There have been comments in this thread that just stun me.
Are you going to dismiss a candidate because he calls himself a Democratic Socialist? Really? Without even looking at his policies or plans, you're going to just stick your head in the dirt and pretend he doesn't exist. There is no excuse for that. That's just plain stupid. I am not even saying you should support him. I am just saying that it's incredibly foolish to dismiss people out of hand, no matter what they call themselves. If you have the time to watch funny cat videos on Youtube, surely you have the time to spend a minute looking at what somebody stands for.
So far, I haven't heard many points being raised against Bernie's policies & plans. And the only one that has been raised was the one about higher taxes. Yes, the super-rich will have to start paying their fair share instead of thriving off the back of hard-working Americans. I am European myself, and if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that Americans are some of the most hard-working people there are. And yet, how many of you really feel that wealth? Do you feel, when you wake up, that you are literally living in the wealthiest country in the history of mankind?
Well, do you?
You most likely don't.
Is it really that hard to admit that a country that's good for all, would be a much more pleasant country to live in than a country that's good for a few privileged people?
What strikes me as even more ironic is that often (not always, but often) right-leaning people are hugely distrustful of the government. Yet it was the government who kept telling you during the Cold War that communism was bad. How comes you believe them there when pretty much everything else is a giant conspiracy? Is socialism a perfect system? No it's not. But we've tried capitalism. It breaks time and again. It's a system that works for a few. It's a system that thinks every person a predictable machine who will make cold, rational economic choices. Capitalism has brought The West a great many good things, but you'd have to be profoundly hard-headed to not at least admit that it is an unstable system, spiraling out of control.
Sometimes, yes, you have to think from an "I" perspective. But when it comes to tackling issues that affect all of us, isn't it wiser to start thinking from a "we" perspective? Do you think the bankers, during the crash, where thinking from a "we" perspective or an "I" perspective? The answer should be obvious.
There is a time and place for the "I" perspective. There is such a thing as taking responsibility, being disciplined, self-improvement, etc. But the matter of the fact is that you're not alone in this world. You affect people, and others affect you. You can try to hide or steer around it, but it won't work. Your live is only marginally dependent on your own good choices and largely influenced by other people, some of whom you won't even ever see.
I could keep going for ages, there are so many things I would like to adress, but I'll keep it at this for now. I am open to honest and fair debate, but I am not interested in an insult party.