The consequences no one wants to talk about

by Matt Swenson

Vermont, once known for its strong communities and self-reliant spirit, is now facing challenges that don’t quite match the idealistic image many have of the state. Take a walk through Burlington, and the reality is hard to ignore—rising crime, open drug use, businesses closing, and more and more people finding it impossible to afford life here. It’s the kind of decline that should make any leader stop and ask, what went wrong? But for Bernie Sanders, Vermont’s most famous political figure, the answer is always the same: blame billionaires, blame capitalism, blame everyone except the people actually in charge.

Just recently, Vermont saw another round of protests, this time targeting Elon Musk and the influence of big tech. These are the same activists who claim to care about the environment, yet now they’re protesting the man responsible for making electric vehicles mainstream. It’s selective outrage at its finest. Meanwhile, they say nothing about billionaires like George Soros or Michael Bloomberg, who pour money into politics on their own terms. They ignore Vermont politicians like Senator Becca Balint, who presents herself as a grassroots progressive while enjoying corporate donations. It seems the outrage is always directed at the wrong billionaires—the ones who don’t fit neatly into their ideological framework.

Closer to home, the state’s leadership has its own ethical questions. Public trust in leadership depends on honesty and transparency, and if Vermont’s political class is going to claim the moral high ground, they should be held to the same standard of scrutiny as the figures they love to criticize.

And then there’s Bernie himself. He’s built his entire career around being the voice of the working class, but what has he actually done for Vermont? Burlington, the city where he launched his political career, is falling apart. Drug addiction is worse than ever, violent crime is up, and law enforcement has been cut to the point where officers can’t keep up. But instead of taking responsibility for the policies that led here, Sanders sticks to the same script—blaming wealth inequality, corporate greed, and the system.

If Bernie were to read this, his reaction wouldn’t be self-reflection. He wouldn’t stop and think, Maybe I played a role in this. No, he’d do what he always does—deflect, redirect, and double down on the same talking points he’s used for decades. That’s why this kind of criticism is dangerous to him. He relies on keeping people focused on who to blame, rather than what to fix. He’s spent his life selling a dream that doesn’t work, and when it fails, the solution is never to change course—it’s to find another villain.

If you’ve supported Bernie, it’s understandable. He talks a good game. He says things that feel true. But ask yourself—if his ideas really worked, wouldn’t Vermont be thriving? Wouldn’t Burlington be a model for the country? Wouldn’t people be moving here instead of leaving?

Instead, Vermont is stuck in a downward spiral. More drugs. More crime. More homelessness. More people unable to afford to stay. Meanwhile, Bernie continues his routine, giving the same fiery speeches from the comfort of his lakeside home, untouched by the reality of what his policies have created.

It doesn’t have to be this way. But nothing changes unless people are willing to take an honest look at what’s happening, rather than just believing what they’re told. Vermont can turn things around, but only if people stop pretending that the same failed ideas will magically start working. The truth is right in front of us—if we’re willing to see it.