Since this is Reddit, this is might shock some of you, but, no, Bernie Sanders is not actually a socialist. Politicians like Sanders are not democratic socialists, they're social democrats, and yes, there is a BIG difference. Social democrats support a economic system they refer to as social liberalism, allegedly combining the best of both worlds from socialism and capitalism. However, a more accurate name for their economic nightmare is welfare capitalism.
Welfare capitalism emerged in the 20th century as an attempt to weaken and undermine the socialist left. The scam is simple: pretend to care about the poor and throw them a few crumbs so they won't demand the full value of their labor. Add in a little scaremongering about lazy minorities, murder a few labor leaders, bribe a few politicians, and your pesky socialist problem will clear up in time for your next charity gala.
A liberal is like a whipped dog that begs its abusive master for scraps. They have been trained since birth to be subservient l'il patriots who fear any confrontation with authority or potential loss of social standing. They march around with their little signs saying “Please sir, may I have three crumbs today instead of two?” but they won't even so much as disrupt traffic in service of a just cause. Liberals pride themselves on being classy and civilized, unlike those radical leftists who always are so rude and refuse to compromise no matter how reasonable and polite you try to be.
In an age of universal deceit, the most wicked lies seem perfectly reasonable and the truth seems radical and subversive.
Welfare capitalism is a noose disguised as a hammock. Since the only purpose of welfarism is to undermine the Left, there is no reason to keep up with the charade once the Left has been demoralized. That's when the rhetoric of the ruling class switches from “benevolent” welfarism to “economically responsible” austerity. The State giveth. And the State taketh away.
Liberals don't even pretend that they want to free poor communities from economic servitude. If the poor become self-sufficient, then they have no reason to sell their underpaid labor to wealthy factory-owners. And of course, liberals are horrified by the idea that the workers themselves might take ownership of that factory. Economic justice would threaten the liberals' McMansions, electronic toys, and fine imported nose powders.
Welfare capitalists keep selfish, ignorant liberals loyal by assuring them that they are temporarily embarrassed millionaires, and if they work really hard and follow the rules, they too can own their own factory some day. And when you finally get your own factory, you won't want a bunch of lazy socialists stealing what you earned through your own rugged individualism and entrepreneurial ingenuity, will you?
You cannot get good fruit from a poison tree, but liberals operate under the delusion that a society built around glorifying greed, selfishness and exploitation can somehow result in liberty and justice for all. This is flagrantly absurd, but ever since the rise of social contract theory in the ironically named Age of Enlightenment, this obvious untruth has been treated as an undeniable truism of human nature. The Emperor may not have any clothes, but if the Great Philosopher says that his dear friend the Emperor wears the finest invisible silk, who are you to argue otherwise? You probably don't even have a degree, you filthy brainless prole!
Only the most twisted of lies can turn greed into a virtue and compassion into a vice. Capitalism is human sacrifice without the theatrics. And liberalism is just capitalism with the pretense of politeness.
Leave the crumbs. Take the whole damn cannoli.