Have I been Had again?
This article would say I have: Bernie Out of the Closet: Sanders’ Longstanding Deal with the Democrats
None of this is a departure from Sanders’ earlier career since 1989. As the shaggy-haired Mayor of progressive Burlington during the Reagan years, Sanders may have been a Sandinista-supporting left politico willing to challenge the two party duopoly. But Bernie cleaned up his too-radical act after his 1988 defeat. He went to “liberal” Harvard’s imperialist Kennedy school and came back to work in tandem with the corporate and militaristic Democrats under the guise of an “independent” and third party political identity. He’s been on the not all-that-left wing of the dismal dollar Dems ever since.It’s all very different than the story Sanders tells campus town progressives on the campaign trail. According to that narrative, he has joined with the Democrats only this year and because of his pragmatic calculation that third party candidates cannot succeed under the U.S. party and electoral system. In reality, however, the Democrats have been Sanders’ “closet party” (Miller) for the last fifteen years. He’s really just coming out of the closet now for the presidential race, in a Clinton-welcomed effort to help give the Democrats a much-needed fake-populist makeover for the 2016 elections. The great Socialist Party presidential candidate Eugene Debs (whose poster hangs in Sanders’ Senate office) would not be impressed.
It is a tough article. Read it all and tell me what you think.
Comments
Many of us
were saying before the primaries that Sanders was in it to give it away.
We were chastised, name-called and basically thrown to the wolves.
Our minds haven't changed.
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.
Sounds more like a
croc of crap. Hillary didn't need Bernie in the race to win it - if anything he damn near hurt her fatally. And, two, it wasn't Bernie that met what's her face on the tarmac, talking about the grandkids. Bernie may be no angel, and his run may have been nothing more than a vehicle to "get out the message," but at some point he had to pinch himself, not believing how close he was to knocking her off. At some point the race became real.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
We've heard that too.
Doesn't change how we feel or felt.
To the wolves I go.
Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.
Sorry, wasn't addressed
to you. Was addressed to the post media-splaining what went wrong. Should have been more specific. Not that I disagree with some of it, but Bernie made no promises. I suspect he was more surprised than anyone that he got as close as he did to bumping her off. Kinda like The Donald. Not in a million years did he think he would win against the other 16 'cons in the clown car.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
And 3, he caucused with the dems
From the time he first was in DC. Something that a Google search would have told any millennial before he/she volunteered/donated/voted for him.
Over at TPW this morning someone shared an article critical of Sanders/Our Revolution because he didn't sufficiently cover the I/P issue.
One has to wonder about the motive behind all of these recent "Bernie isn't pure enough" articles we are seeing recently.
Who else was he supposed to caucus with?
Do you think he should have been a caucus of one?
And how far would that have gotten him or the issues he supported?
He spent almost a lifetime against the headwinds of the the repubs and the conservative takeover of the dems.
That we are even aware of his existence is somewhat fantastical.
dfarrah
I don't agree.
The media response was all wrong.
They respond to ringers and sheepdogs differently than they respond to threats.
They responded to Bernie basically the same as they responded to Occupy. Same moves, same order. Well, except they never associated Sanders supporters with rats and vermin and spreading disease.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Have we been had again?
I'd say more like: we've been had as usual, and regardless of what we might do.
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
You expressed my thoughts.
After Obama, would we have believed in anyone else enough to take the bait? If there was no Bernie and we had rallied behind a Jill one year ago, then what? Obama was a sheepdog that won and refused to step down. The deal was SoS, a shit load of money, and her turn guaranteed next. To assure the next sheepdog wouldn't keep the ball, they needed someone we would believe in and that they could trust to give the ball back to Hillary.
I think I can't get any more cynical than I am, but I always seem to find a way. I have no idea what the truth is, but there isn't a damn thing I won't believe including the Clintons killed five people to win the election. We all need to buy stock in tin foil.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
It was never Bernie's intention
to divide the Democratic Party, and it still isn't. A large part of the reason he gained as much attention as he did, was because he ran as a Democrat. His original intention (probably) was to use the Party as a platform from which to broadcast his message about needed structural reforms. Only after his campaign succeeded beyond all expectations did the possibility of a "We" as distinct from a "Them" arise.
So no, there has been no traitorous perfidy on Bernie's part. He has spent his entire life working from within the "Duopoly", and I doubt that he ever seriously considered challenging that basic structure. The political divide occurred not because it was Sanders intention, but because his rhetoric and ideology, coupled with Hillary's dishonesty and unpalatable machinations, made it nearly inevitable.
native
It was his intent to take it over and transform it
but, failing that, capitulating to Hillary Clinton and repeating her talking points around the country is not a second-best.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
This article makes sense of things I found incomprehensible
This Democrat-in-disguise persona described in the article makes clear a number of things, yet does not answer all the questions.
Explained here are:
1. failure to adequately support the ground troops with ammunition (like flyers, experienced precinct captains, reliable communication with campaign headquarters)
2. failure to go after the evident election frauds committed nationwide--a provable proposition
3. truly contesting the DNC sham convention--e.g., making a floor fight over the platform (which admittedly is about as valuable as the paper wrapping yesterday's fish)
4. allowing Hillary Shills to pose as Bernie delegates--if that indeed really happened (though I am skeptical that this happened very much)
5. meekly promising not to go "third party" even after Jill Stein and thousands of his supporters urged him to do so.
6. assenting to the "nomination" of Medusa as Demonic party candidate, even though he didn't exactly endorse her.
Several things I still don't understand after reading the Counterpunch article:
1. Why did he not accept contributions from the "billionaire class" if he was really in cahoots with Democratic Establishment
2. Why this very pointed Counterpunch article only comes out now, since his ship sank
3. Why is he starting Our Revolution now? I agree with several criticisms of OR: proposed billionaire/super-PAC funding and failure to support all Progressives, e.g., Tim Canova and Alan Grayson.
To your question #2
the article is dated July 2015
And it links to an earlier article from 1999
In other words, this information has been out there for a long time. The problem of people being "had" has more to do with failure to do the research and willing suspension of disbelief.
I actually read Bernie's own book last year and he talks about a lot of this himself in it, from his own POV of course, but none of this was really a secret.
