Soft choices

Both sides of the US political divide seem to think or purport that a Sanders/Trump matchup would be a clear choice for Americans. Moderate Democrats and Never Trumpers alike say it will be a choice between "Freedom or Capitalism" and "Socialism" or between (as Bloomberg suggested rather obtusely) "Evolution" and "Revolution". Even some conservatives have asserted that Sanders is "like Trump" because he wants to be an "outsider" who will come to DC to "shake things up".

I am not convinced. One, Bernie's been in Congress in DC for THIRTY YEARS! Second, anything that is "Swamplike" about the US Govt. will be deepened, broadened and widened by Bernie. He does not want to change DC, he wants to change the US. He does not want to shrink DC's budget, staff or powers (except may be in the Pentagon), he wants to enlarge all of them and shrink the truly private apolitical American life. His priorities are the priorities of almost all Democratic congressmen and some GOP, he just wants them implemented quicker.

As to Trump, that he has shrunk the Government of Rules and Taxes, there can be no doubt and that is one of the reasons, if not the only cogent reason, why almost the entire DC establishment hates him. He has started to move the US govt out of not only the private economy but out of many other fields of American life to its great advantage. That he is a mortal threat to the Deep State surely is proven by the fact that its minions have spent four years and committed legal and constitutional crimes to fell him. (and the appointment of over 200+ constructionist judges will no doubt constitute a brake on state expansion for generations to come in ways we cannot calculate)

But the Federal Govt. still takes up 20% of the economy, entitlements remain untouchable and Trump's Administration with Congress has turned in yearly trillion dollar deficits despite having complete control of congress for two of those years. Trump's withdrawal from overseas conflicts is a good thing in this regard, but, overall, the State is still too big. In that sense, the clear choice that Trump represents becomes more of a morally relative one. 

But, that it is subtle does not make it any less urgent. Trump's second term may be the last incremental chance for America to reverse the ratchet of 90 years of Federal social and constitutional imagineering, with cooperation from the judiciary, that has left the US at this dangerous pass. Trump may be the last chance to break the New Deal/Great Society/Obamacare political consensus that has so damaged the country politically, morally, socially, fiscally and economically for so long. (for e.g.: US regulation since 1950 robs Americans yearly of at least $30000.00 per capita NET of Trump's deregulations)

The choice between Trump and Sanders is the choice between an historically large and still pervasive, obiquitous, omniscient and omnipotent Federal Executive being slowly Deli-sliced down to size (at least for another four years) and one that will be still larger than it is now or was under Obama and but quick. The only difference between Sanders and Biden in this regard will not be the cruising speed to complete socialism in America but that, if Sanders wins, he will be POTUS. If Biden wins, Sanders and his type will be POTUS in all but name.