“...The choice between socialism and capitalism is the main social alternative of our age...there is no way to advance in the 21st Century without moving toward a higher form of social organization, to... Democratic Socialism.”

Bernie? Hillary? No, this was spoken by Mikhail Gorbachev, Nov. 2, 1987 in commemoration of the Russian 1917 “October Revolution.” The only difference in the quote is my adding Democratic before socialism, and 21st Century instead of 20th.

Two nights ago after the Iowa Caucuses, multiple voters for Bernie Sanders were asked to define what “Socialism, or Socialist” meant. In the 90-second soundbyte not a single voter could come anywhere near a coherent definition — the same people who had just caucused for Bernie to be their Democrat nominee for our next president.

In a nutshell, Socialism defines a system of the collective versus the individual. Remember “It takes a village?” The risk-taking entrepreneur versus the noble blue collar working masses. The indoctrinated, ideologically correct ruling elite shall wield the power to confiscate property and wealth from the “rich” and redistribute this largesse to the working poor as they see fit.

Socialism defines a mindset that truly believes there is an amount of wealth that no man or family should ever possess. They, the ruling democratic socialists, shall determine economic fairness. Beginning with the October Revolution of 1917 starring Lenin, followed by Stalin, the new United Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR, showed the world what godless socialism must morph into.

Today in America, our very history has been attacked, buried, and re-written in order to usher in to our country “A fundamental change.” Our new progressive leader proclaimed to the world, we are no longer, nor ever were a “Christian” nation. The monuments in our nation’s capital, our currency, our national anthem, the National Day of Prayer, Congress opening every session with prayer (to the God of the Judeo-Christian Bible), none of these realities mean anything anymore to the Obama and Clinton and Sanders voters. This is the 21st Century. We must go back to the tenets of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution to make our nation strong and secure again? Hillary and Bernie, the entire Democratic Party, are absolutely dependent upon a historically ignorant electorate!

Way to go Department of Education, NEA, progressive Ivy Leaguers.

My faith in the God of the Bible, our United States Constitution, our declaration of independence, our Mom and Dad families, and our churches and communities as the No. 1 priority for our national survival; these very words and principles make me and those who vote like me, for the Christian conservative candidates that espouse these essentials, extreme right wing radicals — “bitter clingers” in the words of former candidate Obama.

Jon Keith is a Coeur d’Alene resident.