Sanders and Orthodox social teaching, compared

Now that Bernie Sanders has declared his candidacy for the presidency on the Democratic ticket, and in light of my recent piece on Fei Xiaotong and Nikolai Berdyaev, it seems as good an opportunity as any to compare certain points of convergence between his version of ‘democratic socialism’, or more correctly social democracy, and the social teachings of the Orthodox Church. Here are a few the respective stances of Bernie Sanders and the Orthodox Church (from the Basis of the Social Concept document) on distribution of the fruits of labour:

In the last 30 years in this country there has been a massive transfer of wealth going from the hands of working families into the top ⅒ of 1% whose percentage of wealth has doubled… Of course there will be a limit, but when today you have massive levels of income and wealth inequality, when the middle class is disappearing, yes, in my view, the government of a democratic society has a moral responsibility to play a vital role in making sure all of our people have a decent standard of living.

- Bernie Sanders, 2016

Continuing on earth the service of Christ Who identified Himself with the destitute, the Church always comes out in defence of the voiceless and powerless. Therefore, she calls upon society to ensure the equitable distribution of the fruits of labour, in which the rich support the poor, the healthy the sick, the able-bodied the elderly. The spiritual welfare and survival of society are possible only if the effort to ensure life, health and minimal welfare for all citizens becomes an indisputable priority in distributing the material resources.

- BSC 2000, VI.6

On the principles of just war:

From the very beginning of the Persian Gulf crisis, I was of the belief that the US could push Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait without having to resort to war. Diplomacy, economic boycott, isolation, financial leverage: we had many means for reversing the invasion. I was not only opposed to the war because of the potential destruction and loss of life, but also because I believe it IS possible for the major countries of this planet, and a virtually united world community, to resolve crises without carnage. If this matter could not be solved without massive bombing and killing thousands of people, then what crisis could ever be solved peacefully?

- Bernie Sanders, 1997

From the Christian perspective, the conception of moral justice in international relations should be based on the following basic principles: love of one’s neighbours, people and Fatherland; understanding of the needs of other nations; conviction that it is impossible to serve one’s country by immoral means. These three principles defined the ethical limits of war established by Christendom in the Middle Ages when, adjusting to reality, people tried to curb the elements of military violence. Already at that time, people believed that war should be waged according to certain rules and that a fighting man should not lose his morality, forgetting that his enemy is a human being too.

- BSC 2000, VIII.3

On financial institutions which are ‘too big to fail’:

I’ve laid out a very aggressive plan to rein in Wall Street—not just the big banks. We have to go after what is called the shadow banking industry. Those hedge funds. I want to look at the whole problem; my proposal is much more comprehensive than anything else that’s been put forth… You know, maybe they’re dumb and they don’t know what they’re going to get, but I don’t think so. If Teddy Roosevelt, a good Republican, were alive today, you know what he’d say? “Break them up.” Reestablish Glass-Steagall. And Teddy Roosevelt is right.

- Bernie Sanders, 2015

Those standing at the head of international economic and financial structures have concentrated in their hands a great power beyond the control of nations and even governments and beyond any limit, be it a national border, an ethnic and cultural identity or the need for ecological and demographical sustainability. Sometimes they refuse to reckon with the customs and religious traditions of the nations involved in the implementation of their plans. The Church cannot but be concerned also for the practice of financial speculations obliterating the dependence of income on the effort spent. Among various forms of this speculation are «financial pyramids» the collapse of which causes large-scale upheaval. In general, such changes in economy result in the loss of priority that labour and man have over capital and means of production…

The Church raises the question concerning the need to establish comprehensive control over transnational corporations and the processes taking place in the financial sector of economy. This control, aimed to subject any entrepreneurial and financial activity to the interests of man and people, should be exercised through all mechanisms available in society and state.

- BSC 2000, XVI.3

On usury:

We know every major religion on Earth—Christianity, Judaism, Islam, you name it—has always felt that usury is immoral. What we mean by usury is that when someone doesn't have a lot of money and you loan them money, you don't get blood out of a stone. You can’t ask for outrageously high interest rates when somebody is hurting. That is immoral. Yet today we have millions of people in our country who are paying 25% or 30% and in some cases even higher interest rates on their credit cards. Yet many of the credit card companies were bailed out by the taxpayers of this country. What the Fed must do is say to those companies: “Sorry, you can’t continue to rip off the American people and charge them 25% or 30% interest rates.”

