Bernie and Hillary's America

Watching last Thursday’s debate between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders one might have thought a Republican had been in the White House for nearly eight years.

Hearing their complaints about the economy (bad), discrimination (rampant), healthcare (too many without it), unemployment (too many not working, or working at low-paying jobs), it appeared hope had died and change is all we have left in our pockets.

To hear these two ultra-liberals tell it, we are a horrible, miserable, evil nation. We are bigots, we are greedy because we won’t surrender more of our income to the government gods, we hate anyone who isn’t white, male, and heterosexual, and we want to deport everyone who isn’t a Christian.

I wouldn’t want to live in a country like that, would you? But that is not who we are. It is only who Democrats think we are.

Hillary Clinton hasn’t yet released transcripts of speeches she gave to Wall Street bankers and hedge-fund managers. When asked why not, she reverted to familiar Clinton obfuscation, promising to “look into it.”

In fact, Laura Myers, of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, writes that, according to Clinton’s standard speaking contract, she “… won’t allow any press coverage or video- or audio-taping …” of her speeches, for which she charges six figures. McClatchy DC adds that the former secretary of state “routinely demanded that a stenographer be present at her events so she could maintain a record of what she said.” So we know the transcripts exist. Want to bet they’re never released? Look how long and how many lawsuits it took to pry her emails from the State Department. And we still haven’t seen them all.

In response to a question from ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, Clinton dug in her heels on the issue, saying, “Let anybody who has ever given a speech to any private group under any circumstances release them. We’ll all release them at the same time.”

She didn’t ask for those big speaking fees, Clinton said. They just gave the money to her. Why would anyone expect those generous Wall Street brokers and hedge-fund managers to ever ask for anything in return? How dare you!

During this and in previous Democratic debates, we heard nothing about what you can do to make your life better. It is all about government. Clinton and Sanders would never qualify for membership in the Optimist club. Theirs is a steady stream of gloom, doom, and pessimism. America’s best days are behind us and they weren’t so good after all. Slavery, racism, and denial of women’s rights … the list goes on.

In Bernie Sanders’ America, no one will ever have to work again. College will be “free,” as will healthcare. The “rich” will pay for it all. Never mind that taking away their incentive to work and make a profit will reduce the amount of money they make and the government can take. Sanders will just borrow it from others and America will become like Greece. Socialism seems nothing more than mutually shared poverty. Adopt it, and we will all be equally poor.

We used to celebrate success in America. We held up success stories as a reminder that no matter one’s present circumstances, you can make it in America. But Sanders and Clinton are proudly taking the class warfare torch from President Obama. For left-wingers, the only way to improve your life is for you to rely on government. Those who make it on their own it seems are punished by higher taxes and more regulations.

“The sun will come out tomorrow,” sings an optimistic Annie in the Broadway musical. For Hillary and Bernie, it’s a “hard knock life” and it’s always Midnight in America.

© 2016 Tribune Content Agency LLC.

Listen to Cal Thomas’ commentary on The World and Everything in It.