THE FINAL BLOW

Bernie Sanders himself delivered the final blow to his campaign by endorsing Hillary Clinton for President.

I can only imagine the upcoming aftermath of his endorsement.

Will Sanders supporters switch their loyalty to Clinton at the bidding of Sanders? I doubt it. Not enough of them to give her the presidency, anyway.

Bernie brought to the forefront of people’s consciousness the importance of standing up to the establishment and standing strong for progressive action. He created a movement that will, I suspect go its separate way now, unwilling to compromise and accept status quo candidates and pacifier compromises.

For the last year people have watched with eyes wide open as the establishment committed blatant election fraud state after state, manipulated the media in order to silence the people’s movement, and illegally suppressed the votes of millions of Americans.

Bernie Sanders showed up like a beacon of hope in the midst of a system corrupt beyond redemption.

He created a movement that has momentum beyond even his control.

He may be sending a verbal message to stand behind Hillary, but the words are contrary to the movement he created and I suspect that while some people will concede to the fear and support HRC at Bernie’s request, the majority of his supporters will abandon the democratic party in pursuit of the progressive policies that could determine the very sustainability of our future.

Bernie’s promise to continue with the political revolution by creating an organization for change seems a consolation prize too small for the scale of a movement that has grown strong enough to stand on it’s own.

Perhaps Bernie’s decision to endorse was based partially on his understanding of the strength of the political movement, but no doubt there will be many disillusioned and angry supporters who neither agree, nor understand his endorsement.

I’m one them.

I don’t understand, nor agree with Sanders endorsement of Hillary Clinton. I don’t agree with his statement that she will be a great president. She will be exactly what she has been her entire political career. An untrustworthy one percent establishment puppet who represents her own interests over the needs of the people and her own financial gain over the protection and sustainability of our natural resources and environment.

No, not even Bernie Sanders could make me vote for Hillary Clinton.

I do recognize that Sanders is part of a greater system and to a large extent, he has to play the game.

He may very well have a broader agenda. If part of his broader agenda is to motivate millions of people to abandon the democratic party, he may very well succeed.

Huge numbers of people have maintained their status as part of the democratic party for one reason and only one reason-- Bernie Sanders. With Sanders endorsing the very thing that the largest political movement stands against, there is no reason left to maintain party affiliation.

Sanders may have delivered the final blow to his own campaign, but he may have also delivered the final death blow to the (un)Democratic Party with his endorsement of Hillary Clinton.

Fight on for true democracy. Political Revolutions are not for the faint of heart.

The System Isn't Broken

I hear it again and again. “We need to fix the Broken system.”

The problem is, this system isn’t broken. It works exactly as it was designed to. Create more wealth and more power for the few, while providing just enough (increasingly not enough) for the rest.

The amount provided to the rest used to be greater. It used to be enough to pay the bills if you worked a full time job. Enough to put food on the table, support a family on one income, own a home, a car, and even put money away for retirement.

This system runs like a well oiled machine where the people are the oil, taking more and more from the working people while sending all the rewards and wealth to the top. People work longer hours for less pay, and while it used to be a minority of people experiencing economic strain, it has now become the majority.

People are told (by the one percent) “work harder to get ahead” and yet, there is no getting ahead no matter how hard you work. People are running out of steam fighting to get ahead in a system that is clearly rigged against them.

Now, like many other times in history when people have had enough, a revolution is afoot.

The most significant and progressive actions in history came from the collective actions of massive movements of people who visualized and fought for fundamental change.

As renowned historian and activist, Howard Zinn, observed, we are exposed to the story from the point of view of the powerful; the story they want us to hear. But behind the scenes, people are taking small actions that will ultimately change the trajectory of our society and that is what history will show.

That is the significance about the political movement happening now.

We are standing on yet another precipice of major political reform. Regardless of who takes the seat in the Whitehouse come November, people are actively envisioning and implementing necessary changes for the upheaval of this unsustainable system.

PEANUTS!

While it's a joy to see the words of Bernie Sanders in print (finally), the fact that the New York Times published his work as an opinion piece is a bit of a slap in the face.

The publication was in the June 28th issue with a nondescript, small print bio at the end stating, “Bernie Sanders, a senator from Vermont, is a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.”

Seriously?

