Who the hell is Bernie Sanders?
Sure, he can talk about it, but even if he does get elected, good luck getting any other leaders in Washington to do anything about it. After all, they are the same 1% heās railing against.
I donāt think he plans on doing anything about it himself. Crazy hair has a wacky concept that the grassroots movement doesnāt stop moving after heās elected:
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/06/15/bernie-sanders-obamas-biggest-mistake/
Itās just crazy enough to work, IMO. I know quite a few badass, progressive activists that helped to get Obama elected (among other difficult agendas) and theyāre chomping at the bit to get behind (and around) an administration that doesnāt drop the ball after the catch. Itās time to flank the corrupt.
You devil
This is all very poetic and all but in reality what do you see āflanking the corruptā actually meaning? Meaningful legislation reeling in Wall St? Wont happen, theyāve proven before they are willing to tank the entire economy for their own benefit. Perhaps on a couple innocuous social issues there could be progress but anything that challenges the robber barons likely isnāt going to fly. Unless of course you let them write the legislation themselves which is the historical precedent.
Iād love to have a reason to be less cynical about this stuff but even BS/EW know that this battle has already been bought, sold, re-bought, insured, and finished. Shit he even says so much in the typically wishy-washy DC way weāve come to expect.
Yup, and would take some seriously ticked off voters really change the balance of power. The politicians know just which buttons to push and which bones to throw to prevent any real upset.
Just a little ticked off is okay with the Washington elite. They can channel that discontent and use it against the largely imaginary āother side.ā
Tell us what YOU know. Stop using the names of senators to debase an agenda you personally have lost hope on.
YOU lost hope, you did not follow Sanders and Warren to your conclusion. They still work for that change, you do not work for that change. Or you do. Which is it? Canāt do both.
Itās not a bumper sticker sloganā¦
It means a massive, multi-pronged attack from grassroots groups all over the United States in support of Sandersā various agendas and vice versa. There are struggling (but evolving) movements such as mayday.us (a work in progress) that I linked to. However, thatās just one of manyā¦
From another angle, there is Wolf PAC (again, a work in progress). There are voter drives and outreach that are gearing up to thwart gerrymandering as best as possible. There are also movements to stop gerrymandering at its source. There are grassroots movements that are becoming increasingly more powerful and very successful in raising the minimum wage closer to a living wage.
There are literally thousands of grassroots groups working together for similar goals that empower average Americans. Sandersā administration will work to create solidarity (and give them teeth). Empowering them to better communicate and interact with one another while bringing more of these groups within the umbrella of government itself will be revolutionary.
Itās time to turn our government inside out. āFor the people, and by the peopleā will become a literal condition instead of a lofty platitude. You may think the robber barons have the upper hand, but thereās plenty of evidence to show that their time is running out.
See more belowā¦
Perhaps on a couple innocuous social issues there could be progress but anything that challenges the robber barons likely isnāt going to fly.
Then how do you explain the stalling of the TPP after it was leaked and disseminated to the public by grassroots activists? Stalling the TPP and forcing transparency isnāt a robber baron agenda.
How did that fly?
Powerful, dedicated grassroots activists are the dynamic antidote to mass corporate media indoctrination. Offline work is vital, but donāt underestimate how much has changed in 2015 via the growing utilization of the Internet to fight your little baron minority (thatās surrounded by the rest of us).
If your robber barons are so impenetrable, so badassā¦ then whatās up with all the minimum wage hikes? How about the defeat of those who would destroy network neutrality? Why did the robber barons decide it was a great idea to remove pre-existing conditions from qualifying for health insurance? You think they wanted that to fly? Hell no.
Did these worldās most powerful robber barons think it was great to lose profits when Obama was basically forced to back off from attacking the Syrian government due to online grassroots movements that widely spread dissent among the masses? Hardly.
The list of progressive strides goes on and onā¦
Anything that challenges robber barons is never going to fly for robber barons. Thatās why we need grassroots organizing and activism along with solidarity between powerful groups to work together with (and within) the Sandersā administration to build a growing movement of millions to remove corrupt politicians who attempt to stop us.
The problem with Obama is he didnāt continue to foster these incredibly powerful grassroots groups after he was elected. Sanders has already made it quite clear that he will and that will lead to much more needed public attention for these grassroots groups and solidarity against the robber baron class.
This is all very poetic
Thank you.
Iād love to have a reason to be less cynical about this stuff
Well, hereās one. 
But the TPP is just an innocuous social issue!!! 
The Colonel?
I like Bernie. I really do but it seems most policy changes he wants to make cannot be done by the president but rather by congress of which he is already a member.
