The Democrat leadership race between poll leaders Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden presents a fundamental ideological split within the party that expressed itself in the last leadership contest between Sanders and Clinton. The schism then and now is centered on notions of socialism as expressed by the liberal youth vote versus the party machine’s centrist position. Socialism has taken a very bad rap in America and that is due to an all encompassing and ongoing campaign of indoctrination by big biz, mass media, popular culture and the two self serving political parties. This process has been most effective in linking notions of patriotism to a reactionary social and economic philosphy which most middle Americans have seamlessly internalised so that they carry it from cradle to grave. As we know presidential elections are not based on a popular vote but the importance of swing states. It was voters from here that put Obama (a centrist) in office for two terms before they voted in Trump. Joe Biden appeals to this group over the remaining Democrat canditates and he is the only candidate Trump fears. Pastor Biden is keeping it really simple playing the perfect kindly grand-dad card. He is warm of manner, plain spoken and proposing emotional healing to a torn nation and little else policy wise so far. He is the archetype that Trump voters can now embrace as an acceptable alternative. Does Bernie have any chance of getting to these voters most of whom according to polls have stated they plan to vote for Trump again and that their only other consideration would be for Biden, maybe. This leads me to Jordan Peterson and the list of interview sparing matches between him and his critics that are posted online . Not long ago JP was offered a chance to debate Prof. Richard Wolff who is America’s most prominent Marxist economist. JP declined the offer. Wolff explains in a very succinct manner in this short interview the failings of JP’s intellectual position. In any case the task of reimagining Socialsim is truely daunting in the face of a culture that weaponizes its dogma in ever evolivng and sophisticated ways. There is an interesting doc on netflix about the life and times of Karl Marx produced by the BBC that sheds light on the experimental nature at the core of his most important works that underlines the creatvity of his mental process in the face of poverty and censure.
2020-02-06