Read on Twitter
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Quick thread on this claim I hear all the time that Bernie Sanders was threatened into giving up and going whole-hog with the neoliberals he used to oppose. It’s repeated in comments below this RT. Let’s break this down.
(It’s BS.) https://twitter.com/realstevecox/status/1298178999634415616
Quick thread on this claim I hear all the time that Bernie Sanders was threatened into giving up and going whole-hog with the neoliberals he used to oppose. It’s repeated in comments below this RT. Let’s break this down.
(It’s BS.) https://twitter.com/realstevecox/status/1298178999634415616
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If powerful people threaten you and/or your family, which is often the claim being made, the first thing you do if you’re in Bernie’s shoes—with millions of supporters—is go public with the threat. Tell everybody.
If powerful people threaten you and/or your family, which is often the claim being made, the first thing you do if you’re in Bernie’s shoes—with millions of supporters—is go public with the threat. Tell everybody.
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That negates the threat because if anything happens to you or your family, the people making the threats are immediately implicated.
That negates the threat because if anything happens to you or your family, the people making the threats are immediately implicated.
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But also, he’s 78 years old! If it’s a threat against his life, he’s lived a long one and revolutions can never succeed if the leaders aren’t willing to die for them.
But also, he’s 78 years old! If it’s a threat against his life, he’s lived a long one and revolutions can never succeed if the leaders aren’t willing to die for them.
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During the lead-up to the announcement of our country’s Declaration of Independence, the signers of that document all knew they were committing treason and would be executed by the Crown if they were caught. They did it anyway.
During the lead-up to the announcement of our country’s Declaration of Independence, the signers of that document all knew they were committing treason and would be executed by the Crown if they were caught. They did it anyway.
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“We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”—Ben Franklin at the time.
We have 68,000 Americans dying every year for lack of affordable health insurance & billions who will die from this climate catastrophe. They matter more than any one man.
“We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”—Ben Franklin at the time.
We have 68,000 Americans dying every year for lack of affordable health insurance & billions who will die from this climate catastrophe. They matter more than any one man.
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And if Bernie really believed in what he was saying, he’d have prioritized those people.
Others say the threat could’ve been to take away his positions on senate committees.
So?
And if Bernie really believed in what he was saying, he’d have prioritized those people.
Others say the threat could’ve been to take away his positions on senate committees.
So?
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One of the primary problems with our elected government is that everyone in it has bullshitted themselves into believing that their mere presence in congress is worth selling out their principles because if they aren’t in that seat, someone worse will be.
One of the primary problems with our elected government is that everyone in it has bullshitted themselves into believing that their mere presence in congress is worth selling out their principles because if they aren’t in that seat, someone worse will be.
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It’s basically “If I don’t put my principles on hold to keep my seat, someone who doesn’t even *have* my principles will take the seat and that’s even worse!”
But it isn’t. If you can selectively ignore your principles, they aren’t actually principles.
It’s basically “If I don’t put my principles on hold to keep my seat, someone who doesn’t even *have* my principles will take the seat and that’s even worse!”
But it isn’t. If you can selectively ignore your principles, they aren’t actually principles.
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Bernie Sanders is 78 years old. He seems to see himself as some sort of singular force against all that’s awful, and he was in the past, but what’s he doing now? Nothing.
Politicians confuse their ego with their principles. Now Bernie is doing it, too.
Bernie Sanders is 78 years old. He seems to see himself as some sort of singular force against all that’s awful, and he was in the past, but what’s he doing now? Nothing.
Politicians confuse their ego with their principles. Now Bernie is doing it, too.
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Another excuse we hear comes from variations on appeals to popularity:
“He’ll be a pariah if he hurts the Democrats and they can’t beat Trump” or “He finally has power in DC and he’d get ostracized by not toeing the line” etc.
Another excuse we hear comes from variations on appeals to popularity:
“He’ll be a pariah if he hurts the Democrats and they can’t beat Trump” or “He finally has power in DC and he’d get ostracized by not toeing the line” etc.
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Being hated by the current DC crowd is good, actually. 90% of the public hates everyone in DC. And what good is being accepted if it means you have to abandon everything you stand for? How does this help anybody but Bernie Sanders?
Being hated by the current DC crowd is good, actually. 90% of the public hates everyone in DC. And what good is being accepted if it means you have to abandon everything you stand for? How does this help anybody but Bernie Sanders?
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And here’s the kicker to all of this:
Bernie Sanders seems to earnestly believe that Donald Trump is a clear danger to our country and world and if we have to abandon everything we want to get Donald Trump out of office, we must do that.
And here’s the kicker to all of this:
Bernie Sanders seems to earnestly believe that Donald Trump is a clear danger to our country and world and if we have to abandon everything we want to get Donald Trump out of office, we must do that.
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But if he has indeed been threatened into supporting this neoliberal agenda, he cannot possibly believe the people who threatened and bullied him, his supporters, and his campaign would be “better” to have wielding power than Trump.
But if he has indeed been threatened into supporting this neoliberal agenda, he cannot possibly believe the people who threatened and bullied him, his supporters, and his campaign would be “better” to have wielding power than Trump.
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“The people who ignored me and all of my supporters, and who will continue Trump’s policies, but maybe to a slightly lesser extent in some cases, and who cheated me out of the nomination twice, are a lesser threat to democracy than Trump” is an asinine thought.
“The people who ignored me and all of my supporters, and who will continue Trump’s policies, but maybe to a slightly lesser extent in some cases, and who cheated me out of the nomination twice, are a lesser threat to democracy than Trump” is an asinine thought.
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So, I don’t believe Sanders was threatened in any meaningful way. I think he’s just grown soft in his old age and grown too comfortable in DC circles. It may have taken them decades, but DC successfully absorbed him as DC always does eventually.
So, I don’t believe Sanders was threatened in any meaningful way. I think he’s just grown soft in his old age and grown too comfortable in DC circles. It may have taken them decades, but DC successfully absorbed him as DC always does eventually.
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We need to learn to kill our heroes. All of them. When I get in to DC, if I start acting a fool like this, support *whoever* is running against me and kick my ass out. Send me packing with your fingers in the air.
We need to learn to kill our heroes. All of them. When I get in to DC, if I start acting a fool like this, support *whoever* is running against me and kick my ass out. Send me packing with your fingers in the air.
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The reform we desperately need in DC can’t/won’t come from inside those two parties, just as reforming police can’t/won’t come from inside police departments.
The reform we desperately need in DC can’t/won’t come from inside those two parties, just as reforming police can’t/won’t come from inside police departments.
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Sanders wasn’t threatened. He simply sees the sewer in DC as his “community” now, not us.
And even if he was threatened, a this proves is that he was never the leader we thought he was. He’s a #RINO: Revolution In Name Only.
Sanders wasn’t threatened. He simply sees the sewer in DC as his “community” now, not us.
And even if he was threatened, a this proves is that he was never the leader we thought he was. He’s a #RINO: Revolution In Name Only.
