Bernie Sanders fired the imagination of a good chunk of American youth with his rallying cry of a future to believe in. The ground was ripe to enflame the vision due to skyrocketing inequality, dwindling employment outlets, stagnant wages, the prohibitive cost of education and healthcare etc. The promised future offers free education, free medical treatment, and removal of inequality and many other popular demands for all Americans. To believe it will die of premature death is to live in utopia. The idea is likely to live on. He calls it a ‘revolution’ – a revolution through ballots, not bullets.
We know all too well the same kind of revolution through bullets was brought about in Russia during October revolution of 1917 with the same good old promises of whatever Bernie Sanders pledges now. It provided education, health and jobs for all citizens. Everything changed by the sweep of revolution.
Prof. C.P. Snow, a British scientist, had to confront an unwelcome question while on a visit to the land of revolution during Stalin era. The question was: “You boast of Oxford and Cambridge; how many workers and farmer’s children are enrolled there?” Prof. Snow was non-plussed to answer. Moscow University could be proud of having many offspring of peasants and working class on its roll. If any gifted child is found in any remote corner of the country to a poor farmer or worker, the parents need not bother for his education and future. The son/daughter will be provided free education in an institution suitable for the flowering of the talent of the child concerned, and it offered so many other benefits for all. This is amid banishment of a sizeable number of people, identified as enemies of the people to the harsh labour camps of far-flung Siberia.
Nikita Khrushchev banged his heavy boots on the table in the course of his visit to America during JF Kennedy’s time and thundered, “We will surpass you”.
Alas, that solemn declaration could never be fulfilled. Eventually, the great Soviet Union collapsed and the fruits of the revolution lost. Capitalism with portents of inequality -- the main irritant of American disquiet -- returned with a flourish. Russia has many billionaires now to boast of. It embraced crony capitalism too, unabashedly.
Why the dream revolution soured? First time in human history the thought of planned development for the whole country took shape. Each five-year plans were comprehensively worked out in minute details. No sphere of developmental need is left unattended. Still, it remained a drawing board dream. Actual implementation fell far short of the goal. It can possibly be traced to the basic selfish instinct of human soul. Take the silliest case of productivity of the communes. In the commune, it is everybody’s job, which means nobody’s job as long as it doesn’t threaten anybody’s job security. It is found that the yield of the same peasant much better comparatively in the small plots attached to individual residences than he/she contributes in the communes. Marx’s proposition -- ‘From each according to capacity, to each according to necessity’ failed. Nobody contributes in accordance with his ability, but everybody is eager to share the fruit equally. A century ago human necessity was far less than of today. Today’s exploding need knows no bounds. And it’s so varied too. So it won’t work in the actual field. Consequently, the bubble will get blown up.
It’s presumed under the environment of complacent security, human performance suffers. It is sad to note majority deliver at an optimum level only when pushed to the extremes. And hire and fire policy is non-existent in the system. Bernie Sanders and his fans should be cautious to ensure how to usher into that promised future and sustain it when arrived.