I don't think anyone is saying it was a secret someone unearthed
A lot of people are seriously confused about Bernie and looking for answers. Here's one.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Answers about Bernie Sanders
Here's my take. When Bernie first started his campaign I got interested, but before getting excited I wanted to know what he was about. I learned from Obama that believing in a politician just wasn't a good idea.
So I read Sanders' book called Outsider in the White House, which was an updated version of his earlier book called Outsider in the House. After reading it, I felt pretty clear on what to expect from him, and although I supported his campaign with some donations, I never "fell for him" like a lot of people did and haven't been shocked or disappointed by where it's gone.
I knew he would endorse Hillary after he lost. There was never any question about that in my mind, and all the people thinking he would run as an independent were dreaming.
He voted for the ACA after meeting with Obama and getting his funding for community health centers added. That's his way. Work with the powers that be, get what you can, but ultimately support the democrats.
He talks a lot in the book about third parties and the Democratic Party and why he chose to "deal with the devil" instead of being a true independent. (In a nutshell, he got tired of losing, and decided he could accomplish more that way, even though it meant obvious trade offs.)
After he officially lost and started supporting Hillary, I stopped following any news about him or what he's doing now. I think his campaign was important and opened a lot of eyes, especially about the democrats. I love that he started talking about real universal health care.
But Bernie is not going to personally lead any true revolution against the democrats. Some of the people he awakened might do so. Time will tell.
I did not research.
I thought I knew a man who has been a leading liberal for 30+ years. I knew he saw himself as bound to a code of honor. I knew he would endorse Hillary IF HE LOST. That's what keeps sticking in my craw. He didn't lose. He won. That means he should have fought. The fact that he didn't means something isn't right. I need to know what that is. If it deserves a pass, I'll gladly give him one. If it deserves a sock in the eye, let me at him.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
I read an interview with Jane Sanders where she talks about that
Of course you can take it or leave it, but I have real respect for her and I think she's very honest. Here's what she said about that:
Link to article:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/jane-sanders-why-bernie-vo...
This is just one snip from a long interview, all good stuff.
My personal belief
is that credible threats probably were involved.
When Cicero had finished speaking, the people said “How well he spoke”.
When Demosthenes had finished speaking, the people said “Let us march”.
Mine, too.
Bernie was close enought to challenge Her Highness in Philly, likely would have beaten her in Philly. She needed every one of them Super Delegates. I'm not so sure she would have gotten them.
Bernie disappeared for two weeks after Cali. Something happened during those two weeks. He wasn't the same after those two weeks.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
Why did he not accept contributions from the "billionaire class"
Because he was supposed to keep the left occupied and lose. Bet they were all shocked as hell as the fact that he was winning and relieved they controlled him. Maybe he was so angry was because he got caught up in the campaign, wanted to keep the ball, and they wouldn't let him.
I have no idea.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
#1
For one no billionaire want to be labeled a "socialist" so that takes care of that and as far as the the D establishment part, they believe it played out in a manner that makes her heinous look like she has evolved with her endorsing some of the lesser "progressive" ideas that got put it in the platform. This takes care of the "left, liberal, progressive" problem, they just never had any clue it wouldn't work well cause to the people its the economy being the biggest issue and the people aren't included in this economy.
And there was also the rumor of Bill calling Donald and telling him tohttp://caucus99percent.com/resilience run
for Prez.
So to any martian that just landed on planet earth all the signs would point to Bernie being the winner of the primary let alone him winning the upcoming election had he said screw it and ran with Jill.
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
Agree. n/t
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
He...or rather OR...is supporting Canova.
The hold on Grayson may have been the abuse and hedge fund problems. To my mind, Grayson answered these, but he is still controversial in the minds of some leftwingers.
Nice find - I plead guilty
Goodbye R's & D's
Thanks for this...Counter Punch was particularly good when Alexander Cockburn was alive and it looks like it's keeping up it's honest reporting and analysis.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
I hope there's more in it than
just the fact that Bernie caucused with the Dems, and in exchange for limiting his rabble-rousing, got gifted with the chairmanship of Veteran's Affairs, and was allowed to add decent amendments to overall rotten legislation, for 15 years.
Going to read it now.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
I have never been comfortable with Bernie's foreign policy
And how he had supported all of the illegal wars and I used to mention that in my comments but took too much flack so I stopped writing about it.
This part of the article sums it up quite well.
He knows DAMN WELL that the soldiers weren't sacrificing the lives "for the freedom of Americans"! He knows that they are fighting for the corporations and the MICC, period! There hasn't been a war fought to protect this country or our freedoms since 1776 or earlier.
Has he gotten some decent legislation passed during his long career? Yes. But he is as much responsible for the death and destruction of so many people's countries as is Hillary, Obama, every member of congress that votes for these illegal wars.
If there was a country that could endorse the Nuremberg principle, many presidents would have been brought up on war crimes.
Bernie hid not attacking Hillary on so many things he could add should have behind not running a negative campaign. That right there is evidence that he wasn't in it to win.
When he said that he was tired of hearing about her damn emails, that's when I started to wonder if he was sheep dogging.
Look at what we have found out about why she had a private email server.
The article was written last year, but I wonder if it had gotten more exposure would people have given Bernie a second thought or would his supporters turn a blind eye to what he has done just like Hillary's have?
If he had won and was able to get his economic agenda passed, then people's lives in this country would have gotten better, but what about the people's lives over seas?
I don't think he would have been as big as a warmonger as Obama and Hillary are, but just how much power does the president actually have when it comes to the wars?
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
Voting is like driving with a toy steering wheel.
I am not sure he was in it to give it away.
I am not sure why he was in it at all.
Where is the gain to him to have stirred up millions of people with oligarchy and class warfare rhetoric, like he can now put that genie back in the bottle?
At first, I felt betrayed. Not now. I feel much better educated about elections and the duopoly. Bernie taught me a lot.
My last political contribution for the rest of my life was today, $25 to Grayson.
Thanks, Bernie. My money will be spent on me and my brother henceforth.
