Review of the Introduction to Sander's "It's okay to be angry about Capitalism."

When Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders publishes a book, we rightly ask, why is the book not free? But the following review of the mere introduction to the work does not focus on the irony of charging for anti-capitalist propaganda. Instead, recognizing that socialists need capitalism to spread their ideology, I leave it to the meme makers to address that hilarious contradiction. The informed reader, I suggest, must be prepared to seek out repackaged ideas and be willing to reject reheated stew. As one opens the introduction to Sander's book, one realizes the stew has indeed spoiled. Immediately, the same old ideas that have made Marxism and Socialism so prevalent today rear their ugly heads. The following review will spare the interested reader the task of confirming those things which we have come to expect from the author.

"Capitalism is the Problem."

In an attempt to refresh the same old nonsense, the Marxist critique of the immorality of capitalism appears here in a new hyperbole: "Uber-capitalist economic system." But, unfortunately, this new title is nothing but the tired "late-stage capitalism" title given to capitalism already. It is expected of any Marxist to admit that they have some insight into the future. The Hegelian dialectic allowed Marx to claim a scientific vision of the future. Predictably, Sanders offers an analysis of capitalism and a predictable call to "a vision as to where we want to be in the future." Alas, the stew is warm!

Here are a few connections an informed reader might make:

Sanders:

"It is my strong belief that in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, with exploding technological progress that will greatly increase worker productivity, we can finally end austerity economics and achieve the long-sought human dream of providing a decent standard of living for all."

Is it necessary to point out that there is no human dream? There are only individual dreams. Therefore, there is no sense in which we will all share a consciousness such that we will all share a dream.

Marx:

"Beyond a certain point, the development of the powers of production becomes a barrier for capital; hence the capital relation a barrier for the development of the productive powers of labour. When it has reached this point, capital, i.e., wage labour, enters into the same relation towards the development of social wealth and of the forces of production as the guild system, serfdom, slavery, and is necessarily stripped off as a fetter."

Marx is hinting at the end of capitalism when it becomes possible to "end austerity economics," as Sanders puts it.

Keeping with the expectation of a united solitary, and classless ideology in humans, Sanders writes:

"we are now beginning to see cracks in the system. Millions of Americans are starting to look at the society in which they live from a new and different perspective."

But this is no different than that stew from 1848:

"A spectre is haunting Europe—the spectre of Communism."

This ideology comes with a dose of ever harsher living conditions for all - a feature of capitalism Marx believed would drive humans to a shared ideology.

Sanders:

"It [capitalism] was not working for them [the young] economically, as they were experiencing a lower standard of living than their parents."

Marx:

"The more frequently A [wage laborer] repeats the exchange [selling his labor], the poorer does he become."

The introduction is situated very well in the political drama of US politics.

The introduction explains why Donald Trump won the election in 2016. But, unfortunately, the explanation is dull: "pain, desperation, and political alienation," whatever that means, on the one hand, and the Democratic Party selling itself off to the highest bidder, on the other. According to Sanders, among the more significant failures of the DNC are the failures to support unions and healthcare for all, solve homelessness, and make it easier for people to retire. "The American Rescue Plan" was, according to sanders, legislation that finally worked for the people. But, as you probably could have predicted, it was not enough!

Economic rights!

When we ask what the role of government is in our lives, we are necessarily discussing human rights. Utter nonsense! There is no logical necessity between rights and government. If rights needed government [Sanders used the word necessary], they would be privileges. Privileges depend on someone or something like the government to decide which rights to uphold. But, of course, that is not what rights are. So instead, rights, as inalienable and non-transferable, give us reason to tolerate- by consent and not necessity- any form of government. Sanders writes:

"We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence."

Repeat: True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence."

How should we receive this claim? With skepticism. The issue is whether economic equality [equity as it has been coined] is compatible with freedom. The short answer is no. One cannot allow people to carry out their free will without allowing at the same time for those willing to do more to live better than others. There is a need for a restriction on freedom of action or property to make equality of wealth plausible. Freedom and equality of wealth are incompatible. Furthermore, as we have seen with security issues, there is no way to demonstrate that renouncing one's freedom could guarantee the abolishment of economic inequality.

To conclude, Sanders points to Dr. King, who succumbed to the popularity of Socialism in his time, for some much-needed appeal to authority. Of course, Dr. King is a moral authority and a civil liberty champion, but this does not render all of King's or Sanders's arguments valid. Overall, the strew, having been warmed, is nothing but stew. And Sanders's readers must read the rest of this to know whether something new will be said in the body of the work-though I would not bet on it.

Excerpts From

"It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism" by Senator Bernie Sanders & John Nichols

https://books.apple.com/us/book/its-ok-to-be-angry-about-capitalism/id6444159713

The Marx-Engels Reader

Karl Marx

https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-marx-engels-reader/id1440196623