1988 Bernie's Love The Soviet Union

[GURPS]

BURLINGTON, Vt. — It’s 1988 and newlywed Bernie Sanders is in the Soviet Union with his wife, Jane, handing out gifts to the mayor of a midsized city they’ve befriended. The mood is festive as the two bestow the items: A Beatles album, a red “Bernie for Burlington” button, “delicious Vermont candy” and a tape of tunes Sanders recorded himself with fellow artists from Vermont, among other goodies.

“I have met many fine mayors in the United States,” Sanders says, “but I want to say that one of the nicest mayors I've ever met is the mayor of Yaroslavl.”

At another point, a member of Sanders’ delegation hands a Russian woman a small American flag.

“If you’re wondering what’s wrong with capitalism, it’s made in Hong Kong," he jokes. "Sorry about that.”

The scene is part of 3½ hours of raw, never publicly seen footage of the trip Sanders took to the Soviet Union that year — his “honeymoon.” POLITICO viewed the tapes this week, along with a forgotten hourlong episode of a TV show created by Sanders that featured the same trip, at the offices of a Vermont government access channel.


https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/17/bernie-sanders-mystery-soviet-video-revealed-1330347

 

[Yooper]

That this was in 1988 speaks volumes about Sanders. In other words, Sanders is a "true believer" and "fellow traveler."

For those of us working in the field of Sovietology at that time several things were clear.

First, the Soviet Union was absolutely sclerotic. The Black Market was the only functioning goods and services provider while corruption was the first order of business for the official sector (government, industry, agriculture, etc.).

Second, that the Soviet Union was on its last legs meant it would go out with either a small whimper or very big bang. Though many thought the former (as we thought Gorbachev would be successful either in transitioning the Soviet economy to a new "New Economic Policy" or in prolonging the system in a way as to avoid a big bang) most of us feared the latter (that the other two parties in the troika - military and KGB - would not go quietly). In either case, any sane, non-true believer would see that the gig was up.

That Sanders didn't understand or chose not to understand can't be explained by youth: he was 47 at the time! That he still HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE ERRORS OF HIS VIEWS tells you he still believes.

As such, America cannot afford to believe in him.

--- End of line (MCP)

 

[Hijinx]

Socialist= A person who advocates or practices Socialism
Communist=a person who supports or believes in the principles of communism.

Is there really a difference?

Bernie claimed to be a Conscienstious Objecter to keep himself out of the Viet nam war.
Now: He wants to be President of the most militarily powerful country in the world.
How can the two be compared?