Comments by "Xyz Same" (@xyzsame4081) on "Ex-Host Exposes MSNBC: 'I Was Told Not To Cover Bernie'" video.
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.... but, but, but RUSSIAN collusion !!!! ... - to think the U.S. could have a level-headed intelligent (very fit) president ! Who does not golf, likes to read. ("College and the Civil Rights Movement opened a new world to me". - imagine that sentence from Trump). Does not like war very much and prefers diplomacy over wars
I have visions of Sanders making sure that immediate investigations are done in Douma, that he would take the Syrian and Russian government at their word that they would assist an independent investigation.
he has worked in the gig economy until age of 40 (in child education, for the tax office, as carpenter, or making documentaries, writing, and on radio). This is where he made the money WHILE running 4 times for higher office (never got more than 4 % of the vote. That seemed at the time to be futile attempts.
Then when he and the small independent little party had given up on that - some citizens of Burlington thought they could do with a better mayor. (A corporate Democrat, several times re-elected, the Republicans did not even bother to run a candidate).
He won that race with less than 20 votes margin (and there was a recount). - That is why till today is genuinely into grassroots movements. Being mayor jumpstarted his political career (and for sure improved his finances). So it a) made the stubbornly pursued vision true and b) made his life better (then he also met Jane). In short that was a huge turnaround in his life and explains his fond attachment to "grassroots".
And having the people campaigning for you instead of asking the big donors for the bucks.
And he might be stubborn enough to stand up against the war machine.
And smart, intelligent and honest enough to chose the right advisors. The president cannot know everything - but he should have a well developed bullshit meter (and being intelligent, able to process nuance, open for knew knowledge, and experienced in the shark tank = Washington D.C. helps a lot with the bullshit meter).
I also think Sanders is more "progressive" on foreign policy than he cares (dares) to admit since he plays in the big league.
It just would have done no good to annoy the very, very powerful Israeli lobby or the M.I.C.
It would have made him a target for their smear campaigns (when he did NOT have the leverage he has today) and rob him of the small influence he had (being the Senator of a tiny state).
Same with the military spending. He took what he could for Vermont - the question IF the money would be spent was never up for him to decide (Like the F xxx bombers which seem to be a questionable project. They would EITHER be built in Florida or in Vermont. Well he scored that for Vermont, go figure.
Does not mean he would prefer that the U.S. spends on OTHER areas and reduces the military budgets - if HE COULD INFLUENCE that - and the representatives could then fight about which state would get what share of THAT pie.
As newly elected mayor of Burlington (in the early years of the Reagan era) he was very concerned about the U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. This is when he invited Noam Chomsky to Burlington to hold a speech and introduced him on the stage. (the video is on youtube, I recommend it)
N.C. covered his usual points: U.S. imperialism, manufacturing consent, Israel, the M.I.C.
So at least once in his life Sanders has sat through a speech that was completely challenging the status quo.
Of course people change, a mayor of a town with 30,000 inhabitants may later give up some positions (and integrity) when becoming a member of Congress and then Senate. Obama SAID all the right things. On the other hand Sanders had never taken the money of Big Donors, and he kept at least a part of his principles.
In the last days he offended Netanyahu by saying they overreacted in Gaza. Giving the influence of the Israeli lobby in U.S. - that is a big deal. And more "critical" than one will hear from most other U.S. politicans. And even from European, or Canadian politicians - we do not hear much about the plight of the children of Gaza, do we ?
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