read more than just the headline before they react..

[link:https://www.salon.com/2020/01/20/martin-luther-king-jrs-vision-of-economic-justice-a-lot-like-bernie-sanders/?fbclid=IwAR1hJOA4wDReCVbL63FqNXkj3I6hjc0M_VbsWMar_hEH0kX9F1xJqZDfhow0|Full Story on Salon

]

While it's widely known that Sanders joined King during the famous March on Washington in 1963, it's not observed often enough that King's ideas on economic justice likely influenced Sanders. Many people who celebrate King's legacy see him as a fighter solely for "civil rights," in a narrow, legalistic sense, and do not acknowledge his commitment to economic justice. This is more than historical ignorance. On a deeper level, it's about cherry picking which aspects of King's legacy to honor.


We still live in a world with racism, and should remember that King wanted a society where we are judged by the content of our character, not the color of our skin. Yet we also live in a country where income inequality is rampant, where President Trump's economy is hailed as a success for producing jobs, even though millions of them are low-wage, low-skill positions, and where Republicans consistently blame the poor for their own poverty. At such a time, it is downright immoral to overlook that King believed that economic justice and racial justice were inextricably linked. He would likely be just as appalled by the rampant poverty of our time as he would be by the fact that we elected a president whose campaign focused on delegitimizing the first black president and demonizing immigrants of color.

......

I'm not saying that Bernie Sanders or his campaign have some unique claim to King's ideals. But I'm saying that if you don't want government programs that guarantee jobs, livable income, decent health care and quality education to all citizens, you have no right to claim any allegiance to Dr. King. You are simply mouthing the platitudes that are inoffensive to contemporary ears while avoiding speaking inconvenient truths. You're OK with shaming the racists — as well you should be — but not OK when King's ideals shame you for your own support of economic oppression.

......n the future society that King hoped for, Sanders might not be a particularly interesting candidate. The premise that no one should be poor, that all people have a right to affordable health care, that everyone is entitled to dignity and respect at work, would all be taken for granted. Sanders might come off as a man preaching that fire is hot and water is wet.


We don't live in that world. There are many reasons for that, but it doesn't help that we neglect King's full legacy, pretending to honor the man as an American hero and a martyr for justice without understanding the true content of his message. Bernie Sanders is certainly not the perfect vessel for that message, but he understands the full force of King's legacy more than any other 2020 presidential candidate.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
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Uncle Joe

(58,107 posts)
1. Kicked and recommended.
Mon Jan 20, 2020, 03:04 PM
Jan 2020

Thanks for the thread booley.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

JoeOtterbein

(7,697 posts)
2. K n R ! Thanks for posting!
Mon Jan 20, 2020, 03:08 PM
Jan 2020

Great article!

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

redqueen

(115,096 posts)
3. The idea of guaranteed government jobs is great, but in practice, not so much
Mon Jan 20, 2020, 03:08 PM
Jan 2020

Are we just going to let small towns die? How will jobs be distributed? Will there be some economically depressed areas which are targeted for investment, and people in the not so fortunate areas will have to move there?

I truly do not understand why this program is viewed so favorably by so many.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

booley

(3,855 posts)
4. Why would rural areas be left out?
Mon Jan 20, 2020, 03:16 PM
Jan 2020

The WPA helped lots of small towns survive when otherwise they wouldn't have.

I don't' get this idea that social programs only help people in the cities. But in any case, I think Sanders has made it clear he has no intention of neglecting rural America. It's part of why he has support in Red states that the Democratic party as a whole does not.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

redqueen

(115,096 posts)
5. The WPA wasn't for everyone. They only supplied jobs to one person in each household,
Mon Jan 20, 2020, 03:21 PM
Jan 2020

and that person had to have been employed for an extended period of time

We would need something much more comprehensive to provide jobs for anyone who is unemployed or underemployed.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
Undecided
 

TomCADem

(17,378 posts)
6. HuffPo: Bernie Sanders Says Not All Voters Who Feel 'Uncomfortable' With Black Candidates Are Racist
Mon Jan 20, 2020, 08:26 PM
Jan 2020

Yeah, I am sure MLK would be on the exact same page as Bernie...

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-andrew-gillum-stacey-abrams_n_5be48626e4b0769d24cadd68?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAF7trZFRtfWsdaHLaP6FVfhLpooS9Pqv2HiQMPofJMEEO2nmeVAwIPCkarknSi9MlKL7_KacB-OV2l7IoXF-2Ey7FNAL3CZfDwOmn0kNc2RRtu2Uo6n8pnwxUi8oTL0zMCkdS4eWddtrcFZmSXBx4UTHnq5EHsgXh46kS_D4UQHR

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) drew criticism Thursday after saying many white voters in the South who felt “uncomfortable” voting for black candidates for the first time were “not necessarily racist.”

* * *

“I think you know there are a lot of white folks out there who are not necessarily racist who felt uncomfortable for the first time in their lives about whether or not they wanted to vote for an African-American,” Sanders told the outlet. “I think next time around, by the way, it will be a lot easier for them to do that.”

A number of writers and activists of color called Sanders out for implying it wasn’t racist to reject a candidate based on race.

“Many would define not supporting someone based solely on race as racist,” PBS correspondent Yamiche Alcindor noted.
If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for:
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