We better stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, now, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
Stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down
In Iowa, Bernie Sanders says it clearly: "There's no way we are going to address the problems facing this country without a political revolution".
He hasn't decided whether he will run. But on a day when yet another so-called progressive--Al Franken--embraced the status quo, the representative of the elite, of the permanent war economy and national security state and Wall Street, Sanders is out there making it clear what he stands for.
Per The Des Moines Register, under a headline, "In Iowa, Bernie Sanders calls for a revolution":
Sanders said it's extremely difficult to take on "the oligarchy" – the Koch brothers, who are worth $85 billion and are building the most powerful political organization in the country, Wall Street, drug companies, and other economic entities that spend unlimited money in politics to "literally buy candidates."
"When you take these guys on – if you're going to take them on – you have to know that you're going to have the kind of grassroots support necessary to run that campaign. And that's what I'm trying to ascertain," Sanders said.
He said he needs to see a mass mobilization of millions of people willing to engage in "a real struggle against the billionaire class."
"Yes! Yes," some people answered.
And:
If he runs for president, Sanders told the Ames audience he'd push for money for government infrastructure. He said he believes the best and fastest way to create millions of jobs is fastest way to do is rebuild the nation's crumbling roads, bridges, water systems and other infrastructure. He said he wants to fight for health care for all through a single-payer system. He wants to make it easier for workers to form a union. And he wants to break up financial institutions focused only on profit instead of pushing capital into the U.S. economy.[emphasis added to the whole graf cuz yes this a revolution]
And:
"These are not utopian ideas," Sanders said. "They are not radical ideas. They are fairly common sensical ideas that can happen when you have a government that is directed by the people themselves and not by wealthy powerful corporate interests."
Frances Mendenhall, 66, drove from Omaha, Neb., to see Sanders.
"He's just fearless," she told the Register after the speech. "And he's right on all the issues. He's talking about a nationwide uprising. It has got to happen, and he can't do it alone."
Iowa State University student Colin John, 20, called Sanders' speech "inspiring."
"It's definitely not mainstream. He's not pro-establishment or pro-money in politics," John said.
John said he'd vote for Sanders over Clinton, partly because she has taken "hundreds of thousands of dollars from Wall Street for doing speeches. She's going to represent their interests over the average 99 percent."
[emphasis added]
ADDED POINTS BASED ON COMMENTS: (Because the "update" function just isn't very useful IMHO). There are related--
1. There seems to be, among a few people (and others out in the political world), a view that Sanders can't win. I dunno. Sure, if we think in the context of a narrow frame of how politics has played out to date...but it's also conceivable, that given the choices and the mood among voters, one could seriously shake up politics in a way that Sanders could win. One of the things that I like about Sanders is that he seems to understand that what he says appeals to some (non-racist) Tea Party people as well as "the left". He probably has as best a shot at anyone to speak across the typical spectrum we define as "left-right".
2. There is little doubt in my mind that, with a serious primary challenge, Clinton's campaign--with all its money etc.--would implode. At the recent Netroots Nation big party, I told Dave Wiegel (then at Slate), in a chat about primary challenges, “Whenever [Hillary] opens her mouth, there’s enough people who say: ‘I just don’t believe her.’ ” (I gave him a bit of earful later because we were just chatting over a beer and I was not looking to be quoted). Nothing can fix that for her--authentic beliefs, your own deep, ethical thinking, can't be built from polling and focus groups--and it's a serious problem in this era, IMHO.
3. As usual, Meteor Blades has a crucial point in the comments. This is about movement building and Sanders cannot do it alone.
4. I'm as disgusted as anyone with the Democratic Party. But I think we should consider a more complicated, strategic approach. Candidates I want to support are those--very few, unfortunately--who we can use as a tool (and I don't mean that pejoratively) to sketch a vision of what the country and planet should look like. Sanders falls into that category because he does command a microphone.