It Is Time To Think The Unthinkable
First, thank you, thank you, thank you, powers-that-be for making this forum, this lifeboat, this desert oasis of sanity available, this place to escape from that other place, that Daily… whatever.
And now, the unthinkable? Give up? Lose? Certainly not! But change our perspective and underlying assumptions about what we can and cannot do.
But given this picture,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_party_strength_in_U.S._states
And given that the two-party system has corruptly usurped the political system for its own power and enrichment, to the point of total destruction of one (the Republicans) and the utter corruption of the other (Dems).
I have no remaining affinity to that organization that false-flags-itself with a D-badge, wrenched from the sad, cold fingers of FDR. What we have is an organization that has taken the banner of Corporatocracy and Oligarchy from the (Rs), and now flies it blatantly and proudly. This has not been a chance coup-de-tat, as FDR himself said, ‘with that much money at stake, nothing is ever by accident.’
Sen Sanders, is - as you can see - from a barely blue state. This may be why he draws so much cross-party support. It may also be because he has not formally worn the D-badge until of late, and then only because the system has been corrupted to require doing so to field a national campaign.
But now, with the effects of a virtual press-black-out, and a primary system grossly skewed to front-load red-leaning states, and a D-party violently set against grass-roots progressive movements, Sen. Sanders is left with a very, very, very difficult field to run. We must be realistic. But we must also realize that despite these handicaps he’s given an incredibly formidable political machine a very strong challenge, and will continue to do so, and - most importantly - poll after poll shows Sen. Sanders besting the entire R-field by wide margins.
It is time to take President Washington at his farewell-word (see my signature quote), and challenge the corrupt US Political Party system to its roots and move Sen. Sanders’ revolution to the point of overturning this gross impediment to American democracy and progress.
IMHO, Sen. Sanders should plan on running (post-convention, and as a contingency) as an independent for President. The Corporatocracy/Oligarchy is solidifying, and this may well be our last chance to pull it up by its roots, before it ossifies into full-bore fascism. The nation itself is at stake. The lives of our kids, and many, many lives across the globe are at stake. I welcome dissenting voices, as well as approving ones.
Comments
He gave his word he wouldn't do that
So I would neither ask nor expect him to. I would hope that (if he doesn't get the nomination) he finishes out his current Senate term with a mighty roar, and runs for another term.
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
Understood, however the
Understood, however the context of his statement must have been the assumption of square dealing by the DNC and the press, both of which were not forth coming.
I understand the dangers. But I also see grave dangers in the status quo.
Best
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
I understand your thinking,
I wonder, sometimes, if he regrets having said he would do that.
'Well, I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years, Doctor, and I’m happy to state I finally won out over it." Elwood P. Dowd "
I was with you up til the independent run.
Continuing his campaign through to the convention makes good sense and maximizes his platform's exposure on the national stage. I doubt that an independent run would accomplish anything positive.
Better, I think, to continue to support down ticket candidates who support Bernie's goals and priorities and begin to lay groundwork for the next insurgent candidate or the birth of a more socialistic third party. Their will likely be lots of wreckage to pickup from the effects of HRC's first term.
“What the herd hates most is the one who thinks differently; it is not so much the opinion itself, but the audacity of wanting to think for themselves, something that they do not know how to do.”
-Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)
I would like to see Bernie work towards forming a third party
The majority of Americans agree with his platform and are tired of the current two party system.
I would like to see both the Democratic and Republican parties join the Whigs in the dust bin of history personally.
Considering the stakes at play either a Trump or a Hillary presidency will be terrible for the Environment, and therefore our future, I don't see how we have any choice but to do everything in our power to make sure that neither of them win the Presidency.
If that means mobilizing for a 3rd party run this cycle I wouldn't be against it.
"I used to vote Republican & Democrat, I also used to shit my pants. Eventually I got smart enough to stop doing both things." -Me
This is what I hope
That's what I hope to see happen with the coalition that's building behind his campaign--a vibrant third party that's undeniably progressive (the kind of progressive that HRC wouldn't claim to be). I understand the lure of trying to carve out the rot and rebuild the Democratic Party, but I think the more effective strategy long term is to discard the labels from both parties that so many voters now see as complicit in the rigged system and start anew.
The parties didn't always view each other so acrimoniously across the aisle. I lived in DC for decades, and Ds and Rs cohabited amicably, often within relationships. Party affiliation wasn't the litmus test in personal ads it now understandably is. The animosity ramped up with Bill Clinton's time in office and has escalated since. There are genuine old-school moderate Rs who've gone underground. The ranks of unaffiliated voters swell with every election. We see in Bernie's supporters a wondrously motley crew of disaffected former Ds, still Ds, hard-core lefties, never-affiliated young voters, socialists, and more. We share the multi-pronged justice principles Sanders has given a national platform: common ground and common cause. Maybe the Commons Party? Something like that can speak as "we the people."
Just some random thoughts after today's call to my state's Sec of State to confirm that my GE ballot will have a write-in option for president.
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." --Jiddu Krishnamurti
Or better yet, a mass populist movement working outside-in
Call it what you will, grass-roots movement, revolution, pressure group, whatever - that is what we need, much more than another political party that will have to compete with plutocrat-funded Democrats for public support. A coalition of millions of people and many progressive advocacy groups like DFA, MoveOn and Black Lives Matter, etc joined together in a sustained unified effort to demand and ultimately force change. That is the direction I hope Bernie takes, regardless of whether he wins, but especially if he doesn't. Because if we don't have some kind of ongoing movement, then I see only more unfocussed anger and despair, more voters choosing crazy outsider fascists like Trump, more Republicans, and more people giving up on voting altogether, especially millenials. And then we will have been divided and conquered.
Tell the truth and run - Croatian proverb
Third Party
Yes, a third party is what's needed. The progressive caucus needs to split off from the centrist party that the Dems have become. I only see the possibility of this happening though if Hillary gets beat by Trump. And it will be completely the fault of the establishment not offering up a sufficiently progressive candidate. Perhaps that's what it will take, complete implosion of both parties.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." - JFK | "The more I see of the moneyed peoples, the more I understand the guillotine." - G. B. Shaw Bernie/Tulsi 2020