I work very hard for every cent I am paid. 7 days a week, lots of very long hours. I am getting old, need that chump change for myself.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
That is a great point, otc
Bernie did take the blinders off of how corrupt the democratic party is and maybe risked his positions on many committees to let us know about that.
I look forward to other people's comments.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
Voting is like driving with a toy steering wheel.
Maybe they misjudged how pissed people were and were
flabbergasted at his winning, winning, winning.... Maybe he got caught up in it and thought he could keep the ball, so Obama called him to the WH to explain it was part of his deal. First SOS, a shit load of money, and her turn guaranteed.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
I agree with your analysis.
This makes complete sense to me.
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Agree that the Dem Leadership was flabbergated, but
I think that Bernie knew his limitations/boundaries from the git-go. And, so did the mainstream media, political strategists, and talking heads.
I posted at EB how two talking heads--Bob Cusack, The Hill, and Mark Murray, NBC--literally chuckled on XM Radio about the Dem Leadership not allowing Bernie 'to take the nomination.' (in December 2015)
I 'believe' that this is the primary reason that the MSM concentrated so heavily on the Republican race--in their (elite) estimation, the Dem Party Leadership had control of its Base/Primary.
IOW, 'move along--nothing to see here.'
In their analysis, it was the Republican Party Establishment who was unable to control their Base, and/or orchestrate the nomination of an 'acceptable' corporatist neoliberal Republican candidate--such as Bush, Kasich, or Rubio.
So, they were 'commissioned' by the One Percent to propagandize the Public, doing 'whatever they have to do' to make sure a true free trade/entitlement slashing neoliberal gets the Republican nomination.
Or, at the least, that they destroy Trump's chances to win--so we can have a third Clinton Administration.
I must say, I'm so happy that there's only 9 more weeks left of this 'spectacle.' (to quote Hedges).
Mollie
“I believe in the redemptive powers of a dog’s love. It is in recognition of each dog’s potential to lift the human spirit, and, therefore, to change society for the better, that I fight to make sure every street dog has its day.”
--Stasha Wong, Secretary, Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD)
National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR) - Dogs Available For Adoption
Update: Misty May has been adopted. Yeah!
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
If I was truly cynical
I'd say that the plan was to run, lose by a wide margin, and then say "the country isn't ready for this kind of vision. Best to vote Democratic and take what you can get, because nobody else will give you anything."
Unfortunately for that plan, the country was ready and settling for the Democrats is no longer an option for many.
They say that there's a broken light for every heart on Broadway
They say that life's a game and then they take the board away
They give you masks and costumes and an outline of the story
And leave you all to improvise their vicious cabaret-- A. Moore
I've never spent a
nickle on national candidates. Not even Bernie. Nope! No $27 from me! I toss a few bucks (damn few) at local campaigns, but mostly I pound on doors. (hate phones).
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
OK, there is more in it than that, mainly
VT-based stuff that I think is worth reading; Bernie apparently held down, or held back, the development of a 3rd party in VT in exchange for the Dems not opposing him in Congressional runs. Not sure whether that's true, but I find it plausible.
However, the article is not careful. It would do better to critique Sanders hard on a more limited list of things, than to use such a broad brush that it includes things that *I* know are false, or at least have extenuating circumstances or context that should be considered. For instance, this:
During the 1990s, the not-so “independent” Congressman Sanders voted for and/or otherwise supported:
* Every U.S. bombing of Iraq from 1992 on
OK, so, by saying "during the 1990s" they can get around the fact that Sanders opposed the two AUMF votes in '01 and '02, which is pretty damned important.
* The objectively racist and mass-incarcerationist Federal Crime bill.
OK, now, that was a Hillary 2016 talking point. We all know why he voted for the crap Crime Bill: because VAWA was in it. If he hadn't voted for it, people would be lambasting him for NOT voting for the Violence Against Women Act. He also did everything he could, while voting for the crap, to reveal it as crap. I honestly don't know what I would have done under those circumstances. Engage in an anti-Clinton filibuster until I dropped?
Many of Sanders’ liberal fans might be surprised to learn that he voted for a National Rifle Association (NRA)-supported bill to restrict lawsuits against gun manufacturers and against the Brady Bill.
I don't agree with Sanders' position on guns, but I do actually respect it: he believes you can't sue gun manufacturers for making and selling guns if making and selling guns is legal in this society. He has a point. He also thinks that the rural and urban people in our country have a fundamentally different understanding of guns and that we should take both sides into account, and at least try to understand them both. I think he's got a point there too.
The “leftist” Congressman Sanders liked to send out mailings sends out mailings to veterans that supported the US having “the strongest military in the world” and praised soldiers as sacrificing “for the freedom of Americans.”
Well, yeah, if you're the chair of Veteran's Affairs, and you've got a lot of military worried that you, as a left-winger, won't be responsive to the needs of veterans, you're likely to use words that reassure them.
I'm not trying to diss the entire article. I think there's some real stuff in there, that we should know--especially the part about holding down 3rd party growth. And there's some fair criticisms of Sanders' politics and policy. I just wish the fair criticisms weren't jammed together with a bunch of unfair ones, in a really careless, broad-brush way, which makes the aim of the article seem like Don't You Feel Stupid? He Was Always A Bastard.
To me, that's too easy a formulation, and if somebody's gonna out Sanders, I'd rather the aim went something like this: Here's the Truth About Bernie Sanders, Good and Bad (in particular, the parts that made him vulnerable to the corrupt Democratic leadership)
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Just something to think about...
As we all wrestle with WTF? This could be a piece. Since it was written in July 2015, it sure as hell isn't sour grapes.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
My takeaway from this
is that in the future we still need to get better--and that's all.
I know everyone is upset with Bernie for endorsing Hillary, and I get it. I agree that he should have run third party. But we shouldn't make this about what Bernie Sanders has done in the past, or his shortcomings as a candidate and a politician. If we make a big show of throwing Bernie under the bus, we're just proving ourselves to be the purge-crazed, never-happy-with-anything, pipe dreaming purity trolls that the Very Serious People say we are. They'll say, This is why we rule the country, and you sit on the sidelines and complain. And you know what? They'll have a point.