People seem seriously ticked off to meā¦
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/04/28/3651951/baltimore-freddie-gray-economic/
Also, most of the corporate media doesnāt like to talk about it (or tries to water it down), but a lot of Americans of all stripes are getting increasingly fed up with wealth disparity and a lack of upward mobility for the increasing poor and dwindling middle class. Itās driving a good amount of support for Sanders, Warren, etc. thatās for sure.
More:
More:
Itās obviously time to mobilize against this Congress. A massive, grassroots movement (that Sanders will support and fortify) is the only thing that will accomplish it. Bailing on his base like Obama did (and Hillary will likely do as well) was a fatal error (purposefully or otherwise).
I donāt think anyone with any sense is saying itās going to be easy or quick. Then again, no progressive change is. Itās the nature of our human condition. Itās easy to destroy, while itās much harder to create.
Thatās why weāre so fortunate that fortitude is within the DNA of so many badass, progressive activists that work for us (whether we appreciate it or not).
Still working for change in the āwell Iām not sure it will work, and probably wont, but Iāll pander and say Iām fighting against it because I have grand kids dontcha know?ā sort of way doesnāt really slice the mustard for me.
I have heard nothing but blustery hooplah from everyone up to and including Sanders. This includes the amazing message of āCHANGEā that our current president ran on and managed to do very very little with. I think Iām quite within my bounds to expect the same from this suit unless he has some actions to match all those words. Itās gonna take more than āI voted against the TPP being fast tracked.ā to prove you arnāt just more of the same.
I do work for change locally. Expecting any change on the national scale prior to large changes locally, particularly in terms of organization, is basically pissing into the wind. And yes you can work for change without working for āTHAT changeā you knowā¦ the bullshit fairy tale one.
Have you perused Bernie Sanderās voting record among other things? He walks the walk.
Expecting any change on the national scale prior to large changes locally, particularly in terms of organization, is basically pissing into the wind
I hate to break it to you, but youāre repeating almost exactly what Bernie Sanders has said right there if youād research him.
Is it only āblustery hooplaā when others say what you just blustered?
The truth of the matter is Sanders and most of his supporters know very well that the fight is local, state and national and tends to be symbiotic.
If your mustard requires slicing, then I think your mustard has expired.
Maybe thatās the odor.
Iāll just leave this here from that paper:
āHolding cynical beliefs about others has negative economic outcomes unless such beliefs hold true.ā
History has proven most cynicism related to politics to be pretty on the money. (I also have no problem with my incomeā¦ But cute attempted dig?)
And yes that is a ābumper sticker sloganā regardless of the thought behind it. I donāt know why you seem to think that is a negative? It really is the strongest thing it has going for it. And the TPP is still flying, it just isnāt being done quite so secretly. As wellā¦ It isnāt even the only game in town, or the final word on an international trade agreement.
[/quote]If your robber barons are so impenetrable, so badassā¦ then whatās up
with all the minimum wage hikes? How about the defeat of those who
would destroy network neutrality? Why did the robber barons decide it
was a great idea to remove pre-existing conditions from qualifying for
health insurance? You think they wanted that to fly? Hell no.
[/quote]
Net Neutrality wasnāt destroyedā¦ It was voted for. And thank god. I think you have your terms in reverse thereā¦ But even that battle isnāt over, nor is it a significant āwinā yet. But here is hoping! Regarding the ACAā¦ Yeah that was mostly written by the health insurance industry and they defeated any sort of serious socialized medicine big win for them there.
Sanders is making the same promises Obama made. How many more times would you like Lucy to hold that football for you?
I agree there is such āprogressā but it is glacial and as you pointed out the change isnāt going to come from a president who you had very little choice about in the first place. This is is a two party system in the end and youāre better off putting your efforts into local work than backing a presidential nominee.
This! Except for the unfounded belief that Sanders or any other presidential candidate will be helpful.
Iād prefer actual actions (yeah votes donāt cut the mustard) on his part given he has some powerā¦ His words are greatā¦ But so were Obamaās.
Read part of the TPP or the Torture report or the reams of bullshit classified NSA documents into the record. Use the powers of a congressperson to prove you arnāt just another damn suit. There have been a lot of opportunities to do something extraordinary in the past yearā¦ Havenāt seen it, so I donāt expect it to come any time soon. How about not pussyfooting around the Snowden issue. Clemency or a plea bargain? How about proposing he get a medal. How about proposing charges be brought against Clapper?
Maybe Iām just insane but there are a whole lot of ways Sanders could have proven his cred. Voting records really donāt mean a whole lot these days to me.
