"Does any stricture of journalistic propriety or social etiquette require us to participate in Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders's charade? Is it obligatory to take seriously his pose of being an "independent" and a "socialist"? It gives excitable Democratic activists a frisson of naughtiness to pretend that he is both. Actually, he is neither.
"Independent"? He caucuses with Senate Democrats and attends their policy lunches, his committee assignments count against the Democrats' quota, he reliably votes with Democrats and he is seeking the Democrats' presidential nomination. He is a Democrat.
If he is a "socialist," who isn't? In olden days, socialism meant something robust — government ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange. Then, voters and reality being resistant to such socialism, the idea was diluted to mean just government ownership of an economy's "commanding heights," principally heavy industries, coal mines, railroads, etc."
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/will060415.php3
Frankly, I don't see Bernie even wanting government ownership of the commanding heights. From my admittedly limited exploration, his aim appears to be to reduce inequality, increase the public good and protect the vulnerable.
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