"Not me. Us."
Vermont Democratic socialist Senator Bernie Sanders has decided this ode to collectivism will be his slogan for the 2020 presidential campaign. Surely, many will argue this phrase simply means that he will be representing all of "us" Americans and his presidency would not be about him, but a deeper dive shows that he captivates the entirety of the progressive mindset with these three words.
Bernie 2020 begins... pic.twitter.com/Io090Iro1k
— Ruby Cramer (@rubycramer) March 2, 2019
For a leftist, it is not about the individual, but the group at large. Your status in life is not dependent upon self-government, but a "shared" responsibility. "Not me," says the man skirting his duties in life, "Us," as he looks for others to solve his problems. This is dangerous and antithetical to American ideals. This is most likely exactly why Sanders chose it. Sanders has long praised countries who routinely deploy such socialistic visions.
Videos recently discovered by The Reagan Battalion show that Sen Sanders praised the Soviet Union in the late 1980s for their breadlines, youth groups, and "palaces of culture."
“It’s funny sometimes American journalists talk about how bad a country is because people are lining up for food. That’s a good thing,” he said. “In other countries, people don’t line up for food, rich people get the food and poor people starve to death.”
“The stations themselves were absolutely beautiful, including many works of art, chandeliers that were very beautiful, it was a very effective system," he said in the clip found by The Reagan Battalion.
“I was also impressed by the youth programs that they have, their palaces of culture for the young people, a whole variety of programs for young people, and cultural programs which go far beyond what we do in this country," Sanders also said at the time.
His wife also regaled the Soviet Union for their "community involvement" that prevented the individual from having privacy to enjoy things not related to their job.
“Instead of compartmentalizing their lives into a job and hobbies, it’s all interrelated and all under the banner of community involvement,” Jane Sanders said according to Fox News.
Sen. Sanders has also infamously praised socialist Venezuela, saying the "American dream" is more likely to be found in that country than here in the states. Today, Venezuela is torn apart as the government withholds food and supplies from its citizens who were forced to depend upon others for their livelihood.
To be clear, a conservative perspective on assisting the less fortunate does not mean that the individual does not have a responsibility to help others in need. It simply means that the citizen, private charity, and religious organizations, and capitalism -- not the government -- are far better at providing economic opportunity. Keeping "jobs and hobbies" separate from each other, which Mrs. Sanders detested in the States, is crucial for the American way of life so that Americans do not become tools of the state under the guise of "community involvement." Individuals in America should choose their occupations and how they spend their time, not be forced by the government. Those breadlines Sen. Sanders praised should be seen as a warning for future life under a democratic socialist government. Those who have had to live under such systems of oppression were also told by the government to forgo the idea of "I" or "me" and embrace the idea that thinking in terms of "we" or "us" for the better sake of society at large. Life never ends up being better and ends in a societal collapse every time. It will end that way in America too if Sanders and his ilk get their way.