The Twitter post referenced here is just the tip of the iceberg.  I’ve seen tons of social media posts trashing Berniecrats and the candidates who have run on progressive ideologies.  Where will it lead?  What must we do as Bernie followers?  Well, here’s my answer.

Despite mainstream media’s attempt to define America’s progressive movement by framing a narrative using words like socialist and communist, more and more voters are gravitating toward this common sense approach to government.  Why do you think that is?  People are hurting.  Jobs are drying up and if you have a job, you’re stressed over rumors of layoffs, cutbacks in hours and lower pay.   One simple family emergency can cause many families to miss a car payment, get behind on rent or even lose their cell phones or lights-let alone put food on the table.

Bernie’s message was simple and he spelled it out in his book “Our Revolution.”  Sanders called for:

• A $15-an-hour federal minimum wage;
• A universal healthcare plan such as Medicare for all;
• Closing the loopholes that allow corporations to avoid federal taxes and that allow these multinationals to stash money in offshore havens;
• Criminal justice reform that included legalizing or at least decriminalizing marijuana;
• An end of the private prison system which has been riddled with corruption and pay-to-play politics from the very beginning;
• A meaningful and comprehensive immigration reform system that keeps the bad people out while putting undocumented workers on the path to paying taxes.

These are just a few things Bernie talked about in his book.  His campaign was meaningful and it resonated with middle-class families. And then came the Democrats. The Democratic Party is an elite organization. It is a corporation fueled by lobbying money, big pharmaceutical industries, big banks, trial lawyers, and everything we have come to expect from the Republican Party except worse.

If you think about it, it is perfectly logical that the Democrats do not want a progressive movement to establish itself within the Democratic Party framework.  Why do we need criminal justice reform?  Bill Clinton and his ‘three strikes and you’re out’ initiative.  Why do we need a 15-hour minimum wage? Because Barack Obama, despite having both houses of Congress, would not increase the minimum wage to a livable standard.  Nor did the Obama administration do anything about closing tax loopholes for corporations and the superrich.  The Walton family is still stashing money in tax havens such as Luxembourg along with all the other 1%.   Why do we need comprehensive immigration reform? Because both parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, have kicked the can down the road, political cycle after political cycle, and nothing has been accomplished.

Make no mistake about it, the Democratic Party is not our friend. They are the enemy more than the Republicans could ever be. They have systematically changed the narrative in an effort to drive us apart. The Democratic machine controls mainstream media. They would have us don our pink pussy hats, grab our organic mocha latte’s, and join the protest of the month club. I’ve seen it happen and I’m writing a book about it.

Even though 276 progressives have won primaries, the Democratic Party (along with the mainstream media) would have us believe our cause is futile. It is not. They just do not want to give up control.  Because riding on each campaign cycle are billions of dollars in transactional donations and the Democrats want that money.

There is no place for progressives in the Democratic Party. There’s no place for Bernie in the Democratic Party. Until real progressives establish a third-party or simply run as independents we will be fighting an uphill battle and it will be harder to win.

I’ve met Bernie three times. The last time was a year before he announced his run for the presidency. I’ve had opportunities to speak with him and there is absolutely nothing socialist or communist about him or the movement he has tried to create. Social Democrats believe in capitalism and it is tantamount to pragmatic capitalism which is a Republican concept.

In fact, I would encourage you to read Pragmatic Capitalism by Cullen Roche.

 Being successful in the modern world of finance requires a more in-depth understanding of our global economies on a macro level. What does a shifting demographic cycle mean? How does the explosive growth of emerging markets matter? Why does the world’s population affect my portfolio? Does the global monetary system impact my results this year? How does government intervention in markets impact my strategy? In Pragmatic Capitalism, Cullen Roche explores how our global economy works and why it is more important now than ever for investors to understand macroeconomics. Cullen Roche combines his expertise in global macro portfolio management, quantitative risk management, behavioral finance, and monetary theory to explain to readers how macroeconomics works, and provides insights and suggestions for getting the most out of their investment strategies. This book will uncover market myths and explain the rise of macroeconomics and why it impacts the readers’ portfolio construction. Pragmatic Capitalism is a must for any sophisticated investor who wants to make the most of their portfolio.

America lives in a fiat currency world. There’s absolutely no reason why we could not get at least some of these initiatives fixated into a public policy. And if we could solve 20% of these problems we would eliminate a greater percentage of the suffering going on in America.

Above is a conversation with Jeff Weaver I encourage you to watch.

And while you’re at it I would encourage you to develop a sense of understanding about modern monetary policy.

And to read this book by Warren Mosler.

Last but certainly not least, if you’ve not read Jeff Weaver’s book “How Bernie Won” you should.  Filled with backstories and campaign ‘know how.’  Weaver was the campaign manager for Bernie Sanders.  *I knew Jeff when he had hair.  **Before his beard turned snow white.  ***Hope he’s drinking decaf.  🙂 But, in all honestly, had it not been for Jeff the Democratic 2016 platform would not have had anything close to what progressives cared about and Hillary would have lost a lot worse than she did.