What is Bernie Sanders? He is neither a perfect candidate nor a perfect human being. But for us, he was a big step in the right direction. And I think his failure is bringing a lot of us to the same conclusion, so let me summarize that conclusion as succinctly as I can, to see if you all agree: We want a third party free of the corruption of the Democrats. We want candidates who are ACTUALLY anti-war, and who want to reduce the size of the military, not treat it as a jobs program. We no longer want to be an empire, nor the world's policeman.
Do you generally agree with that assessment? I hope so. So let's let the next generation of candidates reflect those desires. And let's treat the older generation (meaning Bernie Sanders) for what he is: an important signpost along our way. I think putting him in front of the firing squad now is the worst thing we could do.
"The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum." --Noam Chomsky
firing squad is a bit strong....
Being able to look back and label your mistakes is never a mistake. I have a hard time with people who think critique and criticism is bad. I think it is critical to who we are.
"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon
Me too.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Not so sure that that's what's happening here
There's a line of thinking some people have that goes something like this: Our ideology can never fail. It can only BE FAILED. And so when we do come up short, Bernie Sanders predictably becomes the fall guy. He was impure, he sold us out, he may have even been a plant. This is an odd sort of wishful thinking, especially because there's nothing in that article that shouldn't have been known by everyone here all along.
I actually think we have a lot to be proud of with what we did this year, it's just that when you're taking on the Hydra of the political, financial, and media establishment, you're probably going to lose. I think we should have known that all along, too. And I'm not trying to sound overly sanguine about it--these people were nasty, vicious, and cynical, and I won't forgive them for it. They knoweth exactly what they do. As for me, I don't claim to know what we need to do as a movement going forward, but I pretty sure about what we shouldn't do, and that's eat our own. That's how movements shrink, sputter, and ultimately die. Just my two cents.
"The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum." --Noam Chomsky
Thank you
Exactly correct. Yet some of us haven't stopped "labeling his mistakes" and IMO, it's starting to get really old. The guy's out because the fucking DNC stole it for HER. Why are we trying to bring HIM down now? Because he won't fight? Fight what? Someone or something that will stop at nothing to shut him--and anyone like him--up?
How many times must we point out lists of dead bodies?
Amen.
Well said. Thoroughly agree.
I guess I'm
a purity troll. Who cares what the Very Serious people say including Bernie? The next generation of candidates who would would 'reflect our desires' are not going to be Democratic. A third party that represented the 99% and was anti war will always be labeled by the establishment as ideological purist complainers and far lefties who are not serious. They do not have a point other then the usual 'serious' talking points they spout. I do not consider looking hard at candidate Bernie's background or discussing his sheep dogging for the Democratic party throwing him under the bus. The bus was not Bernie it was the 43+ who turn out and supported him. The us not him. I do not think he was the sign post along the way but the movement who he gave voice to sure is.
Just Saying What Bernie Said on a National Stage Was Revolution-
ary.
Sheepdog my ass. He broke some serious barriers, barriers that no creature of the Establishment would want broken.
Yea, he knuckled under, or decided to support his side of the aisle; lots of people I respect have done that this year.
His words were completely revolutionary and paved the way for a future political threat from the Left.
“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu
Ridiculous.
Ridiculous.
First, your language is utterly inappropriate. No one, not even the people calling him "sellout" and "traitor", is proposing to execute Bernie.
Second, what you're saying is basically "he did us a good turn, so let's forgive the bad." Sorry, no, that's not how it works. If I kick a kid in the face, I can't make up for it by spending time volunteering at a soup kitchen. Some badness sticks.
Bernie stood at a pivotal moment in American political history. He had a chance to make a real difference in this election and he had a choice, and he chose to turn his back on that chance - sabotaging left populism, his message, and whatever else you care to name in the process. He was _entitled_ to make that choice - it was his to make - but my judgement is mine to pass, and I say he sold us out. Literally, for those of us who donated and volunteered for his campaign expecting him to fight like he said he would.
Common knowledge for anyone looking when he
decided to run. So I guess you have been had if you didn't take the time to look this up then.
Common knowledge?
To a large extent your point is accurate. I accepted Bernie as a messenger. I contributed what I could to get out the message. Very little he did surprised me. I knew he would endorse Clinton. I was not surprised at his refusal to press the fraud issue. I thought he might have pressed for some token presence where decisions are made. (I don't care about his damned platform.) He could have fired a few public warning shots after the Kaine nomination along the lines of "These actions are affecting the likelihood that some people who supported me will turn out for you." but oh well.
On the other hand . . .
There is a measure of reciprocity between a candidate and the candidate's supporters. I don't think he had to remain silent over the treatment of his delegates at the convention. They gave him a lot. He owed them more than silence or "Trump."
Bernie told us this is a pivotal election. Even if he were not nominated progressives would spring up around the country. Where is Bernie now? As far as I know he's gazing at Lake Champlain from his new $600,000 home on one of the islands, (beyond the sound of VTANG jet fighters) talking with the person who will ghostwrite his book. Putting Weaver in charge of his organization and organizing it so that he can't be involved is Bernie's departure. I did expect him to be more active in primaries on behalf of candidates who supported him.
It's well known that Bernie and Jane Sanders are financially comfortable, and there is no reason they shouldn't be. It's known that he paid a significant amount to Jane and at least one of their children out of campaign funds in previous elections. It's not illegal. Lots of people do it. But I did not think Bernie had a desire for the kind of money he appears to be collecting. Bernie's wearing very comfortable shoes, but he's not walking a picket line.
It's time for me to move forward.
You could not be more wrong.
But I did not think Bernie had a desire for the kind of money he appears to be collecting. Bernie's wearing very comfortable shoes, but he's not walking a picket line.
I live in Burlington. Friends of mine live in Bernie's neighborhood. Their kids play with his grandkids.
Bernie drives a beater car. He lives in a modest house. He shops for himself at the local supermarket and drugstore. He enjoys spending quiet time with his family. And you know as well as the rest of us that he has, in fact, appeared on picket lines and likely will again.
I can understand people's disappointment, disillusionment and disenchantment. But try to separate that from slandering a man who has worked his entire life, in the ways he knows how, for those less fortunate. He busted his ass this last year to show the rest of us how to move forward without him. The least we can do is show him respect, pick up that ball, and run with it.
