Sanders over Trump

At the moment it appears as if Bernie Sanders might become the Democratic nominee. Bloomberg having entered the race means that the centrist vote is split four ways between Bloomberg, Biden, Buttigieg and Klobuchar. On the left there are only two candidates with Sanders and Warren. A lot can still change of course, especially with Super Tuesday coming up and there could be a brokered convention. But for the sake of this post, let’s assume it is Sanders.

I would still vote for Sanders in the general election, despite disagreeing with him on a great many policies including the very idea of democratic socialism. Why? Because at the moment there are foundational principles at stake that are even more important. Trump supporters and enablers keep making excuses, but it is eminently clear that Trump is leading us down the path towards a banana republic with rampant corruption and a blatant disregard for science (e.g., climate crisis, infectious disease).

The rule of law and science have been the two pillars of widespread progress. They are why our lives today are incredibly better today than they were in the middle ages. But neither of them should be taken for granted and they can be quickly dismantled. I just finished reading Red Notice by Bill Browder (it is the monthly USV book club selection). It vividly describes the horrors of rampant corruption in modern day Russia. Putin of course is someone Trump outright admires. The pardon of Rod Blagojevich shows that there is no bottom to Trump’s willingness to weaken and abase the rule of law.

As for science it has been clear from before he even took office that Trump has no concept of how and why it matters. His ongoing dismissal of the clear evidence of the climate crisis has set back US and global efforts at decarbonization. In a complete disregard for what constitutes a real threat in the modern world, in 2018 Trump cut key contagious disease positions and never replaced them.  But most importantly, Trump is fundamentally averse to criticism and works hard to suppress it. Yet it is the very ability to express critical views and dissenting opinions that is the central scientific principle that powers progress. 

Much as socialism is being used as a bogeyman against Sanders, there are lots of constitutional and institutional limits to the changes that he could make as a president. Whatever else one may claim about Sanders, all evidence says he would adhere to the foundational principles on which progress has been built.

So yes, Sanders is a democratic socialist and I think that’s a deeply flawed idea. But I prefer a pro-science democratic socialist over a corrupt voodoo kleptocrat any time of the day.