The Old Man and the Revolution: Bernie's Last Shot at Setting Things Straight
Christ, my head is pounding this morning. Four fingers of bourbon seemed like a good idea while watching this latest Lex Fridman interview with Bernie Sanders, but now I’m paying the price. Still, through the hangover haze, something about this hit different.
Here’s the thing about Bernie - he’s 83 years old and still more lucid than 90% of the trust fund babies running the show these days. While most politicians his age are drooling into their Metamucil, this Brooklyn kid turned Vermont rabble-rouser is out there dropping truth bombs about how fucked up our system really is.
Let me break it down for you, dear readers, while I nurse this coffee that tastes like it was filtered through a mechanic’s rag. Bernie laid out how three people own more wealth than half of America. Read that again. Three people. Half of America. And the kicker? Most of us are too busy worrying about whether we can afford to get sick to even process how insane that is.
You want to know what real freedom looks like? It’s not having to check your bank account before going to the emergency room. It’s not having to choose between rent and insulin. But here we are, in the “richest country on Earth,” where a sprained ankle can bankrupt you faster than a gambling addiction.
The real gut punch came when Bernie talked about McDonald’s workers making $7.25 an hour while their CEO probably spends more than that on toilet paper. We’re living in a country where people are working full-time jobs and still can’t afford to live. Meanwhile, the same suits who created this mess are telling us it’s just how things have to be.
You know what’s funny? Every time someone brings up universal healthcare, some genius starts screaming about socialism. But somehow it’s totally fine when corporations socialize their losses and privatize their profits. Funny how that works, right?
Here’s what gets me: Bernie’s ideas aren’t radical - they’re just common sense wrapped in a Brooklyn accent. Healthcare for everyone? The rest of the developed world figured this out decades ago. Living wage? Basic human dignity. Billionaires paying their fair share? Elementary school math.
The truth is, we’re all just one medical bill away from financial ruin, and the people in charge want to keep it that way. They’ve got us so scared of losing what little we have that we can’t even imagine demanding what we deserve.
Look, I need another drink to finish this thought, but here’s the bottom line: Bernie might be done running for president, but the movement he built isn’t going anywhere. The cat’s out of the bag, and no amount of corporate propaganda can stuff it back in.
Time to pour another bourbon and watch the sun set on another day in our late-stage capitalist paradise. At least we can still afford cheap whiskey. For now.
Signing off from the bottom of this bottle, Henry Chinaski
P.S. If you’re wondering why this post is late, blame my liver. Or the system. Both are equally shot.