Very thoughtful, well-written diary. That's SOP with you, gg. Rec'd!!

I too am very disappointed in the outcome of this primary. I take away a few other things.
1. As a long time Dem, active in our local party, I had very little idea how corrupt the national organization really is. I thank Bernie for illuminating it for me.
2. I really never knew how progressive my politics really are until Bernie opened my eyes.
3. I got more involved in supporting a campaign that I truly believe in than ever before... and will continue to use Bernie as my gold standard.
4. Whatever Bernie moves towards after the convention I will look at very seriously.
5. Bernie is a man of his word. As I understand it... before running as a democrat... he agreed to support the dem candidate... whoever it was. Personally I would have been disillusioned if he did not endorse Hillary as promised.
6. I thank Bernie over and over again for the unbelievable effort he made to win the nomination.

I went to Philly on Sunday with my Bernie tshirt. What a great time. Marching for Bernie. WOW !!
If Pa. isn't in play for the election (though I'm hearing otherwise right now), I'm voting for Jill Stein. The more I listen to her the more I like her.

Thanks for posting your feelings here. I continue to enjoy your writings.

Anne

You did the correct thing and knew the department's protocols backward and forward and when you fed in the data, you got a result in tune with policy and with the facts as given to you. You did your job.

Often - think of recent incidents at Obama's EPA - upper management will change the recommendation from the person(s) in your position and threaten you with dismissal or at least a desk in the broom closet. This is what happened at Flint, MI, when the EPA removed the regional official who took and analyzed the water samples from homes, and told the state of Michigan that the EPA worker was a "rogue" employee and Michigan would not be bothered with him again.

Congratulations for performing your job well.

and protected that residential area.

As for Bernie, it still is my gut feeling that he was threatened with something pretty terrible. The "about face" seemed to come in an instant moment of time. There was a point when he had to give it up of lose something dearer to him than us, so am guessing it involves his family.

We all know this is a reasonable possibility, especially with the email documentation. Plus, none of those people would have been stupid enough to put the really bad stuff in an email. We are only seeing those things that seemed safe to say in email.

The threat was terrifying enough to weigh against the full knowledge of letting down millions of people and facing scorn, that even then the choice was clear.

Not everyone has as much integrity as you. I imagine many other people would have folded and said 'as you will'. The thoughts you invoke remind me of an idea that I was thinking of is if a documentary filmmaker spent 4 years capturing hidden footage from a novice politician and used it to explore the different interactions with lobbyists and other politicians and pressures on a day to day basis? What a great film and document of our times that would be. Anyway, great essay and stay positive gg.

in our lives, some big, some small. In my opinion, most of the corporate corruption comes from the top and not the bottom. Note how you were led to a room with bigwigs and bosses and asked to explain yourself. That was certainly pressure to conform, and here you were, throwing a monkey into the works.

One story from a long time ago always stuck with me. It had to do with low-level workers at a health insurance company being given bonuses if they could find some reason to cause rescission of coverage for cancer patients, a la "oh, look! Here's a bunion you didn't mention in your application that was removed 15 years ago." I always wondered about the training they received and imagined their first day on the job - "here is a file of cancer patients. Please comb their medical records and applications and report any discrepancies. If we manage to actually rescind coverage, you'll get a bonus." And then I imagined how I would feel getting a bonus.

Or, you're the employee at a peanut factory and you know there's salmonella but you package the stuff anyway.

OR, you KNOW you are peddling an unaffordable adjustable rate mortgage to some grandmother who just wants a roof repair for the house she has lived in for fifty years, but you do it anyway because you will make a higher commission.

Or who could ever forget the ENRON traders laughing gleefully at sticking it to Grandma Millie!

Like Upton Sinclair said about it's hard to make someone see something if their paycheck involves them not seeing it. Or something like that.

(edited to include Grandma Millie- the poster person for corporate callousness and indifference if there's a buck to be made.)

GG, I have been wondering the same things regarding Bernie's switch myself. things started to look serious after he walked out scowling after his meet n greet with Obama. Then he seemed to have a little less fire in his speeches. TYT videos also showed at the DNC less energy in his speech to the Bernie delegates, yes they still cheered him, up until he tried to get them behind Her Majesty.

This all make me wonder what they could possibly hold over his head that make him switch from opposing the corrupt system to being their lap dog? I say that because giving her any support as he did plays into their hands, and then asking folks to NOT protest as they felt strongly and were far angrier than he was over the shenanigans played on his campaign this primary season, as he seemed to let things pass that deserved no pass.

