Bernie Sanders Just Did More In Two Hours to Repair our Broken Political System Than...

[TrollBuster9090]

Than Karl Rove and Lee Atwater (before he repented) did to deliberately BREAK it in TWO DECADES!


By going into the lion's den of social conservatism (Liberty U.) and giving that speech, he did more to bring Americans together in two hours, than all the wedge issue political operatives have done to divide and conquer us in twenty years.

I'm 54 years old, and I've never seen an act of political courage like that in my entire life. This man has definitely become one of my heroes. In fact, by daring to call himself a 'socialist,' in a political age when (to quote Bill Maher) "just calling somebody a LIBERAL is enough to make him put on an orange vest and run into the woods to kill things to prove he's not" he's undone thirty years of classical conditioning to vilify the words socialist and liberal.

This was a great day for America! Win or lose, Bernie Sanders is FINALLY showing America's political class how much can be accomplished if you just show a little courage of your convictions.

Full Speech Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=3145&v=bLNt2_bChK0

My favorite part is at the beginning, where he stresses how easy it is for a politician to just engage in discourse with people who agree with him. How much courage does it take to talk rationally with people who don't, and not worry if they'll scoff at you or not.


Note: this OP was moved over from the GD board. Sorry for the repeat.

[liberal_at_heart]

1. Even if Bernie doesn't win the nomination I feel the American people are getting a chance

to have their voice heard right now with Bernie, and as much anti-establishment feeling is in this country right now, I have a feeling the American people will probably make sure their voice is heard during the General election too.

[TrollBuster9090]

3. Yes! Win or lose, he's rallied the people to send a wave of shock and fear through the plutocrat

through the plutocrat class, and told them they'd better at least APPEAR to clean up their act.

My take on it is that, for 50 years during the cold war, capitalism and communism were fighting for the hearts and minds of regular people, and the captains of industry, and the trust fund trustees had to at least TRY to appear as if they cared about the plebs. After communism collapsed, they figured there was no longer a philosophical rival for the hearts and minds of regular people, and they could start treating us like the peons and serfs we are.

However, even though there is no more communism (probably a good thing IMHO), the TRUE rival to unbridled capitalism is democratic socialism. A philosophy that unashamedly calls for a mixed economy and nominal redistribution of wealth from the top to the bottom, all in the name of FAIRNESS for its own sake.

[tech3149]

7. I think your post holds a lot more truth than you realize

The cold war was a tremendous regulating aspect to capitalist overreach. Even though the free market fantasy and deregulation started to exert itself in the 70's the fall of the Soviet Union took off all restraints.
I only hope we utilize the Sanders candidacy to really effect the kind of change we should have started more than a decade ago. I guess the pain and anger has to reach a greater level than I thought necessary.

[mhatrw]

14. +1 n/t

[Andy823]

4. Yes I agree

What Bernie is doing will change things no matter if he wins or loses the nomination. He has started something that I think will take on it's own grass roots movement. People will demand more of their candidates, and I hope that they will also do their best to find candidates to run that will be progressive enough to carry on what Bernie has started.

[HooptieWagon]

2. It WAS impressive!

When the speech was announced a while back, I figured "meh"...nothing ventured, nothing gained. But I didn't expect much would be gained. Man, was I ever wrong! And the speech was epic. I think this may have been the watershed moment in the election.

[Uncle Joe]

5. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, TrollBuster.

[cantbeserious]

6. He Was Impressive

eom

[Gore1FL]

8. I'd like to think many of these students are more immune to propaganda because of this.

When you find out you actually have a lot in common with the scary socialist liberal, the socialist liberal becomes not so scary, after all.

[cer7711]

9. Jack London was a socialist.

And damn proud of it.

[Aerows]

10. He walks the walk

He's a damned brave man, and we need about a hundred more politicians with the mindset he has.

He says what he means, and means what he says.

[senz]

11. K & R. Excellent OP.

[joanbarnes]

12. I agree.

[laurieu]

13. The video in the NYT article

At about :40 into the video at the NYT article on the event there is a shot of the audience, intentionally showing, front and center, a young man who seems to be trying very hard not to listen? His eyes are fixed away from anything. It must be hard when you hear what deep down you know is true. I greatly admire Bernie Sanders for speaking there.