With all due respect (and, I dare say the amount of respect due the NYT is shrinking by the day), what Bernie Sanders addressed in his written statement was far more than a mere Opinion.

In fact, he was primarily addressing the dire consequences associated with extreme inequality between the elites and average citizens in regard to the recent Brexit vote, and the danger of something similar happening here in the US.

For over a year, Hillary Clinton has dominated the headlines to such a degree, it’s a wonder Americans even know who Bernie Sanders is. Her platform (or rather her reiteration of whatever is on Bernie’s platform), propaganda, and falsely reported wins have drowned out Sanders so completely on traditional media airwaves, many people believe the race has already been decided.

In my opinion this publication is nothing more than a half chewed bone thrown to a tray dog. A pathetic concession to appease the millions of people who support him.

They’re a day late and a dollar short, if you ask me.

The vast majority of Sanders Supporters have long understood the games of the mainstream media, and while every new false claim or blatant lie reported sends a shockwave through the political movement, inevitably as the dust settles people are more motivated than ever to fight back against the stronghold of corporate America on our suffocating democracy.   

More and more people are fact checking, reading multiple sources, and refusing to accept the spoonfed bits of garbage the MSM is fast becoming famous for.

Additionally, the people are sharing the facts with each other, mobilizing to educate the masses, and organizing to change this disastrous system.

I would love to say the system is flawed, but I believe the system is working exactly as designed.

To the Mainstream Media, the DNC, and HRC I’ll say this; You can keep throwing peanuts, but we’re taking over the circus.

Winding... UP

Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, summed it up best when on June 6th he wrote, “It's not that Mr Sanders and his most dedicated supporters aren't going down without a fight. It's that they're not going down at all.”

Despite the emotional roller coaster, the immense pressure from the establishment and the mainstream media to convince the political revolutionaries that there is no point fighting on, there is STILL no end in site.

Yes, the emotional roller coaster is real. While there is seemingly endless concern about whether this time Bernie is going to throw in the towel, concede defeat, endorse the dreaded Hillary, or worse, tell his supporters that WE should, none of that is likely to happen.

Yes, his language remains softer and more level headed than our newly found rage at the corrupt system would like, but not once has Sanders indicated a concession, and if you listen close, he does quite the opposite in his nothing shy of miraculously cool way of speaking.

In his latest hour-long interview on C-span, he not only confirmed that he is still running a presidential campaign, he also made a quick reference to the possibility of a third party run, reiterated that Hillary Clinton, being an establishment candidate, is not the answer for progressive action in America, called out the Establishment for their anti-democratic policies that allowed the circling of figurative superdelegate wagons around Hillary Clinton before anyone had even formally announced a run for the presidency, he shined a light on the motivation of the party to protect their own interests through the exclusion of the involvement of new party members, and then reconfirmed that the path to real change in this country is through the mobilization of Millions of Americans to get involved and stay involved in the political process.

Bernie Sanders may not be screaming into a microphone and waving his fists in rage, but he has not budged on his values, his message, or his agenda one iota.

Die-Hard Bernie supporters keep getting knocked down by one mainstream media lie after another, but every time they get a little stronger, a little more organized, a little more determined, and a little smarter about how a successful revolution really works.

These pants might be dirty from spending so much time in the dirt, but I’m wearing ‘em to Philly if you know what I mean.

Buying Time

As Bernie Sanders took the stage (or rather, the webcam) last night, supporters watched in eager anticipation of what he might say.

But in my opinion, what he DIDN’T say was equally significant.

Social Media quickly erupted in disappointment as people hoping for a battle cry were met with a reiteration of the platform Sanders has been running on his entire political career, and instead of calling for a full blown ‘take to the streets’ revolution, he instead announced a level headed call to action to get involved in ALL levels of government in order to affect real change in our overall political structure.

I get it. The frustration. The emotional roller coaster. The sense of distress and urgency that comes from finally seeing something for what it is and chomping at the bit for change.

While the somewhat subdued speech was far from an outcry for civil disobedience (which some are quickly developing a desire for), it was nonetheless a clear indication that he is still very much IN THE GAME.

So what DID he say?

