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Bernie Sanders launches tour "to fight oligarchy": Here's where he's going

https://lemmy.world/post/25620212

Bernie Sanders launches tour "to fight oligarchy": Here's where he's going - Lemmy.World

Summary Bernie Sanders announced a national tour to challenge billionaire influence in politics, specifically targeting Elon Musk’s growing role in Trump’s administration. Sanders, 83, quipped that he’s “not in the habit of thanking Elon Musk” but acknowledged Musk has exemplified how billionaires dominate politics, media, and the economy. Sanders also highlighted wealth inequality, noting Musk, Zuckerberg, and Bezos hold more wealth than half of Americans. His tour begins February 21 in Nebraska.

Feb 15, 2025 at 7:41pmWeb
Show threadceenoteFeb 15, 2025
I think the only way the Democrat party meets the current moment is if an AOC or Bernie or similar wins the next presidential primary and aggressively replaces the current leadership.
Show threadArghblargFeb 15, 2025
First they’ll need to fight to even have a fair election in 2026 and 2028. (Hell, even to have an election).
Show threadNollijFeb 15, 2025

“elections” are a cornerstone of autocracies. There will definitely be an election event.

Whether your vote is even counted is another question entirely. Same for whether you will be allowed to cast a ballot.

Show threadceenoteFeb 15, 2025
I’m not even talking about saving democracy, I’m just talking about whether or not the democrats earn a “You tried” sticker.
Show threadcrusa187Feb 16, 2025
Going to be hard for a progressive to win a primary when the corporate dems flood those campaigns with DNC money for the opposition, or worse just steal the nomination flat-out.
Show threadoctopus_inkFeb 16, 2025

Current leadership will never let that happen. They will ride the wreckage of our nation into the ground rather than let the party move left or allow substantial power in the hands of non-boomers. We just have to wait for them to die of old age.

Pelosi Won. The Democratic Party Lost.

(Pelosi is silent generation ffs! She should have had her hands removed from the levers of power decades ago.)

Also:

Pelosi Won. The Democratic Party Lost.

In sabotaging Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s bid for leadership of the Oversight Committee, party elders have doubled down on a failed strategy.

The New Republic
Show threadkreskinFeb 16, 2025
agreed, but of the 448 votes for electing dnc party leadership, 248 were dnc insiders, and 200 were handpicked by the dnc to vote, from the pool of state leislators. Theres no way at all to take control of the dnc in any hostile manner. Its just not possible.
Show threadacockworkorangeFeb 17, 2025
So, in the USA, the current presidential candidate of a party is also automatically the head of the party? How do they expect any human to fulfill both roles competently at once?
Show threadalekwithakFeb 15, 2025
Show threadkryptonianCodeMonkeyFeb 15, 2025
I love Bernie and I admire his tenacity even at 83. But it is not nearly enough by a mile and we should not be relying on 83 year old to generate paradigm shifts. Please, for the love of God, other decent people with influence. Step up.
Show threadsunbrrnslapperFeb 15, 2025
The Democrats succession planning was/is terrible, which is why an 83 year old independent is one of the few that can rally a crowd. I wish they had done better.
Show threadabcdqfrFeb 15, 2025
In German class, in Arizona, my German teacher taught us teenage edgelords about Hitler. About his speeches. About his Charisma. He was a cult of personality. He could rally a crowd. If there aren’t videos comparing trump rallies to Hitler, I suggest you make you’re own comparison, and use your own judgment. There’s a reason fascism wins. Hate doesn’t prosper under progressives.
Show threadEldritchFemininityFeb 16, 2025
I have a friend who’s really into serial killers and cults, like, he’s listened to the recordings of the final moments of the Jamestown Massacre where you can hear them forcing the Flavor-Aid down people’s throats as the rest gasp and choke and die in the background, and he says that Trump sounds just like Jim Jones. From his speech patterns to the tone of his voice, it gives him chills just how alike they sound.
Show threadnomyFeb 16, 2025
Jonestown, or as I just learned it was also called, the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project
Jonestown - Wikipedia

Show threadclickyelloFeb 16, 2025
the democratic peoples republic of temple
Show threadEldritchFemininityFeb 16, 2025
Thanks, I have no idea why my phone auto corrected to James.
Show threadJuxtaposedJaguarFeb 16, 2025

I have a friend who’s really into serial killers and cults

Yeah, uhhhh, keep an eye on that guy.

