VIDEO: Noam Chomsky: Bernie Sanders Is Not a Socialist, He’s a ‘Decent, Honest New-Dealer’

[UglyGreed]

“If [Bernie Sanders] were elected, I think he’d be the one, from the current candidates ... with the best policies,” the renowned linguist and activist recently told Al-Jazeera in an interview. Chomsky adds, however, that in the current American system of “bought elections,” he doesn’t think Sanders has much chance of winning. He goes on to outline the differences between the Democrats and Republicans who are running.

http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/video_noam_chomsky_bernie_sanders_is_not_a_socialist_new_dealer_20160217

[brooklynite]

1. Then he should stop saying he is...it would make his prospects a lot better.

[UglyGreed]

2. And Hillary should stop saying

she is a progressive since many people find that statement a bit odd.....

[AgingAmerican]

3. He has never said he is a 'Socialist'

He is a 'Democratic Socialist'

His policies are solidly mainstream.

[UglyGreed]

5. Of course but some like to

play with words..... add a word or two here, leave a word or two out there......

[redstateblues]

6. He has called himself a Socialist a number of times.

He only added Democratic when he thought about running for Prsident

[AgingAmerican]

8. That is a lie

[UglyGreed]

9. And Hillary has called herself

a moderate, progressive, centrist and a liberal all depends on the crowd

[brooklynite]

10. Let's have an English lesson...

"Socialist" is the primary word:

a social system or theory in which the government owns and controls the means of production (as factories) and distribution of goods.

"Democratic" is a modifier of the primary word:

Democratic socialism is a political ideology advocating a democratic political system alongside a socialist economic system, involving a combination of political democracy with social ownership of the means of production.

The fact that you have to keep trying to explain why "Democratic Socialism" isn't a subset of "Socialism", but apparently is something else entirely, is why you've already lost the inevitable battle with the Republicans when they tar Sanders with the "Socialist" label.

[AgingAmerican]

15. Socialist is a political science term

Democratic socialism does not have 'social ownership of means of production'. It has 'private' ownership of means of production.

I would suggest you google these things before waxing poetic.

[brooklynite]

16. Where do you think I got the definition?

[redstateblues]

4. That was Bernie's first big mistake

and then when he decided to run for POTUS he tried to soften it by putting "Democratic" in front of it.

[AgingAmerican]

7. That is a lie

You don't know the difference, do you?

His policies are mainstream.

[brooklynite]

11. They are indeed...which is why he shouldn't have called himself a "socialist"...

He's actually a Social Democrat:

Social democracy is a political ideology that supports economic and social interventions to promote social justice within the framework of a capitalist economy,

...which would be far easier to defend against Republican attacks.

[AgingAmerican]

13. Democratic Socialism is another way to say

Social Democracy , which is what the US is if you strip away the right wing influence

[brooklynite]

14. See #10

[forjusticethunders]

12. Democratic socialism

Social Democrats have always been a part of the leftist socialist coalition, even if they're the rightmost wing of that coalition. There are multiple social democratic parties in the Socialist International as well, including UK Labor (though after Blair you could make a strong argument they should have been expelled).