Friday, 15 July 2016

Bernie Sanders- Turncoat

I've written about Bernie Sanders before, see the background links. He has been one of leading contenders in the US Presidential race of 2016; up to the point when he alone stood between Hillary Clinton and the general election in November. He won many hearts and minds with his eloquent speeches and sincere nature. I compared him to a wise old Jewish grandfather who you can turn to for advice. "Feel the Bern" was his trademark slogan. Like Donald Trump, his supporters acted as if they were dealing with a real human being with feelings like their own, a man they could look up to and relate to. One of the things I liked about Bernie Sanders was his obviously heartfelt attacks against the Wicked Witch of the White House, Hillary Clinton. I believed he understood who Hillary really is, how corrupt, how cruel, how dangerous. He said things like: "Let's talk about judgment. And let us talk about the worst foreign policy blunder in the modern history of this country. I led the opposition to that war. Secretary Clinton voted for it... She is not qualified to be President!... She gets fifteen million dollars from Wall Street..." Unlike most politicians who just go through the motions and recite scripts, I sensed that Bernie really meant it. Sanders became very popular with women to the point where Hillary had to give up her cliche "I'm going to be the first woman President!..." and change tactics. Then two days ago Sanders announced that he was stepping down from his Presidential run and he endorsed Hillary Clinton, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCVVDmWP_EY. This is one of the most explosive U-turns in recent American political history. His supporters were stunned. Not only had they together raised over two hundred million dollars personally for Sanders' campaign, but they really believed in him. They took him seriously when he said those very real things about Hillary Clinton. They loved him for being a man of principle, a man who in his youth marched with Martin Luther King and faced police batons and riot shields for his ideals. He was so different from Clinton who is so transparently false and malicious, and Sanders' supporters know this. The people he attracted were revolutionaries who were looking for a new kind of politics. I respected Bernie Sanders too, even though I don't share all his ideals myself. His excuses are totally inadequate, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJbpo0-n0Yk. It's demoralizing to see Sanders behaving just like any other politician; pragmatic, insincere, utilitarian, compromising. His former supporters' reaction can be seen in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNibeibgSsM. Sanders gave hope to idealists, and this betrayal has loved-bombed them into cynicism. As is often the case, Stefan Molyneux has provided a very perceptive summary, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AObPmpkkKL4. Now there is only one man standing between Hillary and her destiny, Donald Trump. Trump is another politician I find myself warming to despite differences of opinion. He is, I believe, another genuine person who has made it to where he is through an aberration of the agenda. For this reason, how much longer will he live, see: http://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/will-donald-trump-be-murdered.html?

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