To be sure, this has been a very interesting election cycle. It seems that every type of character, from the most self-proclaimed conservative to the most self-proclaimed socialist, have thrown their proverbial hats into the ring. At times it’s been almost hard to differentiate some of their political ideologies from their competitors – with the exception of one: Senator Bernie Sanders. Say what you want about his misguided politics, the man is perhaps one of the most truthful candidates in this election cycle. You know exactly where he stands, and to his branch of the establishment that can be as disturbing as Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are to those on the other side of the political spectrum. All these anti-establishment candidates are drawing large crowds, as should be expected in a day and age when the establishment has failed. However, Senator Sanders’ ability to draw crowds deviates substantially from the anti-establishment Trump or Cruz, both of whom want to restore America to her former greatness. Sanders, on the other hand, wants to continue to transform America into something that would be unrecognizable to our Founders. Therefore, this Constitution-loving writer finds his growing popularity most disturbing. It is not only anti-establishment; it is anti-American, and it is drawing record crowds of clueless supporters.

Sanders the socialist

As most know by now, Sanders describes himself as a Democratic Socialist. Webster’s definition for socialism is: “a way of organizing a society in which major industries are owned and controlled by the government rather than by individual people and companies.” While it may seem that socialism can include some kind of democratic thread, that thread is likely to be only temporary, since the government’s power to control commodities and ultimately property will soon control all aspects of our life, including any threads of democracy that we are foolish enough to believe are at our disposal. Our Founders understood this clearly when they wrote the Declaration of Independence. To them, the phrase “pursuit of happiness” actually meant the ownership of property and the right to be able to pursue your own destiny, unencumbered by government regulations. The throngs exalting Bernie Sanders do not understand, appreciate or support this philosophy of government. They have a naive and narrow concept that believes that government has the right to take what someone has worked for to give it to someone else – as they see fit – and all in the name of fairness! They are totally ignorant of the fact that in order to do this, gross unfairness is exercised upon the person that is being robbed. Somehow or another, they have managed to turn a blind eye to the mischief their ideology comports.

How democratic can socialism be?

This Democratic Socialist idea, should it overtake and consume our liberties, will prove to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And once this sheep’s clothing is discarded, the wolf that is revealed will voraciously devour our posterity and all the freedoms generations before us have fought to preserve. It is not a new historical phenomena that freed people are willing to surrender their freedom for the illusionary comforts of slavery. When Moses had successfully led his people out of the chains of Egypt into freedom after seeing miracle after miracle, the freed slaves expressed a desire to go back to Egypt rather than stand on faith when they saw Pharaoh’s army approaching. In Exodus 14:12 they said: “Is it not the word that we told you in Egypt saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness?” The Sander’s Syndrome is similar in the sense that freedom and facing the unknown can be daunting for some – even in the aftermath of great success. Consequently, they would choose to have less and suffer bondage rather than have the responsibility of working on behalf of their own posterity. For them, it is less frightening to be owned and cared for than to be independent and self-reliant.

In modern America the socialistic philosophies that the Sanders throngs embrace have also been birthed by a generation that has been spoiled and given all they desire without any contribution on their behalf, resulting in an entitlement philosophy akin to narcissism. This type of narcissism is the product of over-indulgence and an educational system that promotes entitlements as fairness through re-writing history and communistic indoctrination. It further supports this through the handouts of participation trophies and free lunches that eliminate competitive accomplishments and the idea that government is responsible for our sustenance. Hence, we have raised a generation of dependent wimps that believe they are entitled to something someone else has worked for. They see the ambitious and competitive as Neanderthals that are a plight on the desired placidity of Utopia. These are those that make up the throngs of Sanders’ Supporters, and these are more to be feared for the future of America than any evil jihadist or the criminally incompetent Hillary Clinton. For should this continue, our demise is certain at their hands, regardless of who wins the election in 2016. For it is just a matter of time before they run out of our money and in the process, destroy the American Dream.

Lincoln once said that the philosophy in the classroom of one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next. Sanders’ supporters surely are a testament to this truth. We have sat by – unaware of what has been transpiring in America’s classrooms, and now we are shocked that an openly committed Socialist is gaining in the polls. If we truly understood that this is the canary in the coal mine of America, we would be shaking with fear over the inevitable loss of liberty and freedom that this canary is indicating. We may be able to stem off this latest assault against our Republic by electing the “right” president in 2016, but unless we restore sanity in our classrooms, our demise as a nation is surely predictable.

Reprinted  from The Daily Rant, copyright 2016 Mychal Massie. Used by permission.