Show threadoctopus_inkFeb 16, 2025

Yeah, it’s not bad planning.

They continue actively keeping the progressives and the younger leaders out of power.

(This is about AOC, not Bernie, but we all know they did him dirty at least twice already.)

Pelosi Won. The Democratic Party Lost.

Pelosi Won. The Democratic Party Lost.

In sabotaging Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s bid for leadership of the Oversight Committee, party elders have doubled down on a failed strategy.

The New Republic
Show threadotterFeb 15, 2025

Please Ok, good opener, I’m listening

for the love of God Eh. Fuck that asshole sideways.

other decent people We’re back on, yeah!

with influence. Ah. That’s a no-go, sorry. Especially not in this fascist-breeding-pit climate…

Step up.

Hunh. Might be why the only guy stepping up is Bernie. He’s so old, he’s in Death’s phone contacts under “guy @ work”. 🙃

Show threadtburkholFeb 16, 2025

Democratic Socialists had a pretty serious recruiting campaign for the 2018 midterms. Cold-called potential candidates, offered training for both speechifying and organizing. Put up actual progressive candidates against incumbent dems in carefully chosen districts. That’s where “The Squad” came from.

Then they just kind of disappeared.

My point is that there are people out there willing to step up, but probably not thinking that they could be a “real” candidate and win, put up with the hassle and harrasment. People who would answer if called, but aren’t ready to jump in unasked. Bernie’s asking.

Show threadotterFeb 17, 2025
“Disappeared”? The Squad was literally targeted by the same fascists (and those fired before them) dismantling our nation this very moment until their efforts were off the first few pages — and thus relegated to those who actually read (the Venn of that group and fans of The Squad is almost a single circle). FWIW, “disappeared” is exactly what the opposition prefers us to believe. Don’t.
Show threadtburkholFeb 17, 2025
Of the 5 current US reps with DSA history, DSA only endorsed 1 in 2024. They don’t even support AOC anymore. Maybe they’ve just refocused their efforts on state level races - which are definitely more ‘winnable’ and definitely an important part of building a pipeline to national office - but far less visible to people who don’t live in any targeted districts. To my view, they’re not the national joke that the Green party is, but they’re much harder to see than they were six years ago.
Show threadotterFeb 19, 2025

Fuck the Democrats™, in office or otherwise; they’re not your friends or neighbors, and have shown they’re capable of nothing more than jerking the ripcord when the Turd Reich yells “Pull!”

How many clays get launched before we legit recognize this isn’t just for practice? Sub-question: how many rounds would you guess before your “turn” down the slide, into the sky and their iron sights, fellow pigeon(s)?

✊🏼 The revolution may not be televised, but if anyone out there is waiting to catch the reaction vids first before forming an opinion? You’re not in traffic, you are the traffic. Pick a lane.

Show threadxmunkFeb 15, 2025

AoC has been highly visible in news and media so she’s also giving it a go. I think one of our real issues is that leadership wise Jefferies is alright but Shumer is downright depressing.

Over the next two years we’ll see a constant push by establishment dems to push out the progressives because centrist politicians on both sides want to keep a pro-corporate status quo.

