NPR’s Leila Fadel speaks with Sen. Bernie Sanders about his book, “Fight Oligarchy,” which argues oligarchic economic and political control has left millions of Americans struggling.
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FADEL: This book is a pocket-size version of a tour called Fight Oligarchy that you went on in mostly Republican or a lot of Republican leaning districts. And it is a call to action. You call for political revolution. But what does that look like for Americans who are watching more and more violent ICE raids, these flurry of court decisions over what President Trump is doing or not doing, a government shutdown, a deadlock in Washington? That can feel very helpless for Americans who have no control over Washington and politicians here.
SANDERS: I think you hit the nail on the head. I think people are feeling helpless, deeply worried about the future and whether their kids will have an even lower standard of living than they do, and they want to know what we can do. And when I talk about the political revolution, it’s - yes, it means, very importantly getting involved in the political process. But it’s not just being involved in, quote-unquote, “political activities.” We’re seeing at the grassroots level, if not at Washington, at the grassroots level, a lot of union organizing. You can stand up and form a union. If you’re worried about the quality of education that your kids are getting, get involved now. Work with the teachers. Improve education. We are a nation that, by and large, believes in democracy, believes in justice, understands that climate change is not a hoax but an existential threat to our world. So the message is break out of your comfort zone, do what you didn’t do yesterday, and get involved in one way or another.
Totally true. Every once in a while we get a report from one of our kids that a teacher has said or done something off color. 95% are fine and just teach, some are good at it, but every once in a while some nutter can’t contain their Reich Wing and says something political or dogwhistle bigoted. Or has secondary characteristics like raggedy- or blue line flag stickers on their car.