Here is what Bernie Sanders said yesterday:
“In the not too distant future, I will be holding a major speech defining exactly what I mean by ‘democratic socialism.’ I will start off by saying what it is not. I will say what we have in this country that is also socialistic, and where we want to go.
In America, we have a ‘casino capitalist’ society in which we have a handful of people exercising enormous control over our economy and our political life. To me, ‘democratic socialism’ means ‘democracy.’ It means creating a government that represents all of us, not just the wealthiest people. It also means significantly increasing voter turnout.
There are socialist programs out there already that are some of the most popular programs in America. Franklin Delano Roosevelt passed Social Security. It is enormously popular because people understand that elderly people and people with disabilities have a right to live in security. Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare program, which is a variation of a single-payer health care system. When you go to the library or when you call the fire department or police department, who do you think you’re calling? These are socialist institutions.
There are many other countries that have gone further than we have. We are the only major country that does not provide paid family and medical leave. We are the only major country that does not provide healthcare to all people. Our tax system is extremely regressive. Those are the issues I will cover. In the end of the day, more and more people will agree with our point of view.”
To learn more about where Bernie stands on the issues: http://feelthebern.org