You're wrong.
Truth is a defense against the charge of slander.
I imagine that I live about as close to Bernie as you do. I run into him around town along with everybody else. I know where he lives and the kind of car he drives. There is NOTHING modest about the $600,000 house he just bought on prime Lake Champlain lake shore. That change is part of what I find confounding.
Were you there when Bernie reduced a woman, a longtime supporter, to tears when she attempted to explain the impact the F-35 fighters on the health and property values of the people in Winooski? (The F-35 wasn't the subject of the meeting. Bernie has refused to meet with the people affected to hear their concerns. She dared to bring it up during a question and answer period on another subject.) The F-35 basing will put a substantial portion of the largest concentration of affordable housing in VT in a zone the FAA considers "unsuitable for residential use." That's a feature, not a flaw. Bernie's BFF, Ernie Pomerleau, has great plans for commercial development rising out of the resulting rubble.
One might think these working and lower middle class people are at the heart of Bernie's concerns. He had the power to make a tremendous difference in the lives of these real people. He didn't. Bernie would much rather pontificate on the plight of the working class in front of a cheering crowd, preferably with a celebrity at his side.
It's not slander to say Bernie was silent when his delegates were mistreated. He was.
Since you live in the Burlington area I suggest you look up some of the reporting in VTDigger on Bernie and Jane Sanders' finances. In nine months the man couldn't find an accountant who could get his tax returns in order? Now that the campaign is over he received permission not to make the financial disclosures required by the FEC for which he received extensions, twice. Call me a cynic, but I suspect those returns would show he could afford a newer car. He can obviously afford a better house. It would be interesting to know where the substantial compensation he and Jane have earned over the years winds up. He isn't giving it to charity.
I find much to admire in Bernie Sanders. I contributed as much as I could afford to his campaign. But the beatification of St. Bernie has been overdone. We don't move forward without him by building a cult of personality around him.
Bernie Sanders was always clear that it was us, not him. Since he went all out for HRC the "us" has become "you."
Wow.
Sounds like you have some kind of personal chip on your shoulder re: Bernie.
I'm well aware of the F-35 controversy, as well as the nuance involved. I have many friends who marched against it. I respect their opinions as well as the reasons Bernie is in favor of it. The plane was already a done deal. Bernie's wanting to bring it to Vermont is to support the Vermont National Guard and their families, who work just as hard in Vermont and pay taxes here, as do the rest of us. Do I personally support the F-35, or the MIC? Fuck no. Can I see the world in shades of grey? Yes.
I'm well acquainted with VTDigger and read them religiously. Whether Bernie can afford a new car or a better house is an issue why? It's called living below your means and being prudent with your savings and investments. How many homes does Clinton have?
This is not about building a cult of personality around Bernie. I am fully behind the "Not Me, Us" concept of revolution. He opened our eyes and has shown us a path forward, without him. I'm okay with that. I see no useful purpose for tearing the man down. He did much more for we, the people in terms of revealing the corruption than has any other candidate in recent memory. That's good enough for me.
(Edited for an unnecessarily angry closing sentence. I re-read your post and that sentence wasn't warranted).
Wow yourself
I've voted for Bernie in every election where he was on my ballot. I contributed to his presidential campaign. It's possible to support the guy without having some kind of crush on him.
Apparently you know damned little about the nuances of the F-35 controversy. The decision that determined Burlington was the preferred location was based on decades old demographic information submitted by VTANG. Proper information would have dropped Burlington to near the bottom of the list. The Air Force chose not to reexamine the decision.
General Dubie admitted that the F-35s will provide fewer jobs than the F-16s because the F-16s are serviced on base and the F-35s will be serviced well out of state. Apparently letting VTANG pilots play with the latest toys one weekend a month is more important than the lost full-time jobs of enlisted personnel.
The Secretary of the Air Force recently announced that the VTANG would be a fighter unit as far as one could see into the future whether the planes were F-16s or F-35s. There are MORE jobs with F-16s.
The Chamber of Commerce, run buy commercial developers, continues to insist there will be no negative value on real estate. The Northwest Vermont Association of (residential) Realtors says people living in the zone will be obligated legally to notify potential buyers that their homes are in an area the government considers unsuitable for residential use. People living in the area will see a decline in their home values of major proportions. Google "airport noise" and "home values" if you like.
It wasn't a done deal. John McCain called the F-35 the biggest boondoggle in military history. He's tried to kill it a number of times. A few years ago he nearly succeeded. It was close. Bernie's vote mattered.
The entire case for the F-35s was based on a fabric of lies and the political power of Patrick Leahy backed actively by Bernie Sanders. The Air Force has never put a fighter with so few flying hours as the F-35 will have in 2019 in an airport. They are deployed first to airbases with lots of open space if something goes wrong.
If Bernie came down on the side of the F-35s after all that, the very least he could do was personally explain his decision to people in the area. These people were and are some of his strongest supporters. He didn't and gets furious if people bring it up.
Reply as you like. I think we've passed the point where this topic is of general interest and will comment no further. I understand that this matter is one issue in a long political career and I support Bernie Sanders.
Rec'd. Thanks for the discussion.
Thanks
Thanks to you as well.
If you're an Eagles fan ('92 was a good year.) we have something in common. Probably masochism.
LOL.
We may not have the same team in common, but I'm fully aware of sports masochism -- grew up a Sox fan.
(Of course, the shine of sports has worn off for me, too ... which pisses me off, but you can't un-see corruption once you see it).
I officially suspend belief/disbelief now.
This whole saga can be churned for many articles (pithy, scathing, whatever) and multiple books. This is how the intelligentsia support themselves now? We are, as we are aware, poverty-struck at most levels. Even upper-middles feel it now.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Not buying it
When you're working behind enemy lines, you have some restrictions on what you can do in service of the cause, but you can still be helpful.
