• happybadger [he/him]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      342 years ago

      I wonder what it was. Just an empty power grab so he could be the socdem Dianne Feinstein or some promised policy that was immediately and obviously abandoned by the party that hates him? He was an empty cheerleader for my congressman’s campaign and that congressman then signed onto a proclamation condemning socialism and saying it would never take root in America.

      • queermunist she/her
        link
        fedilink
        English
        322 years ago

        I think it’s cynicism. Maybe at one time he actually thought he could do something if he won, but when he was beaten into the dirt he gave up all hope on anything to the left of Biden. Now he’s in a holding pattern trying to bail out Democrats and “save America from fascism” or whatever.

        • ikiru
          link
          fedilink
          English
          252 years ago

          I was already an involved Leftist by the time 2016 came around so I was never too much into Bernie and I never thought he would be allowed to really change much if he won, but that being said it is good there was someone around to talk to young libs about socialism-lite.

          For most it may just be or was a phase, maybe some got involved in DSA or something, but even if only a relative few will end up being pushed further Left than Bernie for the rest of their lives because of him then that was worth him running.

          • queermunist she/her
            link
            fedilink
            English
            192 years ago

            I worry there were people who could have been pushed farther Left without Bernie that have instead been pushed into the Democratic Party by him and sheepdogs like him.

            • Sephitard9001 [he/him]
              link
              fedilink
              English
              132 years ago

              No dude you’re not allowed to do that, you can’t point out that sheepdogs are effective and that’s why that strategy is used, you’re supposed to just assume things could never be better

            • ikiru
              link
              fedilink
              English
              182 years ago

              It’s possible, ultimately that was probably the Democratic Party’s goal, but same could probably be said about Warren fans. There are always people that could be good Leftists but get caught up in either the Democratic or Republican Party, it’s unavoidable when they are the dominant political powers, but it’s still surprising there was someone around that got younger people thinking about organizing along the Left.

              Libs gonna lib, though.

            • the_post_of_tom_joad [any, any]
              link
              fedilink
              English
              5
              edit-2
              2 years ago

              Well i probably wouldn’t be here without Bernie. Being as actively involved in the voting process as i was that year have me a front row seat to view how thoroughly it has been corrupted.

              but he didn’t get me in to the Democratic party, he got me out. I remember after he was ratfucked by the biden campaign, one of his faithful asked him “so what do we do now?” and his answer, vote broke my fuckin heart.

              Cool story i know

              • queermunist she/her
                link
                fedilink
                English
                52 years ago

                I worry, but I’m also hopeful that people outgrew Bernie the same way. I think what we really need is a party that can reach out to Bernouts to help move beyond playing voteball every couple years. As it is all we have are Internet communities and podcasts, so only a fraction of people are escaping.

  • CrushKillDestroySwag [none/use name]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    192 years ago

    I mean to be fair, a “humanitarian pause” can very quickly turn into a de-facto ceasefire. That’s probably the line Bernie hopes to walk, not alienating AIPAC but also getting something for Palestine (of course I’m sure they all call him antisemitic anyway).

    • Kaplya [none/use name]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      122 years ago

      Adult in the room here.

      Hexbear children don’t understand how politics work and throw their tantrum at the ONE good senator who actually has a realistic chance of stopping bloodshed.

      #HistoryWillAbsolveBernie

      • CrushKillDestroySwag [none/use name]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        13
        edit-2
        2 years ago

        I’m not sure if you’re doing a bit or not, but to be clear I think that Bernie trying to cling to some amount of “credibility” by walking this line is a mistake. I think that the left in general in the US would be in a better state if he completely cut loose from the Dems and offered a place for people who understand that the two parties are both bullshit to go, and put his name behind energizing local movements nationwide instead of just showing up to strikes when they happen.

      • GriffithDidNothingWrong [comrade/them]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        132 years ago

        The word realistic is doing some mighty heavy lifting there. If he does give a shit about the Palestinian people he could at least go an record saying such since he’s long cashed in any political capital he ever had

        #HistoryWillForgetBernie

      • Sephitard9001 [he/him]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        312 years ago

        Realpolitik is when you have your cock n’ balls chopped off in front of the entire nation and then still grovel for half measures from a position of weakness

  • TrashGoblin [he/him, they/them]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    62 years ago

    He was never ideal on foreign policy, but I do feel like he’s gotten worse. I dunno, the way the 2020 primary went, and subsequent, it feels like someone either has blackmail on him or is threatening his family.

    • AlpineSteakHouse [any]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      62 years ago

      He ran a kinda doomed campaign in 2016, which is why he went so hard on Hillary. My pet-theory is that he was planning on retiring soon after 2016 until his campaign actually got steam. He changed in 2020 when he realized he could get concessions by playing nice on the inside.

    • egg1918 [she/her]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      142 years ago

      Or he’s just a piece of shit spineless liberal. This ain’t new. He voted to invade Afghanistan and he voted to bomb Yugoslavia