Show threadPrettyFlyForAFatGuyFeb 15, 2025
AOC is now old enough to run for president. I can see he running in 2028 and getting the grassroots support that Bernie enjoyed
Show threadNoneOfUrBusinessFeb 15, 2025
They'll never allow AOC to win, just like they didn't allow Bernie.
Show threadMortocFeb 15, 2025
With enough support they won’t have the power to choose. It’s an uphill battle but one that we can win.
Show threadEnsign_CrabFeb 16, 2025

With enough support they won’t have the power to choose.

If there’s no primaries, no amount of support matters.

Show threadnomyFeb 16, 2025
And if frogs had wings they wouldn’t bump their ass when they jumped.
Show threadCarbonBasedNPUFeb 16, 2025
As far as I can tell there is no legal requirement for a party to run a primary. If I am missing something I am more than willing to amend my opinion.
Show threadkreskinFeb 16, 2025

You are correct. That was a key part of the DNC defense in Sanders vs the DNC when they shafted him last time, in 2017. They are a private corporation with no responsibily to hold a fair primary. They argued that themeslve and won, so its estblished precedent now, and they know it.

observer.com/…/dnc-lawsuit-presidential-primaries…

DNC Lawyers Argue DNC Has Right to Pick Candidates in Back Rooms

Attorneys claim the words 'impartial' and 'evenhanded'—as used in the DNC Charter—can't be interpreted by a court of law.

Observer
Show threadkreskinFeb 16, 2025
We do have the technology to grow wings on frogs now.
Show threaduntorquerFeb 16, 2025
Granted the DNC “changed the rules” but are you forgetting the super-delegates overruling the majority votes in the primaries in 2016?
Show threadKalystaFeb 17, 2025

Looking at how shitty the democrats are now, they don’t have the ability to stop her.

She just needs to win the working class. There are far, far more of us than the elitist snobs currently running the show on both sides of the aisle.

Show threadProtecyaTecFeb 17, 2025
In today’s political climate, I think that’s unfortunately true. It would take some drastic outreach, Obama levels of outreach and more, plus a ton of money to change peoples biases and opinions (again, as of today).
Show threadRevan343Feb 16, 2025

I also really REALLY hope she doesn’t campaign with a fucking Cheney

I thought I saw AOC calling out how bad an idea that was, back when Harris did it, so I don’t expect her to make the same mistake

Show threadthallamabondFeb 16, 2025

“I think there’s plenty of people that aren’t happy about that, and I think that is part of the nature of putting together a coalition,” Ocasio-Cortez, who clashed with Cheney when they were both in the House, said.

“I don’t love it, but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t on the same team, and we aren’t on the same page when it comes to who is unequivocally the better candidate in order to win the presidential election.”

newsweek.com/aoc-liz-cheney-harris-campaign-trump…

AOC doesn't "love it" that Kamala Harris is campaigning with Liz Cheney

Ocasio-Cortez often disagreed with the Republican representative when they were both in the House.

Newsweek
Show threadRevan343Feb 16, 2025
Aw shit, I hadn’t seen that.
Show thread5C5C5CFeb 16, 2025
My read on that statement is “I think this is a bad idea but in-fighting is the last thing we need right now if we want to avoid a Trump presidency.”
Show threadhabitualcynicFeb 16, 2025
That’s my take as well
Show threadUltraGiGaGiganticFeb 17, 2025
Afraid of competition on who can beat the republicans perhaps?
Show threadxmunkFeb 16, 2025

Calling it out harder publicly during the election would have just made a Trump presidency more likely. It’s similar to how Sanders shut up after Hillary stole the primary and threw his full weight behind her train wreck or a campaign.

People who actually give a shit don’t want Trump to win and will do whatever they can to keep that from happening.

Show threadSalehFeb 16, 2025

Yeah that played out great in 2016 and 2024…

Of course infighting is bad if it escalates. But candidates who are completely detached from reality, need a reality check.

If the Democrats hadn’t waited until Summer to acknowledge what everyone saw with their own eyes, Biden being mentally declined well past the point of doing another 4 years, they could have built a proper campaign with a properly primaried candidate. But the oligarchy doesnt want that, because then topics like cost of living, housing health care and US funded genocide become topics for the Democratic base too.