"Polls don't tell us how well a candidate is doing; Polls tell us how well the media is doing." ~ Me
A wonderful metaphor and possibly explanatory
of the "sell-out" theme widely circulated. It is likely that in oder to run as a Democrat, Bernie had to make some promises: i.e., endorse the winner (even if the winner lied, cheated and stole the election); not run as third party. I am surprised that their dal didn't forbid backing Progressives (and the possible exceptions being Tim Canova and Alan Grayson).
Like soldiers or members of the Resistance, they don't win the war but they do win battles, which does impact the outcome of the conflict. One benefit of "working behind enemy lines" was exposing the massive corruption of both parties--that is one genie that cannot be put back into the bottle.
My view is that Sanders was better than Hillary,
but by no means a saint nor immune to the allures of big money in politics.
The troubling aspect of his campaign this year may well have been as a Trojan horse to lure disenchanted voters into or back into the democratic party. This would have been especially needed given how terrible a candidate Clinton is, how corrupt Obama has become, and how dems have lost virtually every state government that was contestable.
No--his campaign can't both be intended to lose
and intended to keep people in Democratic party. The much likelier outcome is that people simply won't vote.
No, I don't buy any of this intended loss/Trojan horse stuff. We know how the media acts when there's a Trojan horse--remember Obama '08? The media went all inspirational and stopped attacking him in late July/August.
They treated Bernie almost identically to the way they treated Occupy. Denied him oxygen/refused coverage, then mocked him, then character assassinations and more mockery, all the while with a steady drumbeat of despair (can't win can't win can't win).
They even tried to make America believe we were dangerous thugs.
That's how the media responds, not to a sheepdog or a Trojan horse, but to a threat to the status quo.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
For the love of all that is holy, THIS:
The article is not passing my smell test, it's too negative too
early. If I cared, I would try to find independent sources of information.
He was the best candidate of those who ran, so even if he's not perfect, who else were you going to vote for?
I don't particularly care because I've moved on. For me it's always been about the issues, which continue to exist.
Please check out Pet Vet Help, consider joining us to help pets, and follow me @ElenaCarlena on Twitter! Thank you.
What I keep thinking is this...
If the votes had been counted correctly, we wouldn't be having any conversations like this, because we'd be looking at a Sanders Presidency. No-one would be noticing the many compromises that the good Senator had to make throughout his career to make progress here and there; as we'd all be glowing in the anticipation of the first truly progressive presidency in several generations.
But, would he have turned into a compromising sellout like BHO? I like to think not, but I guess we'll never know.
As I said in another comment, I can't blame Sen. Sanders for many of his incomprehensible actions immediately before and during the convention, as I've come to believe that some very serious pressure was brought to bear on him. And I think that pressure included not touching the radioactive issue of Election Fraud.
The spirit of party serves to enfeeble the Public Administration,
agitates with Jealousies and false alarms, and opens the door to corruption,
which finds access to the government itself through the channels of party passions.
George Washington
So Bernie IS a Real Dem(tm) after all?
Yet another Hillary lie uncovered.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
What about his face?
This frame of Bernie being secretly in league with the Democratic establishment rings true on many points. One point that it doesn't square with is the gash on Bernie's face which is allegedly from an assault the night of the convention. To fit with the narrative, he should have been willing to nominate Hillary without the semantic doublespeak "I move that the party select…" And at that point there was nothing left to strong-arm him over.
Of course, there is the possibility that he had virtuous intentions for Our Revolution, hoping to lead a progressive wave of old school Democrats, and the honchos told him they were taking that, too. I could see how a fight might have broken out over that. Like "you can't make me start an organization and then take it away from me!" countered with "you wanna bet?"
F the F'n D's
Ha! "I move that
the party suspend the rules, and I move that the party Select Her Highness as the party's nominee... (becuz I can't bring myself to endorse her without hurling)... " LOL. Bernie's slap in the face to Her Selectedness.
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
Who brought us to this point? Who opened our
eyes to an alternative way of politics, a fairer way of governing, a way to end the corruption that is rampant in our government? Who else stood up for people like me, elderly, poor, and marginalized? For the disenfranchised and those who suffer the most under this oligarchy we have running this country? In fact, who was the only one that used the word 'oligarchy' when referring to what our government was becoming? The answer to that is Sanders. Even the great ShillBillary Clinton had to change her tune to move closer to what Sanders was saying. (O'Malley barely even counts in the relative scheme of this election.)
I was very angry when he ended his campaign breaking his promise to "take it all the way to Philly". Look at my posts, I was the one who posted that he was in negotiations with the Clinton camp to end his campaign and 'vote for' her. I was called a liar by a few people here (for which I never got an apology when 2 days later Sanders confirmed it himself BTW). I wanted him to go Third Party but I knew he wouldn't, even after the caucus/primary rigging and the lies from the Clinton camp and the DNC. I was extremely angry and upset. I still am, but I also see a Sanders who is setting up a path to follow the course he set us upon and to finish the work we need to do. it's time to FIGHT ON, not sit here whining. We wouldn't even be having this conversation except for Sanders.
I went to the meet-up the other night and I listened to what speakers like Tony Vargas and Frank LeMere had to say. Then I listened to Sanders. He's STILL the only one out there who is actually doing something to help us fight on for our needs and rights. He didn't tell us to vote for HillBillary that night. He said vote your conscience. (When he referred to her at all, which was twice, it was certainly NOT with warmth and affection.) He told us it was up to us from this point on to fight for the changes we need. And he's the only one who is providing us the framework to continue that work. Usually the losers just fade into the woodwork like O'Malley and all the rest of the Republican's that lost to Trump. Sanders is leaving behind a plan, a path, and an organization to continue on with what needs to be done.
I thought maybe the Greens could be an alternative but basically no one cares about the Green Party, especially with it's half-assed way of campaigning and it's candidates. Don't get me wrong, I'm voting for Stein, but only as a protest vote. She's got no chance to ever be a viable candidate for the White House. She'll never even make it into the debates. She's only polling at 3.3% and it's not going to improve.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/president/us/general_electi...
Who knows what will come from these Sanders-inspired organizations? I don't, but I hold out hope. They may even generate a Third Party. Or give a boost to the Greens (that would be a miracle). But if other people want to work to change things by taking a different plan of action, then more power to them. I can't see where it matters what path you take as long as we arrive at the same destination.
