In the United States it has become general knowledge, that both the Democratic and Republican parties are identical in all ways but their favourite colour and animal. Both are neoliberal, warmongering and individualist.
Mister Bernie Sanders' attempt for the Dem nomination against corporatist Hillary Clinton in 2016, was the first turning point for American collectivism and social democracy. Sanders' economic rhetoric and campaign promises made him a martyr, for bringing the Dems into a new era and sparking hope in the younger generation.
While during the nominee horse race, Clinton was advocating for further cutting the red tape from the same businesses that crashed the economy in 2008. Her email leaks revealed that the former Secretary of State had very close ties with Wall Street.
However, Sanders was just one man battling against his own party, but the "democratic socialist" rhetoric wasn't enough to drain that swamp. His peers are too corrupt. While they aren't the austerity obsessed fiscal hawks such as the Republicans, they're not willing to raise too much taxes and spend and invest a great deal in the economy and infrastructure.
The Dems are more concerned about corporate welfare for banks, than everyday consumers and workers. This is because their unofficial bonuses are flowing from big businesses. To truly change their policies and rhetoric, the money supply must change.
The reality is, politicians want to receive extra income from outsiders, we all know this, so the question is how can we use this human flaw to our advantage?
Republicans have succeeded in weakening trade unions, and changing the rules on how the Democrats can receive their funding. Political parties should not be allowed to choose how their opponent receives funding, because that is obviously going to be (and has been) easily exploited to their advantage. But that is another issue. When the neoliberal Republicans robbed the Dems of their union money, the latter had to find funding from alternative sources. Enter corporations, and thus ensued neoliberal dogma and the two parties becoming clones.
Bernie Sanders, or any other politician can advocate for European-esque social democracy, and gain overwhelming support. But when even their own party is adamantly opposed to such notions, only disappointment and despair will, and has followed.
Returning the cash flow from trade unions to the party itself and individual campaigns, is the obvious solution. But in addition the Democrats need to further persuade citizens in becoming paid members.
Given that the whole Congress is occupied by Republicans, and that the Democrats themselves are already satisfied with big business money. This vital cure will not happen.
Not by the traditional means, at least. Trade unions across the United States need to advocate for the laws to be reversed, and offer generous funding in return for the Dems meeting their demands.
Lobbying from CEO's and funding trade unions are both ways that career politicians receive extra money, which determines their philosophies on social, fiscal and world matters. The former only benefits the top 1%, while the latter does benefit citizens who actually build and sustain nations.
This solution is not a fantasy. Trade unions across the world fund the liberal party of their government. It's a well known alliance, just like the one between conservatives and big business. In the United Kingdom, the social democratic Labour Party receives money from trade unions. When the party announces a policy that sounds too anti-workers' rights and neoliberal, they threaten cutting the money supply.
However, this arrangement has received threats from the Conservative Party, by similar attempts that the Republicans made.
A lot of Democrat Congressmen/women would choose union funding for their campaigns, because those organisations have millions of members whom pay a lot of money in membership fees. Plus, in this new political climate that Sanders has created, the stigma of favouring corporations is greater than ever before. Not even Hillary Clinton, with all of her campaign money, rhetoric, soundbites and rigging, could shake off the corporatist shill image.
There are other changes that the Democrats desperately need to implement, in order to save their failing party. Such as advocating for more states rights, ditching SJW rhetoric and embracing the white working-class base that supported them a few generations ago. Just like the Blue Labour movement in the UK.
However, as Sanders' failed campaign has proven, no amount of great rhetoric will put a Democrat President in the Oval Office in 2020 whom is a true social democrat. Unless the money flow has begun to shift from big businesses to trade unions. Money talks, not rhetoric or votes. When politicians receive funding, they are held accountable to the payee just like when somebody is hired to carry out a job.