Bernie’s dream

Bernie Sanders, 78, almost unarguably the most important candidate in the US presidential race, has suspended his run for presidency, after stating that it was unrealistic to continue given that he was 300 delegate points behind Joseph Biden, the former vice president in the Obama administration. But as Sanders has pointed out, his ideology will remain even after he has stepped down. He himself will remain a part of the Democratic campaign, despite the lack of support he received from the Democratic National Committee which was always wary of his views and his socialist leanings – making him an outcast in the American political system. But he was never an outcast for the people. Millions rallied behind his call for universal healthcare and insurance, free education, a higher federal minimum wage, acceptance that climate change did indeed exist and his broader demand for a more egalitarian society in the US. This runs against the grain of Trump’s policy and indeed wavers far from the ideology of almost every US president in the recent past.

Astonishingly, for a country that has seen little socialist intent since the McCarthy era of the 1950s, Sanders’ views and his willingness to talk openly about introducing a new order in an America which capitalism has turned into one of the cruelest places to live in for those who are not privileged hit a nerve. It moved those who had suffered under poverty for decades in the richest country in the world. It moved those who were not white and who rejoiced at Sanders’ slogan that non-white lives are significant. His opposition to the immigration policies introduced under Trump also brought many into his camp. But those numbers were eventually not enough to sway the strongly entrenched political system in America which favours the status quo and works against those who try to operate outside it.

Sanders did just this. But by doing so, he has left a mark on American politics which will not fade easily. His campaign proved that tens of thousands of Americans support a system that is different – a system that cares more deeply for the people. It reminded us all that many of these are no better off than the inhabitants of the poorest nations on Earth. Sanders stood for these people. It is unlikely that any other Democratic nominee will be able to take his dream forward. But in the popular mind, the dream will live on and perhaps the day will come when it can be transformed into reality by those who may form a minority but are certain to create a more united voice in a future that may be changed forever by the impact of Covid-19 and the scars it is inflicted on the social order.