And as for taking money from the wealthy, do you think that they're ALL venal greedy bastids? Some may not want to see their children suffer in a world where the planet is dying because of climate change. Some may see that this extreme greed is going to lead to a breakdown in society and lead to chaos. One thing for sure, people will NOT continue to donate to his 'revolution' like they did his campaign. To think that is ridiculous. And money is absolutely necessary for any political organization, revolution, or movement to grow and succeed.
I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks
Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa
Exactly. The Green
party is half assed. Very hard to take them seriously. They're mostly a "protest vote" party, which is why I will vote for Jill. I wish the Green party candidate here in NY-21, Funicello (Anette's nephew, I think), would run as a Dem becuz he likely wins! Or at the very least scares the livin' crap out of "Beltway Elise" Stefanic. If wishes were horses I'd be driving a pink Cadillac. (something like that).
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
You've been had again but this time by paranoia and cynicism
Bernie's campaign has done more for the left in years. He practically put the left back on the map all by himself. Jill Stein and the Green Party are nice people. I will probably vote for Jill and the Green Party but they are not going anywhere and they wouldn't be going anywhere if Bernie hadn't run. If anything his candidacy raised their profile a little. Bernie made a decision that the only road to real change was to take over the Democratic Party. He came closer than anyone thought possible but failed. He then decided to maintain his power in the Senate so he could fight lesser battles and perhaps help support a future takeover of the party. Perhaps, he should have burned all of his bridges and ran on a third party. Most probably he would have gotten 10-15% tops. Bernie is only one person. He pointed the way that we on the left must go: organize from the bottom up, become politically active, and run for office at every level. It is up to us to continue the revolution.
If only we could organize behind a figurehead,
is Max Headroom available? Some other figurehead, Snoopy----wait Woodstock (bird) may be waiting.
Somewhere in house is a plastic Woodstock who has visited more of the Caribbean than me by birdnapping.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Giant Meteor, dammit.
The most honest candidate in the field. Or, well, in the sky.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
As always, there are two paths that lead
basically, nowhere:
1)Bernie is just fine! He's a great guy! Let's accept all his decisions and his support of that horrible person and march meekly behind him into Our Revolution, or whatever!
2)Bernie is horrible, and corrupt! All this was just a load of shit! We were tricked again, dumbasses that we are! Nothing progressive just happened--it was all a trick of the DNC!
“O see not ye yon narrow road,
So thick beset wi thorns and briers?
That is the path of righteousness,
Tho after it but few enquires.
“And see not ye that braid braid road,
That lies across yon lillie leven ?
That is the path of wickedness,
Tho some call it the road to heaven.
“And see not ye that bonnie road,
Which winds about the fernie brae?
That is the road to fair Elfland,
Whe[re] you and I this night maun gae.
I pick option 3, Alex.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Unfortunately, we either need to
find the third road, or perhaps invent it.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Its right there in front of your eyes
Act, lead.
FDR 9-23-33, "If we cannot do this one way, we will do it another way. But do it we will.
So, in your mind, there are
So, in your mind, there are three options:
1) love Bernie
2) hate Bernie
3) ???
I fail to see how the third one is any better than the first two. Or, for that matter, what the third one IS, since you substituted a bit of meaningless poetry that conveniently suited your "three paths" metaphor for anything resembling actual substance.
I agree.
"We are the leaders we have been waiting for"
Tom Wyka 2006.
Of course waiting/wishing for a leader to step up greatly benefits the DNC. Stepping up and being that leader, that does the DNC no good.
FDR 9-23-33, "If we cannot do this one way, we will do it another way. But do it we will.
"Bernie's campaign has done
"Bernie's campaign has done more for the left in years."
Yes, and then he sold out.
Also, he lost, which does not recommend his strategy to others.
I don't think anyone here is actually ignorant of the good that he did. But some of us also won't forget what he did in the end, how he drove the best extant hope for organized center-left populism right into a brick wall and wasted whatever was left of the cash donations and volunteer hours that made it possible for him to effectively champion the people.
As far as "putting the left back on the map", just because he successfully got away with using the phrase "democratic socialism" and made some noise about oligarchy in no way means that the left has made any real gains. Where is the next socialist candidate for national office, or any office for that matter? Who will take his place railing against the 1%, calling out the corruption and hypocrisy in Washington, and indicting the media for their failure to inform people about the issues? And will any of those hypothetical people actually be elected? Time has yet to tell whether Bernie's run actually mattered at all.
yep, that. n/t
the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.
I'm sad, mad, and disgusted
I'm sad, mad, and disgusted as well. However, what I always try to remember about Bernie is that he wants to be as effective as possible in serving his agenda: healthcare for all, workers rights and needs, uplifting the vulnerable. He decided along the way that the best way to get anything like that done was cooperate with the Democrats. He tried fighting from a third party position and found, like almost everyone realizes, that in this country you can't do squat third party. How much personal selfishness was involved in that decision? Only Bernie himself knows. In a way it doesn't matter.
If you look at everything Bernie does in terms of 1. Not giving Trump even the tiniest chance of winning b/c he's scary as shit, (I think Bernie sincerely believes this) and 2. Knowledge that you probably are not going to beat the Clinton behemoth so don't piss it off too much so as to not be relegated to coffee-getter in the Senate, you (pl) don't need Presidential meetings, beatings, or any other nefarious explanations for what Bernie has done.
Bernie might have been a real radical when he was young, but he's not a radical now and I knew it when I supported him with my time and money. I'm disappointed he didn't take it all the way to Philly like he said he would, but he endorsed when he did and what's done is done.
It's up to us to tear the Dem Party a new asshole, or start another party, or work on improving the world outside of electoral politics - whichever road feels right to each of us.
All of the above
All of the above. And some general toughts.
If we don't take down the DNC, it'll take a party as massive, as well financed to compete. Oh yeah, and better candidates.
If we don't work to elect progressives in the Democrat party, we do exactly what the DNC wants.
Building a 3rd party, I'm down. But folks need to understand what that takes. The Green Party's national leadership has shown no interest in party building for 16 years. The Green Party would need to be taken over. A new party means taking the first step, filling 527 forms with the FEC.