He clearly said that we are going to the Democratic National convention with nearly 2000 pledged delegates and over 10 million votes. (not including CA where vote counts are still in progress and 11 other states still investigating electoral fraud)

What he clearly DID NOT say, is that he is conceding the race.

He clearly said that we do not want Trump to win.

What he clearly DID NOT say, is that he is endorsing HRC as the candidate who can win against Trump.

He clearly said that he is looking forward to further conversations with HRC.

What he clearly DID NOT say, is that we are going to the convention to unify the party.

In fact, nowhere in his entire speech did he say the words, “Party Unity.”

He also clearly DID NOT say that he expects these talks to be productive, or that he is delusional enough to think that he and HRC are truly on the same page, pursuing the same agenda with even remotely similar motives.

He clearly stated that the political revolution must continue, and that we as individuals must do more than just show up to vote, but to run for office at every level. He even created a website where you can go to pursue this. BernieSanders.com/win (in case you missed it)

This call to action, in my opinion, is among the most significant takeaways from last night's speech.

It is absolutely true that to change a system, you can’t just beat on the door demanding change of the people in power. You have to change the people who are IN power. Not just at the highest levels of government, but at EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT! Not by waiting for someone worthwhile to step up to the plate, but by BEING THE PEOPLE who step up to the plate.

By addressing the people this way, Bernie Sanders is not just capitalizing on the momentum HE has gained, but mobilizing the PEOPLE to affect real change. THAT is how you change a system. Not with the man on top, but with the entirety of the populace.

Keep in mind that there are MANY unknowns still at play here. Outstanding election fraud investigations, the CA vote count, the nation wide election fraud lawsuit, the ongoing FBI investigation against Hillary, and the superdelegates who STILL don’t vote until the convention in July some of whom have shifted their support from Clinton to Sanders already.

If you’re playing the poker game of your life, you don’t show your hand half way through the game.

Bernie Sanders is still VERY MUCH playing the game.

REVOLUTION is INEVITABLE

It’s a fight to the finish! Or so it appears, anyway.

Corruption has been exposed across the board. The Establishment, the Mainstream Media, even our own POTUS has contributed by ignoring the suppression of millions of American voters, than endorsing a candidate who is under active investigation for voter fraud nationwide. To say nothing of the still active FBI investigation.

The primary’s may have ended, but the fight is far from over.

The Mainstream Media in collusion with the establishment made their last ditch efforts to suppress the votes of  millions of people by preemptively (and FALSELY) proclaiming the victory for Hillary Clinton the night before the largest primary in the country, followed by a false CA victory announcement for their “presumptive” nominee (with millions of votes still unaccounted for), and then flooded the airwaves with endorsements for their candidate in the days that followed putting increasing pressure on Bernie Sanders to drop out, concede the race, and endorse Hillary.

It seems obvious to me that these efforts were intended to discourage and disband the so called “political revolution,” by making it appear as if the race is indeed over. In reality, however, it did nothing but fuel the fire.

Is it possible that the establishment is missing the point?

The attacks on our democracy continue as do the attacks on social media against the people still fighting to resuscitate a democracy long dead.

“Stop fighting, you LOST,” they say. “You’re just a sore loser!” “Get in line!” “She’s better than Trump!” “YOU are responsible if Trump is elected.”  I’ve heard it all.

One fear mongering tactic after another to convince us to accept the status quo and pick the lesser of two [evil] candidates.

The fear is real, but the arguments only serve to further validate the importance of the fight.

Endorsing corruption because you feel it’s your only choice is perpetuating more of the same problem, not making progress toward eradicating it.

The perception is that this fight is for one candidate over another and, while that may be the reality on the surface, the real fight is for where the road each candidate represents will lead.

While everyone screams “Hillary,” “Bernie,” or (god forbid) “Trump,” the only people that seem to be paying attention to the reality of the larger consequences of this decision are the die hard people involved in the political revolution.

MILLIONS of people nationwide, and even internationally, understand the REAL and DIRE consequences of continuing down a path of severe cultural, economic, and social inequality, the catastrophic impacts of the continued depletion of our natural resources, and environmental pollution. These people understand the impacts of war on our national (and global) security.

This is not a game. Last I checked money is not a nutritionally significant substitute for food and there is no replacement for clean drinking water.

