The Symbolism and Historic Significance of the Sanders Campaign

Put this in your pipe and smoke it: the people guiding the US economy for the last 30 years have been so greedy and selfish, no matter which party has controlled the Presidency, that a self-described “socialist” is a serious contender for a major party nomination for President. This is a truly historic phenomenon. There have been Socialists in the US since the late 19th century, but not even in the Great Depression did one of them amass close to the mass support that Bernie Sanders has gotten. While some would attribute this to Sanders charisma, I would argue that the unprecedented level of inequality and the insecurity of life in a “gig economy” have created a constituency for socialism, especially among young people, that was never here before. And while it is not clear that Sanders will win the nomination much less the Presidency, the very strength of his candidacy sends a message that something is very wrong with how income and opportunity are distributed in this country