And after Biden came the trainwreck of the Harris campaign. No Charisma, no political character, embracing the oligarchs coming out in support of her and finally closing the coffin with fucking war criminals Cheneys.

Show threadEnsign_CrabFeb 16, 2025

AOC is now old enough to run for president.

She was old enough during the last election as well.

Show threadPrettyFlyForAFatGuyFeb 16, 2025
aye, but there were no Democratic primaries in the last election
Show threadEnsign_CrabFeb 16, 2025
How about that.
Show threadThunderWhiskersFeb 16, 2025
The biggest hurdle for AOC is she’s a woman. She is an attractive woman, so that’s beneficial, but I think America has made it abundantly clear that we are happy being misogynistic assholes that can’t trust women with important decisions.
Show threadSalehFeb 16, 2025

Can we pleas stop repeating this narrative? Hillary lost because she is an evil ghoul. Harris lost because she kept saying how she will continue the work of Biden who equally is an evil ghoul. And Harris invited Cheney to campaign with her, who is the father of evil ghouls in the 21. Century US politics.

There is countries more conservative than the US, where women have been Presidents, Prime Ministers and Chancellors.

Far right and Nazis also dont have an issue with women leaders any more when it comes to elections. Look at Le Pen in France, Meloni in Italy and Weidel in Germany. Ffs Weidel is the nazi candidate in Germany and she is in a lesbian marriage with an Asian immigrant and raises two adopted children.

Gender has nothing to do with Harris loss and this narrative is kept being peddled to not face why people are alienated by her political program, character and donors.

Show threadAuliFeb 16, 2025
Notice how none of those are America? Evil ghouls but somehow evil men get voted in no problem? America well never vote in a Woman sorry.
Show threadThunderWhiskersFeb 16, 2025
You’re correct that Hilary was awful and Kamala was inspiring, but that’s still glossing over the fact that they both lost to Donald Fucking Trump, and Kamala did so with the benefit of hindsight.
Show threadEnsign_CrabFeb 17, 2025

Then maybe they shouldn’t have run awful people.

The party pilloried Sanders in 2020 because he allegedly said the same thing to Warren. Now, since the party doesn’t want to run AOC because they hate anyone to the left of Dick Goddamned Cheney now, suddenly the electorate isn’t ready for a woman? Fuck that. Democratic voters no longer want yet another status quo military industrial corpodem.

Repeat yourself.

Show threadKalystaFeb 17, 2025

And she took that hindsight and ignored it

We told her how to win. She needed the working class. Instead she tried to win suburban wine moms and “sane” republicans.

America will vote for a woman if that woman doesn’t look down on them. Harris lost at that rally where she shouted down protesters with “I’m speaking”. She told us all she wasn’t listening.

Show threadsemFeb 16, 2025
They are more ok with women when those women are on their side.
Show threadPrettyFlyForAFatGuyFeb 16, 2025

I think this ignores just how uninspiring Hillary and Kamala were.

Neither really spoke to the working class

Show threadThunderWhiskersFeb 16, 2025
You’re correct that Hilary was awful and Kamala was uninspiring, but that’s still glossing over the fact that they both lost to Donald Fucking Trump, and Kamala did so with the benefit of hindsight.
Show threaduntorquerFeb 16, 2025
Really just ctr+c/v’d your own comment, huh?
Show threadThunderWhiskersFeb 16, 2025
Yes?
Show threaduntorquerFeb 17, 2025
Huh… Just thought it was odd.
Show threadEmpireInDecayFeb 17, 2025
Gender has absolutely nothing to do with it. She is neoliberal garbage like the rest of the party
Show threadknightmare1147Feb 17, 2025
Your making me feel like I need to punch more sexists that I find. I’m really liking the idea of identifying as a fucking problem these days.