Doing sociology and philosophy in real time by looking at developments in contemporary Western politics and culture, from a Moral Libertarian perspective. My mission is to stop the cultural systemist left and the authoritarian right from destroying the West's Enlightenment traditions.
Vision, Honesty, Bravery: 3 Things I Like About Bernie Sanders | TaraElla News
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Today, I want to continue my series on the three things I like about every major 2020 candidate. My aim is to spread the positivity around, to counter the negativity spiral that seems to accelerate with every election. It's something I'll be doing much more of this year. This episode, I'll be talking about Senator Bernie Sanders, currently the second front-runner in the polls, and a real favorite among younger people.
The first thing I admire about Bernie Sanders is his dedication to his vision. Bernie has believed in the same things for the whole of his political career, and he has never been swayed by the changing fashions of the day. This was especially true in the 1980s and 1990s, when Reaganomics dominated the mainstream, and many Democrats changed their tune to fit in. In a world where we see grifters trying to jump onto the next fashion every day, it is refreshing to see someone so dedicated to his own values no matter what. While I don't always agree with Bernie, I think we should all learn from his dedication to his own beliefs, and his unwillingness to be swayed by peer pressure.
The second thing I admire about Bernie is his honesty. Bernie has always been straightforward about what he believes in. He has never tried to hide aspects of his program that other people may not like. In particular, he has been honest about the costs of his policies, justifying them on the benefits they bring, but never denying the costs. This stands in contrast to several other candidates during this cycle, who promise to do some of the similar things that Bernie is proposing, while being evasive when asked about the costs. The fact is, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Everyone will see through that. Everyone appreciates an honest leader, and if you truly believe that something is worthwhile, you shouldn't be afraid of justifying the costs anyway. I think this is why Bernie has retained his support while several of his rivals have fallen away.
Finally, to do all that Bernie has done in his long career, to stand firm and be honest in the face of changing political winds for half a century, it all requires a lot of bravery. I think that even people who don't necessarily agree with Bernie have to acknowledge his bravery, a level of bravery that is rarely found in modern politics. I also think it's why Bernie receives a lot of respect from across the political spectrum, while politicians like Hillary do not. It's why people often say that Bernie could have won in 2016 where Hillary lost. Bravery is important because without brave leaders nothing ever gets done. This is why I think we should all learn from Bernie's bravery, and never shy away from standing for what we truly believe in.
