Bernie for President--A Plan for Posterity
Thom Hartmann--the most popular progressive radio talk show host, whose books on politics and spirituality have won him invitations to meet with the Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II--has Bernie Sanders on his radio program for 45 minutes every Friday. So if you go to youtube.com and do a search on Friday dates, you can hear the wisdom of Bernie Sanders, for example: "Brunch with Bernie: May 15, 2015," "Brunch with Bernie: May 8, 2015," "May 1, 2015," and so forth.
Bernie Sanders, who has always been my first choice for president, has now declared that he is running for president as a Democrat. Bernie Sanders is a U.S. Senator from Vermont. Before serving in the Senate, he served in the House of Representatives. He was also the Mayor of Burlington, the largest city in Vermont. Bernie Sanders is a self-described democratic socialist, and he has praised Scandinavian-style social democracy.
In a 6-minute video clip on Face the Nation, Bernie tells why he can beat Hilary Clinton as the Democratic candidate and what it means to be an independent socialist. http://www.brasschecktv.com/videos/campaign-2016/a-decent-candidate-for-president.html
Ideally the theme of the presidential race could be A Plan for Posterity. There are eleven people, whose composite strengths and skills could steer our nation in the right direction, promoting Seven Generation Sustainability, which is defined according to Wikipedia, as an ecological concept that urges the current generation of humans to live sustainably and work for the benefit of the seventh generation into the future. The concept originated with the Great Law of the Iroquois.
Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Dennis Kucinich, Noam Chomsky, Ralph Nader, Michael Parenti, Richard D. Wolff, Kshama Sawant, Cornel West, Ron Paul, and Cynthia McKinney are the eleven leaders I would pick to spearhead this plan for posterity.
Many progressives are still hoping that Elizabeth Warren will run for president, but that may not happen. To see her current stance on the issues, one can go to her website: http://elizabethwarren.com/
But what is the best way to plan for seven generations? We can promote the industrialization of hemp, solar energy, vegetarianism, employee ownership, public school reorganization, and anti-imperialism, as we encourage an ongoing spiritual revival--all of which are described below.
On May 3, 2014, there was a Huffington Post article entitled "Why Hemp The Sustainable Wonder Crop is Sweeping The Nation" by Chloe Fox. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/03/hemp-sustainable-crop_n_5243351.html .
In a Youtube video entitled "Passive House Revolution" inspired by the Arthur Morgan Institute for Community Solutions, it is shown how we can reduce winter and summer fuel bills by 80-90 percent. So there are alternatives to fossil fuels and planetary destruction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN5-MOeB2j4&feature=youtu.be
Encouraging vegetarianism, and ideally veganism, would be good for health, environmental, and ethical reasons. There could be more government incentives to encourage organic gardening with composting in backyards, front yards, and community gardens. Using artificial fertilizers and transporting food long distances should be discouraged. The labeling of genetically modified foods should be required.
At a time when many are disillusioned with big banks and big business and the growing inequality in our country--employee ownership offers a real solution for workers and communities according to a documentary that was to have its world premiere on October 18, 2012 in Oakland, CA. The documentary highlights worker-owned enterprises in North America and in Mondragon, Spain: http://shiftchange.org/video-clips/. Popular Marxist professor Richard D. Wolff has promoted the Mondragon experiment. http://www.rdwolff.com/marxism.
Moreover, we can abolish the Federal Reserve, and allow the Treasury Department to oversee a publicly owned banking system. We can allow Americans to visit Cuba if they choose. Single Payer health insurance can be implemented.
The book Democracy For the Few by political professor Michael Parenti is an outstanding scholarly textbook review of capitalism as a social system, not just as an economic model. The book has gone through at least nine editions. I also recommend youtube videos of various lectures given by Michael Parenti. Here is Michael Parenti's website: http://www.michaelparenti.org/. According to Professor Cornel West, an Honorary Chairman of the Democratic Socialists of America, "Michael Parenti is a towering prophetic voice in American life. We need him now more than ever." http://www.dsausa.org/.
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