How the Bernie Sanders-led American turn to the left will help the average Canadian

Capitalism as we know it today is not working for a majority of Americans. The same could also be said for Canadians, who are facing ever increasing costs for essentials such as housing, education, child care, groceries, prescription drugs, dental care and mental healthcare.

The GDP is rising. The stock market is rising. Productivity is rising. What isn’t rising rise is our salaries. Some of us may get a token 2% raise if we are lucky but that’s not nearly enough to keep up with inflation and a rising cost of living. We are struggling to save for even one month worth of salary, let alone for retirement in the future.

I just turned 36 years old. Most people my age 20 years ago would have two or three or more kids already. I’m one of the lucky ones to have a good job, and with a partner who also has a good job. We are in the top 10% of income earners in Canada. But we cannot afford a child. And we are not alone.

I can only imagine how hard it would be for someone with an average income to have a child today and also even begin to think about saving for retirement. It’s just not fathomable with today’s corrupt and oppressive form of capitalism. And it’s why Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist (though he’s more of a social democrat), is absolutely cleaning up in the Democratic primaries down south.

As Sanders wins more and more state primaries in his fight for the average American, we will be watching closely here in Canada. Because once the people regain control of their government down south, us in Canada can finally do the same up here. Our own progress will no longer have to be tempered by the race to the bottom that comes from the neoliberal, trickle-down economic policies being peddled by the right and and by centrists.

These cruel policies of rugged-individualism are the root of the inequalities facing the average Canadian and American today. What we need is a system that works for all of us. A government that works for all of us. But the Bernie Sanders of our time cannot do it alone. We are all in this fight together. And if we keep fighting together (and not against each other) and demand real, progressive policies that would help everyone, giving us all hope for a better future, we will win.