Typical questions directed at those of us warning citizens about supporting Bernie Sanders as a Democratic party candidate for President are, "what is your solution? What's the alternative, what else can we do? Nobody else has an answer, he's our best hope".
Before I start, let's remember there were many out there (in 2007/2008) warning people about supporting Barack Hussein Obama for President. This is a man who campaigned in such a manner that he won a Nobel Peace Prize for it (the prize was awarded in October 2009 after Obama had been President for seven months but the nomination deadline was 2/1/2009, only eleven days after he was inaugurated.) So he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize not based on his actions as a President, but his words while campaigning for President.
Those questions above have been answered many times but because of the general nature, they aren't accepted. The problem is, the notion of a democratic party presidential candidate kickstarting some kind of politcal revolution within the two party system is pretty general as well.
The simple answer to those questions is - form an independent movement outside the politcal parties, either as a people's movement, a worker's movement, a serf's movement, whatever. Really, it needs to go global. We need a global people's movement. Tha doesn't sound simple, it sounds hard doesn't it? It seems very general and impossible to accomplish. That's why people can't grasp onto it as a solution. Even though they CAN grasp onto a supposed political "revolution" within the Democratic party in an oligarchal country. There are always long term conditioned responses when it comes to human beings. The practice of voting to elect representatives to make decisions for us is one of them. It's a "that's the way it's always been" response with most not able to see any other way.
There are more specific answers to those questions that have also been suggested which I'll get to later date. Right now, suffice it to say that we do have options.
http://www.aforcemorepowerful.org/resources/nonviolent/methods.php
Howard Zinn once said he'd spend maybe two minutes on the presidential election, the time it took to vote. Other than that he'd focus on activism outside the corrupt ruling class (oxymoron?) political system of two politcal parties.
But let's work that through. Many agree that we need more than one front in this Class war against the rich ruling class. All options on the table so to speak. I agree with all options on the table but not that all options should be used. They feel we need to work inside the system and outside of it. Work to improve the Democratic party, move it left, while also developing an outside movement to presssure, inform, educate, and demand actions.
So is working within the Democratic party of the U.S. political system a viable option? Some feel it's the only way, some feel it's a "can't hurt" option, some feel it's fool's gold and actually detrimental to the cause.
Sanders supporters are relying on Sanders' statements that he will need millions of supporters forming a sort of "political revolution" to accomplish what they want when he's President. They believe that politcal revolution will gradually form into an antiwar/anti-imperialism movement because that's really what Bernie wants and they want. It will just take time and the building of Bernie's revolution. Some actually believe Bernie will "unveil his antiwar" positions after elected because he just can't do it now or he won't get elected.
That's just flat out absurd. Sanders has made it clear that he supports all the lies and false narratives of U.S. imperialism and Israel Zionism. He's no more antiwar/anti-imperialism than Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton.
A "politcal revolution". Of Bernie Sanders supporters.
First of all, who are his supporters? I remember an old Saturday Night Live skit about Hillary Clinton. In it they used subliminal messaging while she was talking her gibberish. One of the messages was , "my supporters are racist", bringing a big laugh from the audience. Who supports a candidate is a spotlight on the candidate him or herself, and it indicates what kind of pressure those supporters will put on their "leader" once elected.
"Thanks primarily to the energy and common-sense proposals of Bernie Sanders, millions of Americans have opened their minds to the possibility of a democratic and egalitarian control of the economy, which is not a bad working definition of socialism for the 21st century. We need to talk to, work with, and learn from these Americans, and most of them will vote in the Democratic primaries."
I've followed the Democratic party for the last seven years on a blog called the Daily Kos. It's a partisan Democratic party blog that overwhelmingly supports Barack Obama and now Bernie Sanders. The vast majority of those supporting Bernie Sanders right now, over a year from the election, are current Democrats. There are some independents and even republicans who are "feeling the Bern", but probably over 70 percent are registered Democrats like on the Daily Kos.
According to polls over the years, nearly 80% of registered Democrats have approved of Obama's job performance. Obama is a warmonger, war criminal imperialist and that is approved by nearly 80% of Democrats polled. There are many Bernie supporters that are against his foreign policy positions and support for U.S. imperialism, but they are by far in the minority.
Here's an example of a typical Sanders supporter:
"When I watched him in Boston (2+ / 0-)
chills went down my neck and spine. I have not felt that since Obama. I am so impressed. He is the voice we have been waiting for that amplifies our voices to the places of power. We shook the corporate establishment a message last night and their representatives and candidates. Enough is Enough and it going to end. We will end you. A political movement has been born and it is alive and well thriving."
What kind of political movement are people who support a war crminal President and who seemingly don't care about Sanders support for U.S. imperialism going to achieve?
"The Democratic Party can similarly change in a positive direction, but not if we join Hedges in the wilderness and refuse to take advantage of the opening that Bernie is helping to expand. Change will not be easy. It will be step-by-step, not a revolutionary flash. And the odds are very much stacked against us. But change can happen even in a party of militarists and imperialists.
Our job as progressives is to make that difficult for him. Just as he pushes Hillary Clinton on environmental issues, we should push Bernie to openly confront the evils of empire. This is why we need to use the Democratic primaries rather than avoid them, and how we can use them to build an ongoing socialist movement that will become increasingly anti-imperialist. That, Rev. Hedges, is part of how we get from where we are to where we want to go."
http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-75/32612-focus-is-bernie-sanders-an-american-empire-denier
Weren't some Sanders supporters saying early on that he might not win but he is bringing important things to the discussion? But when it comes to war, imperialism and foreign policies, they're giving him a pass because he can't win if he's antiwar. They think he can win by being anti-wealth inequality, or as a populist, but not as an antiwar candidate. It's like the billionaires that rule over us can take talk about how they're stealing all the money and wealth, but not about how they're killing people to do it.
They can paint it how they want, that Sanders is not Obama. But that doesn't explain the 80% job approval ratings among democrats, it doesn't explain the weeping and praising the Lord at Obama campaigns, the same type of campaign speech crowds as Sanders, Pete Seeger singing "This Land is Our Land" at Obama's inauguration, Bruce Springsteen, the Nobel Peace Prize! The First Black President, an "historic occasion", Obamas POLITICAL REVOLUTION. This time Bernie has his rock bands and rappers and Hollywood stars supporting him. Same thing only different.
Sanders supporters are not going to facilitate a political revolution any more than they did under Obama. It's all a farce.
So a vote for Bernie is a vote for Obama, it's a vote for more of the same. If one is playing the "lesser evil" game, it might seem worth it. But look at what Obama got us. Two more Presidential terms of war, imperialism, austerity, wealth inequality, police state, and continued oligarchal control. A neutered left that not only can't muster an antiwar movement when war and militarism is more prevalent on earth that at any time in it's history. A left that is so caught up in the oligarchy controlled Sanders/Clinton presidential race that it can't even think about an independent movement. A left that still supports Obama even after his heinous crimes against humanity, his rabid advocacy of the Trans Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement (TPP), and his sellout to the insurance and pharmaceutical companies with Obamacare.
No, that's not an option. Not now. Not when WWIII might break out at any time. Not when we don't live in a democracy. It's not an option because all it does is put us serfs further behind. All it does is result in the deaths and subjugation of more people. All it does is further institutionalize the oligarchy control over us. It's time to fight for what's right, to fight for truth and justice, not more pudding.
Don't say you weren't warned this time.
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