Our government continues to bury their heads in the sand on MAJOR issues that impact our lives and our safety on a day to day basis. Not in some abstract hypothetical way, but in real, it’s not safe to go to school, or to a nightclub, or to a shopping mall, or a movie theater because ANY place could be the next target of abhorrent gun violence.

Instead of taking comprehensive action to address gun violence in the US, congress spends their time passing laws prohibiting progress by, for instance, BANNING RESEARCH on the impacts of gun ownership and gun violence in the US. Again and again putting the self interests of the few in power over the legitimate needs and safety of the people.

History is undeniable. This is a recipe for disaster and we are staring in the face of a revolution in this country.

People have been passive for decades; overwhelmed by the complexity of the system that is supposed to serve us. Taking for granted the importance of holding our government accountable. Corruption in government is not a new phenomenon, but it is the number one cause of political movements and civil unrest.

Well, you wouldn’t know it by watching the news, but we are in the midst of, what I believe is, a historically significant political movement right now in the US.

The revolution is inevitable. It has already started!

The only question remaining is whether progressive action will be taken while the revolution remains peaceful, or whether we will end up fighting another civil war for our freedom, our democracy, equality, and for a government that protects the interests of the people above the interests of big money.

This is what Democracy Looks Like

The latest argument I heard about why Sanders supporters should go home, is that the Popular vote is for Clinton, and Sanders staying in the race is undemocratic. So, let's address these issues, shall we?

First of all, the popular vote IS NOT, in fact, CLEAR.

While our corrupt mainstream media, the DNC, and the Clinton campaign have made this claim time and time again, the FACT is that the numbers are incomplete at best and blatantly false at worst.

The alleged 3 million popular vote lead does NOT INCLUDE the individual votes in caucus states where Bernie Sanders not only won, but won with LANDSLIDE victories, sometimes with 70 or 80% of the vote. It also does not take into account the outstanding investigations and lawsuits into voter fraud including vote flipping, changed or purged voter registrations in key voting areas for Bernie, polling places that were closed or relocated without notice, hundreds of thousands of provisional ballots that have been given out and have NOT been counted, voter disenfranchisement perpetuated by the media preemptively reporting a false victory for Hillary prior to California’s critical election, media blackouts, the estimated million ballots that have yet to be counted in CA from Tuesday's Primary, AND the fact that independent voters, larger percentages of whom are Bernie supporters are not allowed to participate in the primaries in closed primary states despite the fact that OUR TAX DOLLARS pay for the proceedings. 43% of voters in the US are registered independent now, A RECORD HIGH.

I think it's safe to say, the popular vote myth is debunked.

I’m not saying that Sanders would necessarily have a significant lead if all these issues were rectified, though I strongly suspect that he would. What I AM saying is that claiming Hillary Clinton HAS a 3 million vote lead is as blatantly false as claiming that she has clinched the democratic nomination. In case you didn't know, SHE HAS NOT!!!

Voter fraud has already been proven in multiple states and there is a lawsuit in motion, as well as state specific investigations, addressing these issues.

So no, my dears, we are not going to give up. The weather is nice out here. Clear skies with a hundred percent chance of a Political Revolution! 

You see, we aren’t just fighting against Clinton (although aside from Trump we would be hard pressed to find a more despicable human being, in my opinion), we are fighting against an entirely corrupt system! 

If Democracy actually existed, and Clinton had honestly and fairly WON the majority of the vote as opposed to stealing it through voter disenfranchisement and fraud, and the Media actually reported the news as opposed to the propaganda that has contributed to the disenfranchisement of perhaps millions of voters, and ALL the individual votes were actually being included in the popular vote count that’s being reported, if ALL the votes were being counted in the first place, we would have nothing to fight about (on this topic anyway). We would have to lick our wounds and go home and consider the candidate that we should support next.

The reality is that ALL of these things have happened and continue to happen in our elections.

A contested election is exactly what DEMOCRACY CALLS FOR when a race is too close to call at the end of the primaries -- when neither candidate has enough delegates to clinch the nomination.

CONTINUING TO SUPPORT SANDERS ALL THE WAY TO THE CONVENTION IS BY DEFINITION, DEMOCRATIC.

What is UNDEMOCRATIC is telling people to go home before the democratic process has had a chance to work.

I am personally on the side of Democracy. Which side are you on?