Once things came out as to how perfidious the DNC was, all his vows of fair play were negated, he owed them not one shred of support, and heading to the Greens would have served them right , and galvanized a move to the left that would gut the Dems more than this convention of lies and Bull-hockey would dare show.

Criminals, corporate butchers, and billionaires run this nation, all that FDR did for us is targeted for removal, Bernie would have preserved and strengthened that had he won a contested convention as he had promised before the turn around. He wanted to fix things from within, he has seen that is not gonna happen, they like their money induced corruption, and he has been shown something behind the curtain that made him stop cold and reverse for them.

What did they hold over his head???

I believe (or maybe, I have to believe) she got to him.
The head of a crime family has their ways of persuading lessers to do their bidding.
I am just one little voter in a red state. I have integrity too, she cannot make me do anything. I hope and pray the other thirteen plus million Sanders voters remember that God is watching even when no one else sees.

The only thing he did or did not do during his campaign that I thought was just dumb ass was not provide his tax returns.

If we give it up, we lose, but so do many others. Good for you, gg. Doing the right thing can be sacrificed under pressure.

BTW - anyone see Chris Hedges article in TruthDig today? I can't link from my iPad, so if someone can provide a link, it's worth reading.

Have a beautiful day and happy hump day!

I cried when he gave it all away and walked out. But I don't question his motives,he had his reasons and I repect that. Bernie could never loose my respect for him he opened the eyes of so many people,made them aware of the clinton machine like no one else ever could.
Somewhere deep inside my bruised soul I still hope he comes back and runs as an Independent. He ows that Soandso nothing.

I recommend you for writing this out. I would not be capable of doing the same. It's just too complicated and as it destroyed so much, I want to forget it. But that will never be the case. I have seen too many men being destroyed psychologically for having gone through betrayals that were forced upon them to accept and be silent about. It corrodes characters and souls.

With regards to Sanders, yes, I can't follow his premature endorsement of Clinton. He has some yuuuge explaining to do, one day. I feel discouraged, disappointed and saddened and somewhat betrayed. Unless we find out a reason that can convince us over the necessity for him to do that, I guess this experience will leave some bitter memories behind. It is hard to get conned by someone you trusted. It's even worse, when you don't know if you can judge if it was conning or something else.

Watching the video coverage, I realized that the images of people still protesting consistent with their convictions gave me some short glimmers of hope, but nevertheless, I feel like crying all the time. Of course there is more to it than just the political developments, but all in all, it's really hard to not give up.

Thanks for your OT. Btw. did you see this? I didn't have time to read it slowly, but I remember the author and always found him to be very good. I thought you might like to read it and compare to your own writing.

Have a good day, all.

From Jared Huffman who is supposed to be representing all of Northern California no kidding. Heh the message went directly to spam again not sure why. Maybe all Democratic emails are being marked spam by the giant sky lists. LOL "pick up the phone" if you know what I mean. Communication breakdown much? Anyway, look at the size of CD-2 Bernie won 53.1% to 46.3%. Solidarity! Now tell me what you make of this if you don't mind:

Motivated by recent studies showing that over half of households age 55 and older have no retirement savings, I am working on a proposal to help those Americans by providing new options to help save for a strong, stable, secure retirement. Earlier this summer, my co-sponsor Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and I introduced the American Savings Account Act. This legislation would build on the success of the high-quality retirement investment plan offered to federal workers since 1986 by making that plan available to every American who works in the private sector and doesn’t have access to an employer-sponsored savings account like a 401(k). This voluntary option would be in addition to Social Security, and it would give millions of hardworking citizens a new opportunity to ensure a secure and dignified retirement. More information on how this legislation will help North Coasters like you here.

Please take note I replaced the original email link with one that goes straight to the poop, and not the DNC tracking lists. Okay "help North Coasters like (me)" like the ACA is helping Californians with mandatory 17% increase this year? Should I waste any calories following the money to this savings proposal? nenni ekki

Don't say mandatory retirement savings, omg the banks must be drooling. Automatic opt-in? Gosh I hope I read that wrong.

Oh well here's my local paper: Cloverdale not 'feeling the Bern' after Sanders campaign declines invoice for his rally

But after being stiffed for a $23,000 tab, they’re wondering if the joke was on them.

“I don’t understand why they don’t pay for police and fire there for the event,” City Manager Paul Cayler said Monday. “Sanders’ rhetoric during the speech was, he is from small town America and he values small town America.”

Instead of “Feeling the Bern,” Cloverdale, population 8,800, is feeling burned.

oof.

Thoughts of Tammany Hall and its demise have been flooding through my brain recently, as has FDR's quote about his enemies: "I ask you to judge me by the ENEMIES I have made."