In my view, when credit card companies charge over 20% interest, they are not engaged in the business of making credit available to their customers; they are involved in extortion and loan-sharking—nothing essentially different than gangsters who charge outrageously high prices.

- Bernie Sanders, 2010

It is not accidental that many traditional religions have a cautious and sometimes even negative attitude to the collection of bank interest. Usury has always been regarded as a morally unsafe activity. Finance and credit activity becomes morally dubious if in its unscrupulous pursuit of profit it deviates from its original calling which is to make people’s life better and economy more effective. Therefore in our time the profession of financier requires not only serious public control but also strong ethical self-control. Without calling to reject the use of resources offered by modern financial instruments and far less to return to natural forms of economy, we believe it necessary to take a sober view of all the strengths and weaknesses of the existing world financial model. It is important to bring the economic system as near as possible to the needs of ordinary people, creating opportunities for their active and creative involvement in economic activity.

- MP Council on Œconomy and Ethics, ‘Statement on the global financial and œconomic crisis’, 2009

On public education:

When we think about cutting back on education—whether it is childcare, primary school, or college—we are simply cutting off our noses to spite our faces. At one time in this country, we used to lead the world in the number of our people who graduated college, we are now falling very significantly. How do you become a great economy if you don't have the scientists, the engineers, the teachers, the professionals out there, and many other countries around the world are having a higher percentage of their high school graduates going to college? That is something we have to address. Anyone who comes forward and says cut education is moving us in exactly the wrong direction.

- Bernie Sanders, 2010

Christian tradition has always respected the secular education. School is a mediator that hands over to new generations the moral values accumulated in the previous centuries. School and the Church are called to co-operation in this task. Education, especially that of children and adolescents, is called not only to convey information. To warm up in young hearts the aspiration for the Truth, authentic morality, love of their neighbours and homeland and its history and culture is a school’s task no smaller but perhaps even greater than that of giving knowledge. The Church is called and seeks to help school in its educational mission, for it is the spirituality and morality of a person that determines his eternal salvation, as well as the future of individual nations and the entire human race.

- BSC 2000, XI.6

On the œcological crisis:

Pope Francis made this point. This [climate change] is a moral issue. The scientists are telling us we need to move boldly. I am proud that, along with Senator Boxer, a few years ago, we introduced the first piece of climate change legislation which called for a tax on carbon. Nothing is gonna happen unless we [deal] with campaign finance reform, because the fossil fuel industry is funding the Republican Party, which denies the reality of climate change. The future of the planet is at stake.

- Bernie Sanders, 2015

The Orthodox Church appreciates the efforts for overcoming the ecological crisis and calls people to intensive co-operation in actions aimed to protect God’s creation. At the same time, she notes that these efforts will be more fruitful if the basis on which man’s relations with nature are built will be not purely humanistic but also Christian. One of the main principles of the Church’s stand on ecological issues is the unity and integrity of the world created by God. Orthodoxy does not view nature around us as an isolated and self-closed structure. The plant, animal and human worlds are interconnected. From the Christian point of view, nature is not a repository of resources intended for egoistic and irresponsible consumption, but a house in which man is not the master, but the housekeeper, and a temple in which he is the priest serving not nature, but the one Creator.

- BSC 2000, XIII.4

On affordable health care:

I have always been a proponent of a national health care system. It just seemed eminently fair and right. How can we call this a civilized society when the children or parents of the rich get the medical attention they need in order to stay alive, while members of working-class families, who lack health insurance, have to die or needlessly suffer—or go hopelessly into debt to get the care they need? This is an outrageous injustice and it cannot be rationally defended.

- Bernie Sanders, 1997

Without giving preference to any organisational model of medical aid, the Church believes that this aid should be maximum effective and accessible to all members of society, regardless of their financial means and social status, also in the situation of limited medical resources. To make the distribution of these resources truly equitable, the criterion of «vital needs» should prevail over that of «market relations». The doctor should not link the measure of his responsibility for giving medical aid exclusively with the financial reward and its amount, turning his profession into a source of enrichment. At the same time, worthy payment for the work of medical workers appears to be an important task for society and state.

