Know thy socialist!

House Democrats grilled Michael Cohen Wednesday in order to (once again) hear what a “racist” and “con man” and “cheat” Trump is. Honestly, which brain trust expected that sad-sack perjurer to advance truth, justice and the American way? I watched the pity party for Cohen until I was bored to tears by the Dems’ never-Trump morality play. It made me wonder: what if Democrats were equally obsessed with driving Bernie Sanders out of Washington? 

While Cohen produced no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, Sanders is on the record praising Russia for “a whole variety of programs for young people and cultural programs that go far beyond what we do in this country.” Trump complementing Putin might raise some Democrat eyebrows, but Sanders admiring socialist systems and programs should raise some Democrat hackles. How is it even possible for pro-America Democrats to give Sanders a free pass after their conniption over Trump-Russia allegations?

Sanders is a card-carrying socialist, whose radical ideas (70% tax rates) and ideals (free college for all) are both un-workable and un-necessary. This is why he and his teeny-bopper acolyte, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, can’t name a single successful socialist nation. To wit, when asked about Cuba, Sanders offered admiration for Fidel Castro: “…he educated their kids, gave their kids healthcare, totally transformed their society.” What a load of BS!

I condemn Senator Sanders for speaking in glowing terms about a totalitarian regime that has provided pitifully small entitlements to equally miserable Cubans, and calling it “progress.” Cuban socialism forced resource re-distribution, creating fatal inefficiency. Cuban collectivism stunted competition, killing innovative entrepreneurs and globally relevant companies. This is true, but don’t expect Sanders or Ocasio-Cortez to condemn Cuba or Venezuela, where socialism has created a third-world country and humanitarian nightmare.

While the rest of the world condemns socialist dictator Maduro, Sanders and AOC have remained mostly silent. Although, when confronted by a direct question, Ocasio-Cortez offered this pathetic statement: “I think, you know, the humanitarian crisis is extremely concerning but, you know, when we use a non-democratic means to determine leadership, that’s also concerning, as well.” Translation: the US electoral college is as morally perverse as a socialist totalitarian who denies food and medicine to his people.

How can a congressional Democrat compare a humanitarian crisis, born of failed socialism, to the constitutional construct of state’s rights role in the 2016 election? What is morally perverse is a 29-year-old congresswoman rejecting our constitutional republic and an old-aged Senator rejecting our free-market economy– when they cannot truthfully point to a nation with more freedom and prosperity.

Because Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders are dreamers, they mistakenly proclaim Denmark or Sweden as the models of their socialist vision. However, because their comparisons are mere deception, the Scandinavians are pushing back. After the 2015 Democrat debates, Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen publicly corrected Sanders, describing Denmark as a “successful market economy with much freedom to pursue your dreams and live your life as you wish [with] an expanded welfare state.”

Last week, Sweden’s former prime minister, Karl Bildt, unequivocally outed Sanders’ deception: “[he] was lucky to get into the Soviet Union in 1988 and praise all its stunning socialist achievements before the entire system and empire collapsed under the weight of its own spectacular failures.” Anyone doing business in Scandinavia knows it bears no resemblance to what Sanders describes. Denmark and Sweden are models of socially responsible free-market capitalism – not Sanders-style socialism.

I understand why Trump is unacceptable to Democrats: they should want him to be a one-term president. But, if they have an ounce of patriotism left in their party, don’t allow the US to jump from the Trump frying pan into the Sanders socialist fire. The DNC must know by now that Obama veered too far left, alienating working-class Democrats.

They should also know by now that Trump has veered too far right, alienating center-right Republicans. In such circumstances, a socialist Democrat just ensures Trump of four more years. If the DNC really wants to win, then run a center-left capitalist, such as Michael Bloomberg or Howard Schultz, because Americans will eat green eggs and ham before they vote for a socialist!

By Spencer Morten

The writer is a retired CEO of a US corporation, whose views were informed by studies and work in the US and abroad. An economist by education, and pragmatist by experience, he believes the greatest threat to peace and prosperity are the loudest voices with the least experience and expertise.