American Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders introduced his latest book, "It's OK to be Angry About Capitalism," in Brussels at the Bozar arts center on Tuesday evening. Karl Van den Broeck,
the Editor-in-Chief of the independent news service Apache, moderated the event.
Sanders initiated his discussion with a foreboding message about the future of the United States and, by extension, Europe. He remarked, "The world is moving towards an increasingly oligarchic society," referring to "a small economic elite that has never held as much power as it does today. These individuals at the top are not benevolent. Today, they already possess a tremendous amount of wealth, and it will only grow tomorrow."
Concerns Over the Elite Few
Sanders expressed concerns about billionaires, stating, "They may present themselves as philanthropic and make donations to universities or charitable organizations. Some may advocate for women's rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, or against racial inequality. However, in the end, these billionaires are, above all, exceedingly avaricious." He added, "There is one issue that supersedes all others: whoever has the money wields the power."
In the United States, 16 percent of Americans live from one paycheck to another, and 18 million American families allocate over half of their income to housing, according to Sanders. "And that situation is no different in Europe."
While Sanders outlines the challenges confronting the United States, he also offers encouraging developments, such as the substantial rise of unions in prominent American companies like the Amazon Labour Union and Starbucks Workers United.
"A Multitude of Americans Have Lost Faith in the Political System"
In his book, Sanders questions the Democratic Party's failure to support the American working class. "As a Democratic party, we must embrace these people and advocate for their interests," he stated. He believes that the only way to prevent a second term for former Republican President Donald Trump is to build a new progressive and left-wing coalition to re-elect Joe Biden as the president in the next term.
Sanders remarked, "A multitude of Americans no longer have faith in the political system. They have lost faith in political parties, in the media, and even in science." He cautioned against authoritarianism and fascism and asserted that the sole approach to avert them and foster genuine democratic transformation is to "genuinely act for the working class."
Sanders' book was initially published in English in February, and a Dutch version was recently released. Photo by Phil Roeder, Wikimedia commons.