- BSC 2000, XI.3

On criminal justice reform:

Black lives matter. The African American community knows that on any given day some innocent person like Sandra Bland can get into a car, and three days later she’s dead in gaol. We need to combat institutional racism from top to bottom, and we need major reforms in a broken criminal justice system. I intend to make sure people have education and jobs rather than gaol cells.

- Bernie Sanders, 2015

The prevention of crime is possible first of all through education and enlightenment aimed to assert in society the authentic spiritual and moral values. In this task the Orthodox Church is called to intensive co-operation with school, mass media and law-enforcement bodies. If the people lack a positive moral ideal, no measures of coercion, deterrence or punishment will be able to stop the evil will. That is why the best form of preventing crime is the preaching of the honest and proper way of life, especially among children and youth. In this effort, close attention should be given to the so-called risk-groups or those who have already committed first offences. These people need a special pastoral and educational care. The Orthodox clergy and laity are called to take part in the efforts to overcome the social causes of crime, showing concern for the just order in society and economy and for the self-fulfilment of every member of society in his profession and life.

- BSC 2000, IX.2

On drug addiction and treatment:

The number of heroin deaths is growing significantly. What do we do? For a start, we have to tell doctors who are prescribing opiates that we cannot have this huge number of opiates out there, where young people are taking them, getting hooked, and then going to heroin. Second, we need to understand that addiction is a disease, not a criminal activity. When somebody is addicted and seeking help, they should not have to wait months to get that help.

- Bernie Sanders, 2015

Drug-addiction and alcoholism point to the spiritual disease that has affected not only the individual, but also society as a whole. This is a retribution for the ideology of consumerism, for the cult of material prosperity, for the lack of spirituality and the loss of authentic ideals. In her pastoral compassion for the victims of alcoholism and drug-addiction, the Church offers them spiritual support in overcoming the vice. Without denying the need of medical aid to be given at the critical stages of drug-addiction, the Church pays special attention to the prevention and rehabilitation which are the most effective when those suffering participate consciously in the eucharistic and communal life.

- BSC 2000, XI.6

The social teaching of the Orthodox Church does have some fundamental and deep-seated disagreements with Senator Sanders’s priorities on sexual and reproductive ethics – it would be dishonest to attempt to paper those over. Sanders, unfortunately, thinks of reproductive issues solely in the terms of the bodily autonomy of the woman and spares no consideration for that of her unborn child – this is a point on which the social teaching of the Orthodox Church stands in fundamental disagreement with Sanders. Likewise, the Orthodox Church considers the anthropological basis of marriage as rooted in reproduction. Though there is some overlap between the Orthodox Church’s pastoral understanding of homosexuality and Sanders’s stance that public treatment of homosexuals is a matter of civil rights, the question of what constitutes marriage is a point of fundamental disparity.

But these two points of difference are well-known, particularly in an American political context. While acknowledging the gravity and the incommensurability of these two points of disagreement, blowing them out of proportion would be an equally-dishonest mistake. What remains to be said is that the basic ethical perspective of the Orthodox Church on matters of œconomy, distribution of resources, finance, œcological crisis, criminal justice, public health and war and peace shares a fundamental likeness to the ethical vision consistently promoted by Senator Sanders. The Orthodox Church presents a consistent vision of, if not equality, tout court, then proportionality and reciprocity in the public sphere, for which the politics of Bernie Sanders provide a fair approximation – on practically all issues but the pelvic ones.

EDIT (21 Feb): On a tangentially-related note with regard to Bernie and Orthodoxy. I realise that it’s a grave temptation right about now for establishment Dems, but seriously, don’t be a jerk. I am seeing plenty of jerks in social media space right now, including certain performatively-woke Catholic bloggers in my immediate news feed, saying Sanders is a ‘sellout to Russia’, a ‘Russian trojan horse’ or worse. Just because Bernie Sanders shares some overlap in views with the Russian Orthodox Church on œconomic matters does not make him a Russian agent, people. And even if he were somehow connected with Russia, it still wouldn’t make him wrong on these matters of œconomics and œcology, for which he was fighting in office decades before anyone was concerned about chasing ever less-credible phantasms of ‘election interference’ by Russia. Remember: accusations of disloyalty, or dual loyalty, when aimed at a patriotic Jewish politician, constitute an old and well-worn anti-Semitic canard. So don’t do it. Take your ‘eevul Pootin’ antics elsewhere.