FDR 9-23-33, "If we cannot do this one way, we will do it another way. But do it we will.
Before we founded a new party
A small group of us should do some serious research into why previous attempts to do that failed. And then we should come up with some strategies that give us a chance of not falling down the same holes.
I think it was Sun Tzu that said you have to plan how you win before you attack.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
No. Find out why it was successful one time.
and only one time.
FDR 9-23-33, "If we cannot do this one way, we will do it another way. But do it we will.
Both, I think.
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
You nailed it, zett, when you said,
My Family had a major discussion after the fifth Dem Party Debate, and decided to back Bernie, even though we are all considerably to his left. It was a deliberate decision--with eyes wide open.
Now, we don't regret it; but, we've decided to concentrate on exclusively working 'outside of the system.' That's the right path for us.
But, as always--'to each his own.'
As DK has pointed out--C99P is a nonpartisan Community. So, all civil/respectful voices are welcome, here.
Which reminds me, I hope folks will take Street's article in the correct context--he is not a Democrat, he is a (true) radical.
Chris Hedges, Paul Street, and John Pilger are several of my favorite writers (filmmakers, etc.), because their political ideology is closer to mine, than that of any Democratic lawmaker.
Here's a bio of Paul Street, below. He absolutely does not hid the fact that he is left of mainstream Dem politicians. Every time I've read a biographical blurb, he is described as 'radical.'
I don't recognize your handle--so, a hearty welcome to C99P! And, if you've been here a while, forgive me for not knowing.
Oh, glad to see another 'critter' avatar.
Mollie
“I believe in the redemptive powers of a dog’s love. It is in recognition of each dog’s potential to lift the human spirit, and, therefore, to change society for the better, that I fight to make sure every street dog has its day.”
--Stasha Wong, Secretary, Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD)
National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR) - Dogs Available For Adoption
Update: Misty May has been adopted. Yeah!
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Thank you, Unabashed Liberal
It's okay that you don't 'know me' I don't comment a lot. I *think* I remember your moniker from over on DK. Anyway, I'm glad you you appreciate my comment. I suspect that since Bernie spoke to so many people's needs, they "filled in the blanks" for themselves and believed that he was truly challenging the system. I don't say that to disparage anyone who did that, and I may be wrong on that point anyhow. Anyway, when it came down to brass tacks and Bernie protected his Senate position rather than go balls to the wall against HHS Clinton, they were/are disillusioned as fuck. Purely a human and understandable reaction, and even though I say I knew all along that Bernie was not radical bla bla, I feel the disillusionment too. I try not to, but I can't help myself: I keep hoping that Someone Who Knows What They Are Doing will come along and seriously strike a blow against the vulture capitalist bastardy. Totally useless, but it's in my heart.
But the bitch of it is, all we ever have is ourselves, unsure of the right course to take and with the Nazguls of despair ever circling overhead. Thus, we are basically screwed, except for ameliorating some evils here and there.
Hey, nice to meet you--even though I'm UL here,
I often go by 'Mollie'--which is part of my DKos handle, Music City Mollie. (And what folks knew by, when this blog was initially formed.) Of course, I'll answer to any of the above.
I do think there's been a bit of a Rorscharch Test aspect to the perceptions of Bernie and/or his policies. And, this may be one reason that some folks were so disappointed in the outcome. In our case, we've C-Span junkies, and have watched Bernie over many years; so, we had a pretty good idea where he is on the political spectrum. Most of what has transpired was not that surprising to us. Bottom line, we're appreciative of his run; but, now, it's time to move on (for us).
Mollie
“I believe in the redemptive powers of a dog’s love. It is in recognition of each dog’s potential to lift the human spirit, and, therefore, to change society for the better, that I fight to make sure every street dog has its day.”
--Stasha Wong, Secretary, Save Our Street Dogs (SOSD)
National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR) - Dogs Available For Adoption
Update: Misty May has been adopted. Yeah!
Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.
Most of the article is one sided or half a story.
Divide and conquer, eh?
Thats what the DNC likes.
Peter Smith (R) – 98,937 (41.2%)
Bernie Sanders (I) – 90,026 (37.5%)
Paul N. Poirier (D) – 45,330 (18.9%)
When you actually look at the 1988 race, it does appear the Dem played the role of spoiler. In fact Sanders was within 3.7% of winning in spite of the democrat.
Currently Paul Poirer is an Independent
https://ballotpedia.org/Paul_Poirier
1988 GPO Primary the Repub won easily while in the Dem Primary Paul Poirer barely won:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_ele...
FDR 9-23-33, "If we cannot do this one way, we will do it another way. But do it we will.
I, too, am not altogether happy with the article
Even though I suspect I'm more critical of Bernie than you are--
"More for Gore or the son of a drug lord--None of the above, fuck it, cut the cord."
--Zack de la Rocha
"I tell you I'll have nothing to do with the place...The roof of that hall is made of bones."
-- Fiver
Who cares
Bernie has done a great service by using his primary election platform to say most of what needed to be said. That fact alone makes me suspicious of this argument. The message is more important than the man. We'll see how much Bernie contributes in the future, but the facts on the ground remain the same. A few greedy billionaires are using their wealth to extort us into giving up our freedom and our future as a species. If this election is going to be about the politics of fear than lets be scared of the right things. Climate change scares the crap out of me and makes everything else irrelevant. Jill Stein is the only candidate offering to protect me from my fear.
Beware the bullshit factories.
Slavoj Zizek, from one of his
videos (can't remember which one), commenting on the blurb on the jackets of the books he writes praising the author. "It's always fake. You know 'Slavoj Zizek is a world-renowned author and intellectual. He has written countless books that are changing the course of history. He is one of the world's greatest living philosophers. . .etc, etc.,' Why do they print this bs? Why don't they say the truth? You know, 'Zizek is a guy who occasionally farts. He likes to pick the wings off butterflies' and so on and so on?'"
No, I don't believe you've been had.
This is all matter of public record, it's just that someone took the effort to compile all of Bernie's voting record and Congressional activities.
The author also seems like a purity troll who's disappointed with the fact that Bernie is not the second coming of Lenin.