Tammany Hall was a New York City Democratic political patronage machine, which grew increasingly corrupt over the years, since its inception in 1786. Nobody could control it, until FDR decided to strip it of federal patronage in 1932. Locally, FDR teamed up with Republican mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia, to clean house and support reform candidates only. It worked and, despite a brief resurgence, the Tammany machine never recovered.

What does this have to do with Bernie? The Clinton machine is a neoliberal iteration of Tammany Hall. It makes and breaks politicians. Its corruption is boundless, reaches to the highest office in the land, and extends beyond national borders to foreign governments. I believe if the Moon was colonized, they'd have an outpost there.

Bernie took on the Clinton machine. We believed him when he said he'd take his fight for us, the 99%, to the convention. We pointed to his years in service in Congress, his filibusters, his success with inserting amendments into bad bills, as proof that he's the real deal.

Then, the "real deal" crumpled when the entire Clinton-owned establishment declared war on him, and us as well. No explanation was offered to us, his supporters; just retreat, humiliation, obeisance, and endorsement. The "real deal" giving up makes sense if no other options exist, but they do:

Bernie had proof of electoral fraud and disenfranchisement, but didn't follow through in the courts or publically. The release of the DNC emails before the convention was further evidence the primaries were rigged and Bernie could have made a big deal of them, but chose not to. And the pledge Bernie made at the start of his campaign - to support the nominee, had the tacit understanding that it was based on a fair and square primary process. Any rigging of that process, IMO, should invalidate the original pledge, just like a party who breaches the terms of a contract invalidates it. So, Jill Stein's offer to run on the Green ballot as president, offered Bernie a lifeline and a place for him and his supporters to go and start a viable third party. That was his and our ticket out of Palookaville. Lastly, what if the Clintons and Obama threatened Bernie's life? Or his family members? All Bern had to do was hold a press conference and calmly relay this tidbit, naming names. Then, should the perpetrators be stupid enough to carry out the threat, they'd be busted by their very actions. End of threat.

When I think about what could have, and should have been, if Bernie had found the courage and integrity to do right by us and use his options, I feel like we've been collectively gut punched, and my heart is broken.

And I admire yours gulfgal.

I also very much admire Bernie's integrity. I respect and trust that he is still adhering to his integrity. His work is in the arena of Party Politics. That must be a hard place to hold onto one's integrity.

I an thankful for the people willing to go into politics these days ( I wouldn't want to but someone has to!) and I sometimes give them a pass on some things they do. I try not to be an absolutist, but more a forgiver. It is true that in politics there is going to be compromise. THere are winners and losers. There are powerful and power-less. That is the nature of it.

Bernie did always say he would not go 3rd Party and that he would endorse the eventual nominee. I trust and believe Bernie that he truly believes Trump would be bad for America and for the Progressive movement. I agree. There would be SO much more ground to make up if Trump and the GOP win all branches. Privatize our National Parks and Lands; more voting restrictions; more Scalia's on the court; more abortion restrictions; harsher immigration laws; total disregard for Climate, etc, etc. I live in a GOP controlled state (NC) and it is horrible. Our local Dems put up a good fight.

I have heard that Bernie is going to be an Independent again. Let's see what comes after election or inauguration day. I read the transcript between Robert Reich and Chris Hedges on Democracy Now! Reich is talking about a 3rd Party. He is close to Bernie. Let's see what develops. We have seen new leaders emerge too: Nina Turner, Tulsi Gabbard, Ben Jealous, Ellison, etc.

Nothing (and everything) is perfect in this world, least of all politics. Still we perservere and move forward. What elese is there to do?

I think we have to acknowledge that we don't know what happened behind closed doors. We don't know what all the issues were.

The reality is that whenever a candidate uses the Democratic party to get an elected position he has to use their system, and make their deals. He lives in their world. This is a situation which has happened many times, and its going to go on happening.

In the end, I don't think that attacking Sanders is a useful thing to do for progressivism. He helped get the message out. We are in this position because there are so few real progressives left. If we can change that and move the country back to a more realistic view of how the world works, it will be far more difficult for them to treat candidates this way, and if necessary, maybe we can simply create or take over another party.

In the end, I think that's the way we have to look at it. People believe stuff that just isn't true. We need to keep getting the message out between elections. We need to change people's minds.

just thought this article might be of interest, as it describes how you can prevent people from living and working in an environment according to their conscience and their integrity:
At World’s Largest Hedge Fund, Sex, Fear and Video Surveillance - By ALEXANDRA STEVENSON and MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN - JULY 26, 2016