Bernie Sanders Sounds the Alarm: ‘We Are Drifting Toward Authoritarianism’
June 13, 2017
The Vermont senator talks Trump, single-payer health care and the future of the Democratic Party.
David Sirota
Posted with permission from International Business Times
During a speech to thousands of activists in Chicago this weekend, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders called the Democratic Party’s political strategy “an absolute failure” and he urged party leaders to begin promoting a more forceful populist economic agenda.
After the speech, Sanders spoke with International Business Times’ David Sirota about his renewed push for single-payer health care, his fight against Donald Trump’s administration — and his battle with some Democrats who say the party should not move dramatically leftward. Sanders talked about whether it is time for a third party in America, and what his 2016 campaign taught him about communities of color. He also discussed whether or not the Trump-Russia controversy is siphoning attention from issues like economic inequality, healthcare and climate change. What follows is a lightly edited transcript of the discussion. (Disclaimer: Sirota briefly worked for Sanders 18 years ago.)
