Bernie's Socialism - Nice Work If You Can Get It.

America and Capitalism. Evidence that America works comes from sources who expend their collective energies trying to demonstratate it's failures and from sources who might be uneasy that they are shining examples of Capitalist and American success. Let us briefly highlight several of the Democratic 2020 Presidential Donkey Derby who show the world just how great is the American Dream.

1) Bernie Sanders

On April 20th of this year Bernie asked how many yachts does one need? Well, Bernie, the obvious answer is, 'as many as you need houses'. Maybe this was not a propitious moment for him to pose this question while the ink was not yet dry on the purchase agreement of his third home, a $600,000 lakeside retreat with 500 feet of Lake Champlain. Maybe the question should be 'How many houses does one Socialist need?'. Sanders' 2015 personal filing lists assets valued at between $194,026 and $741,000 in his wife Jane Sanders' name, the majority of these assets held in investment funds. The filing also lists credit card debt between $25,002 and $65,000. Strange that an avowed Socialist would be happy to contribute to the evil banking systems most pernicious practice....money lending at high interest rates.

The personal asset disclosure forms do not list properties held by Bernie and Jane Sanders, which include a home in the Washington D.C. neighborhood of Capitol Hill which by todays prices must be valued at a cool $1,000,000 and a home in Vermont most recently valued over $300,000. The campaign asset disclosure does not include the Sanders household's 2015 after tax income -- which would have been in the neighborhood of $180,000 assuming it were similar to the family's tax filing in 2014. Adding the estimated values of the Sanders family's homes in Vermont and Washington D.C. to the median value of the asset estimate listed in his campaign personal asset filing and an after-tax estimate of the Sanders household's 2015 income suggests that Bernie and Jane Sanders hold assets valued at roughly $1.7 million. Subtracting the median of the candidate's listed credit card debt range suggests that the couple holds somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.65 million in assets, assuming both houses are owned outright. Not too shabby considering these numbers predate the old Comrades third house, the dacha by the lake.

Sanders became mayor of Burlington, Vermont in 1981 and won reelection three times, occupying the seat until 1989 for which he still receives a small annual pension. Sanders was then elected to the House of Representatives in 1990 and served a quiet term for a Socialist until 2007 when he switched his Congreesional office for a somewhat grander billet in the Senate. Bernies wife, Jane Sanders, has also contributed significantly to the Socialist treasure trove, serving as President of Burlington College from 2004 to 2011, reportedly receiving a severance package of roughly $200,000. And let us not forget the sterling, no pun intended, work for which she received this handshake. In 2010 Jane Sanders', hoping to boost enrollment by relocating the College to a fairer part of Utopia, devised a land deal which led to allegations that she had been too 'liberal' with college donor levels on the loan application, leading to her resignation from the college in 2011. This precipitated a federal investigation and the deal ultimately pushed the college into deep financial trouble forcing its closure in 2016. Nice job and well worth the high salary and $200k going away present. In addition to working with her husband in politics, she continues to serve on Vermont political advisory boards reportedly receiving $5,000 annually for participation on a state radioactive waste commission, a position which obviously requires no experience and no participation. It is what is called in the UK, a 'Quango'.

Bernie Sanders has already enjoyed a lucrative book deal and is sure to do the grand tour of money grabbing speaking engagements where he is bound to attack the very system that is making him rich.

Nice work if you can get it and nice work for a Socialist.



2) Robert O'Rourke

Mr O'Rourke may never have actually claimed to be a card carrying member of the Communist Party, nor indeed spent a summer of of love camping with members of the Internationale, but he does seem to favor correcting the situation that allows himself to be privileged. He already regrets his recent Vanity Fair cover appearance where he claimed that he was 'born to do this'. It might be argued that feeling it is one's calling to become President is in itself not a mark of privilege, merely ones aspirations or even one's selfless desire to serve one's country. However, his immediate regret and attempt to distance himself from the perception of privilege perhaps shows a weakness that might suggest he does not merit consideration as the leader of the free world.

It is not the intention in this short piece to detail the many rewards that O'Rourke's privilege has bestowed upon him, but direct you to the excellent piece by Peter Hasson at the Daily Caller, Beto O’Rourke’s Family Connections Key To His Wealth. This details how Baby Beto might have felt privileged even though he managed to take one for the team and accept every cent that came his way. Indeed grab every million dollars that fell into his lap.

It is O'Rourke’s sudden wish to make right the unfair system of 'privilege' that begs the question, 'Why was your privilege not an issue until the very day you decided to run for President?'. Maybe you thought mommy dropping co-ownership of a seven figure commercial property was what every Baby Beto got for a birthday present? And during his unsuccessful challenge to Ted Cruz, the darling of the media elite seemed to have no qualms about taking millions of dollars from the Hollywood elite. Maybe his defeat was partly due to a campaign that was entirely lacking of this new found humility, but much more in step with Vanity Fair where culture, style and Hollywood make no apology for their privilege. Sorry Beto, but your privileged guilt cover story has even less substance than the cover story you are trying to cover over.

Perhaps Mr. O'Rourke, you should not be too concerned about being privileged, but just feel privileged you live in a country where mommy's baby boy does little else but get rich and for good measure runs for President.