BernieSandersdiscussestheincome/wealthinequalitythatisappearinginthe

UnitedStates.Hetalksabouttheethicalandmoralconcernsinsuchissue.Healso
mentionsandusesasanexampleworkingclassfamilieswhoworkmultiplejobsto
attempttoprovidefortheirfamiliesonaminimumwage;meanwhilethenumberof
billionairesandmillionairesaresteadilyrising.Anotherimportantpointheconveysis
thattheUnitedStateshasthehighestrateofchildhoodpovertythananyothermajor,
industrializedcountryintheworld.Towardstheend,hediscussesthatthiscountryis
slowly,butsurelylosingitsdemocracyandconvertingitselfintoanoligarchydueto
largeamountsofmoneybeinginvolvedinthepoliticalprocess.
IfAugusteComteweretointerpretBernieSandersmessageabouteconomic
inequalityintheUnitedStates,hewouldbeinfavorofwhatBernieSandersistryingto
convey.Comtebelievedinatermcalledpositivismwhichhethoughtcouldadvancenot
onlytheory,butalsopractices.HewouldprobablyagreewithSandersontheideathatthe
millionairesandbillionairesarestillfartoostrictlyconservativeandchangecannotbe
broughtoutwithsuchanideology.ComtewouldalsoagreewithSandersthatthe
workingclassissignificanttosocietyfortheyactasagentsofpositivereform.In
summary,mostofComtesidealswouldbeinsyncwiththoseofBernieSandersinthe
video.
IfKarlMarxweretolookatthisvideo,thereisnodoubtthathewouldagree
completelywithBernieSanders.Marxplayedamajorroleinthedevelopmentofthe
conflicttheory,atheorythatarguesthatthereareunequalamountsofresource
distributionwithinsocialclassesandthatthosewithmorepoweraremorelikelyto

receivemorethanthosewithlesspower.KarlMarxwouldidentifythetoptenthofone
percentintheUnitedStatesasthebourgeoisandthebottom99percentastheproletariat.
ForMarx,thebourgeoisisnotonlyasmallminorityofwealthyindividualsbutalso
individualsthatcontrolsocietyintermsofgovernmentandlaws.Theproletariatisthose
whorelyonemploymenttosurviveinsociety.Marxarguedthatpowerandauthority,not
unanimity,maintainsocialorder.
IfDurkheimweretolookatthisvideo,hewouldinterpretitinsimilarbut
somewhatdifferentwaythanKarlMarxandAugusteComte.HewouldinterpretBernie
SandersastheformofdevianceinUnitedStatessocietyatthemoment.Thereasonfor
thisisthatDurkheimbelievedthatdevianceisessentialtoasuccessfulsocietyandwhat
thatdeviancedoesisitchallengespeoplescurrentbeliefs.WhatBernieSandersissaying
tothemediaissomewhatradicalbecausethereareveryfewpoliticiansthatfreely
expresstheircommentaryonsuchatopic.However,heisnotafraidtobringupan
importantpointthatdisruptsthecurrentpoliticalagendaintheUnitedStates,thusserving
asaformofdeviance.Becauseofhisactsofsocalleddeviance,peoplethroughoutthe
countryarenowmoreawareoftheeconomicinequalitiesthataredividingthecountry.
Theparadigmthatisportrayedthebestinthisshortvideoistheconflicttheory.
BernieSandersinformstheaudienceaboutconflictsanddifferencesbetweentwo,
distinctivesocialclassesintheUnitedStates.Theconflicttheorydoesthebestjobin
servingastheparadigmfoundinthisvideoabouteconomicinequalities.Theconflict
theoryseessocietyalwaysbehavingasacompetitionamongindividualsandspecializes
inhowresourcesareallocatedamongtheseindividualsorgroups.Theconflicttheory

doesnotdoagreatjobinexplainingsocialconstancy.Itdoeshoweverdoabetterjobin
explainingsocialrevolution.BernieSandersdoesagreatjobinsubtlyexplainingthis
theorybydiscussinghowthepooraretakenadvantageofandhowfromthis,therich
benefit.