Article The real global threat to 21st century freedom is authoritarian capitalism

[bdamomma]

https://www.alternet.org/2020/03/the-real-global-threat-to-21st-century-freedom-is-authoritarian-capitalism-not-democratic-socialism/


snip of article

Only days after firmly establishing himself as the clear Democratic nominee frontrunner with a decisive victory in the Nevada caucus last week, Bernie Sanders found himself mired in a fresh controversy. In a widely watched and shared primetime interview he appeared to partially support recently deceased former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, condemning his authoritarianism while praising his mass literacy campaign and health program. Whatever the historical veracity of these arguments, it raised fears again of Sanders supposed “communist” sympathies as a self-described “democratic socialist.”

Beyond Damage Control


The obvious and understandable first instinct of the Sanders campaign is to go into damage control mode. In a town hall following the interview, Sanders reiterated once again his rejection of authoritarianism of all types while still highlighting the benefits of mass literacy campaigns—proclaiming “truth is truth.” This commitment to freedom is backed up by his 100% legislative score from the ACLU and the fact that he is the only candidate to completely reject the Patriot Act.


It is almost gospel in mainstream U.S. political discourse that socialism and Communism are the greatest threats to liberty. Yet the actual historical record suggests otherwise. While recognizing the death and misery caused by past totalitarian Communist regimes, too often ignored is the role of the free market for spreading oligarchy, dictatorship, and illiberalism across the world. If Sanders wants to win the nomination and generation election, he must go beyond damage control and show progressive values and his brand of democratic socialism is the best defense against such tyranny.


This holds strong lessons for our own times. The encroachment of fascism is being enabled through the funding and at times direct political support of the 1% defending their privileges by seemingly any means necessary. The are willing to do whatever they can to protect the upward redistribution of wealth to the rich following decades of neoliberalism. Indeed, we are now confronted with the troubling prospect of a U.S. election between two billionaires—one who has mused that it might be nice to be “President for Life” and another whose campaign merchandise trumpets the need to “bring in the boss.”

Fundamentally, it points to the wider danger corporations and the very wealthy pose to the very survival of democracy and civil liberties. Internally, they have eroded democratic institutions such as union based collective bargaining and idolised the top down dictator like leadership of the “CEO politician”. The scourge of private prisons, moreover, reveals the desire by these conglomerates to profit off the lessening of our freedom and human rights. Internationally, the U.S. continues to undermine democracies that do not serve its corporate interests ranging from Honduras to the Ukraine to Haiti.

To his credit, Sanders has in the past laid out his own foreign policy division that explicitly stresses the global danger of oligarchy to democracy. In a 2017 speech he proclaimed:


Inequality, corruption, oligarchy and authoritarianism are inseparable. They must be understood as part of the same system, and fought in the same way. Around the world we have witnessed the rise of demagogues who once in power use their positions to loot the state of its resources. These kleptocrats, like Putin in Russia, use divisiveness and abuse as a tool for enriching themselves and those loyal to them.

This is the precise argument he must continue to make not just for his own political survival but democracy and freedom worldwide. The real danger to freedom in the 21st century is authoritarian capitalism not democratic socialism and this election is a choice once more for a new generation between “socialism and barbarianism.”

[zackymilly]

1. RE your last paragraph: I think Bernie cares about his own political survival and nothing else. n/t

[Walleye]

2. The real danger to freedom will always be tyranny

[oldsoftie]

3. Yet Cubans continue to flock here, while few, if any, go THERE.

But then, the article IS from Alternet, so you get what you get

[AncientGeezer]

4. The millions of dead people due to... might have thought otherwise....

"It is almost gospel in mainstream U.S. political discourse that socialism and Communism are the greatest threats to liberty. Yet the actual historical record suggests otherwise.".....
Show the "otherwise"....this ought to be interesting.
Yes I read every word of Blooms piece.....a CommonDreams screed

[7wo7rees]

5. Peter Bloom's biography.......

Last edited Sun Mar 1, 2020, 08:18 PM - Edit history (1)

Biography
Peter holds a BA in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s degree in Rural Development from the Autonomous Metropolitan University in Xochimilco, Mexico. He was the founder in 2002 and ex-director of Juntos, the first organisation in Philadelphia dedicated to organising and defending the human rights of Latino immigrants. In 2009, Peter began working in Nigeria as a development consultant and media maker and lived in the Niger Delta region for two years, co-founding the Media for Justice Project based outside of Port Harcourt. Since 2009, Peter has been coordinating Rhizomatica, an organisation that he started in order to promote new communication technologies and that helped create the first community-owned and managed cellphone network in the Americas in 2013. Peter is both an Ashoka and Shuttleworth Foundation fellow since 2014. For his work on telecommunications and community development, in 2015 he was named an MIT Technology Review Innovator under 35 and to Foreign Policy’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers list

Link:
https://www.apc.org/en/users/peterbloom

[AncientGeezer]

6. I know what his supposed "CV" is....So? I'm a rocket scientist with a secondary in Cat cuddles.

He's a Common Dreams opinionater........a Sanders appreciation joint.

Link your source.....I'll bet you don't because I know the source...and the laugh riot it is.