Weissman writes: "Poor Hillary. She just doesn't get it. Neither do the Very
Important People who back her. Call it arrogance, willful blindness, or
rotten judgment, their collective failure to understand Bernie Sanders and
those of us who support him could cost Clinton the presidency - not to
Bernie, but to Donald Trump."
Sen. Bernie Sanders. (photo: Getty)
What Is Bernie's Price for Playing Nice?
By Steve Weissman, Reader Supported News
01 May 16
Poor Hillary. She just doesn't get it. Neither do the Very Important People
who back her. Call it arrogance, willful blindness, or rotten judgment,
their collective failure to understand Bernie Sanders and those of us who
support him could cost Clinton the presidency - not to Bernie, but to Donald
Trump.
To understate the case, a victory for bully-boy Trump would not be good
news. Not for the planet. Not for women. Not for Mexicans, other Latinos,
and blacks. Not for Muslim-Americans. Not for Jewish-Americans. Not for
immigrants facing deportation. Not for disaffected white working-class men,
whom he would inevitably betray. Not for the poor, whom he despises as
losers. Not for the different or disabled. Not for the Supreme Court. And,
not for those of us committed to continue our fight for a democratic
socialist revolution.
On foreign policy, he will run well to Hillary's left. His open support for
improved relations with Russia and China, his skepticism toward NATO, which
I share, his iffy opposition to the no-win war in Iraq and French-led
intervention in Libya make him appear far more realistic than the hawkish
Hillary. But he favors torture whether it works or not. He revels in
targeted assassinations far more than do Obama and Clinton. He speaks too
easily about using nuclear weapons. And he's too xenophobic, simplistic,
reckless, and unpredictable to be allowed anywhere near the CIA, the
Pentagon, or the nuclear button.
Hillary is bad enough. Look at her history as an imperial warmonger long
before the neo-cons backed her. Listen to her self-righteous avowal of
"American exceptionalism," which is just another form of too much
nationalism. But, like her or not, she has shown herself more cautious,
circumspect, and open to dissuasion by allies than Trump would ever be. She
is indeed the lesser evil.
Trump has already sharpened his tongue against her, calling her "Crooked
Hillary" and promising a devastating campaign against her supposed foreign
policy strengths as well as her personal unpopularity, which easily rivals
his own. I still don't think he can win, but she would be a fool to
underestimate him. This is especially true because he poses a threat that
takes us into a very dark realm. By spouting his off-the-cuff racist,
religious, and nationalist bigotry, Trump has opened wide the door to
America's venomous Ku Kluxers and other white supremacists, violent
skin-heads, and Christian nationalists with all their armed militias. He has
even begun to extend his hand to Europe's neo-fascists, welcoming a visit
and endorsement from Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy's racist and
anti-immigrant Northern League. Trump is still showing caution about getting
too close to other of Europe's neo-Fascists, many of whom have shown caution
about getting to close to him. But, stay tuned.
In the meantime, Sanders understands that Hillary will almost certainly win
the nomination and has once again promised that he would vote for her
against Trump or any other Republican. He is playing nice, but he will not
play dead. Asked on the Today show about Trump calling Clinton crooked, he
condemned it as "an ugly statement." But pressed on whether his own attacks
on Hillary for taking money from Wall Street did not imply that she was
crooked, he simply smiled. "In that case," he said, "the entire United
States government is crooked."
He has also refused to call on his supporters to back Hillary, explaining -
quite correctly - that he did not have the power to demand that they fall in
line behind her. She would have to win them over, he said. How? He has told
her quite clearly.
"We are in this campaign to win," he told a crowd of students at Purdue.
"But if we do not win, we intend to win every delegate that we can so that
when we go to Philadelphia in July, we are going to have the votes to put
together the strongest progressive agenda that any political party has ever
seen."
This is Bernie's price. If Hillary refuses to pay it - as she is now doing
by using her party apparatchiks to stand in the way of a truly progressive
platform - she will lose many who voted and worked so enthusiastically for
him. Some of us may put clothespins on our noses and vote for her, even as
we build a movement to oppose much of what she or Trump would do as
president. Others will vote for the Greens. A few will vote for Trump,
damned fools they. And no one knows how many will write in Bernie's name or
just stay home. The choice is now Hillary Clinton's, and she appears to be
making the wrong one.
________________________________________
A veteran of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement and the New Left monthly
Ramparts, Steve Weissman lived for many years in London, working as a
magazine writer and television producer. He now lives and works in France,
where he is researching a new book, Big Money and the Corporate State: How
Global Banks, Corporations, and Speculators Rule and How to Nonviolently
Break Their Hold.
Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission
to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader
Supported News.
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
Sen. Bernie Sanders. (photo: Getty)
http://readersupportednews.org/http://readersupportednews.org/
What Is Bernie's Price for Playing Nice?
By Steve Weissman, Reader Supported News
01 May 16
oor Hillary. She just doesn't get it. Neither do the Very Important People
who back her. Call it arrogance, willful blindness, or rotten judgment,
their collective failure to understand Bernie Sanders and those of us who
support him could cost Clinton the presidency - not to Bernie, but to Donald
Trump.
To understate the case, a victory for bully-boy Trump would not be good
news. Not for the planet. Not for women. Not for Mexicans, other Latinos,
and blacks. Not for Muslim-Americans. Not for Jewish-Americans. Not for
immigrants facing deportation. Not for disaffected white working-class men,
whom he would inevitably betray. Not for the poor, whom he despises as
losers. Not for the different or disabled. Not for the Supreme Court. And,
not for those of us committed to continue our fight for a democratic
socialist revolution.
On foreign policy, he will run well to Hillary's left. His open support for
improved relations with Russia and China, his skepticism toward NATO, which
I share, his iffy opposition to the no-win war in Iraq and French-led
intervention in Libya make him appear far more realistic than the hawkish
Hillary. But he favors torture whether it works or not. He revels in
targeted assassinations far more than do Obama and Clinton. He speaks too
easily about using nuclear weapons. And he's too xenophobic, simplistic,
reckless, and unpredictable to be allowed anywhere near the CIA, the
Pentagon, or the nuclear button.
Hillary is bad enough. Look at her history as an imperial warmonger long
before the neo-cons backed her. Listen to her self-righteous avowal of
"American exceptionalism," which is just another form of too much
nationalism. But, like her or not, she has shown herself more cautious,
circumspect, and open to dissuasion by allies than Trump would ever be. She
is indeed the lesser evil.
Trump has already sharpened his tongue against her, calling her "Crooked
Hillary" and promising a devastating campaign against her supposed foreign
policy strengths as well as her personal unpopularity, which easily rivals
his own. I still don't think he can win, but she would be a fool to
underestimate him. This is especially true because he poses a threat that
takes us into a very dark realm. By spouting his off-the-cuff racist,
religious, and nationalist bigotry, Trump has opened wide the door to
America's venomous Ku Kluxers and other white supremacists, violent
skin-heads, and Christian nationalists with all their armed militias. He has
even begun to extend his hand to Europe's neo-fascists, welcoming a visit
and endorsement from Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy's racist and
anti-immigrant Northern League. Trump is still showing caution about getting
too close to other of Europe's neo-Fascists, many of whom have shown caution
about getting to close to him. But, stay tuned.
In the meantime, Sanders understands that Hillary will almost certainly win
the nomination and has once again promised that he would vote for her
against Trump or any other Republican. He is playing nice, but he will not
play dead. Asked on the Today show about Trump calling Clinton crooked, he
condemned it as "an ugly statement." But pressed on whether his own attacks
on Hillary for taking money from Wall Street did not imply that she was
crooked, he simply smiled. "In that case," he said, "the entire United
States government is crooked."
He has also refused to call on his supporters to back Hillary, explaining -
quite correctly - that he did not have the power to demand that they fall in
line behind her. She would have to win them over, he said. How? He has told
her quite clearly.
"We are in this campaign to win," he told a crowd of students at Purdue.
"But if we do not win, we intend to win every delegate that we can so that
when we go to Philadelphia in July, we are going to have the votes to put
together the strongest progressive agenda that any political party has ever
seen."
This is Bernie's price. If Hillary refuses to pay it - as she is now doing
by using her party apparatchiks to stand in the way of a truly progressive
platform - she will lose many who voted and worked so enthusiastically for
him. Some of us may put clothespins on our noses and vote for her, even as
we build a movement to oppose much of what she or Trump would do as
president. Others will vote for the Greens. A few will vote for Trump,
damned fools they. And no one knows how many will write in Bernie's name or
just stay home. The choice is now Hillary Clinton's, and she appears to be
making the wrong one.
A veteran of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement and the New Left monthly
Ramparts, Steve Weissman lived for many years in London, working as a
magazine writer and television producer. He now lives and works in France,
where he is researching a new book, Big Money and the Corporate State: How
Global Banks, Corporations, and Speculators Rule and How to Nonviolently
Break Their Hold.
Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission
to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader
Supported News.
http://e-max.it/posizionamento-siti-web/socialize
http://e-max.it/posizionamento-siti-web/socialize
