I watched a good video last night, and one of the things that was discussed was Bernie's views on foreign policy and the question posed was - why isn't he talking about it more in his Town Hall Meetings and rallies?
I remember during the Iraq War, once the statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled, our military really only guarded the Ministry of Oil. Everything else was allowed to be torn up by the Iraqis. Many Iraqis lost their jobs because their places of employment were destroyed.
Then when it came time to start repairing everything, did the Iraqis get to do it themselves? No. Most of the work was assigned to companies like Halliburton who were large Republican campaign contributors. American contractors got the jobs and American companies made the profits.
Militarism and corporate power are fueling each other, and I think it's something Bernie should start talking about more.
To see the video and find out what you can do to help, join me below the fold.
Note: I normally embed youtube videos, but the message I got on this one was
This video is unlisted. Be considerate and think twice before sharing.
They'd probably rather you access the video through their webpage, so they get the page hit. (And their page includes a transcript of the entire interview.
Sanders Lead: Why is He Silent on U.S. Foreign Policy?
RootsAction.Org's Jeff Cohen says Bernie Sanders can not just denounce corporate power without denouncing militarism.
Jeff Cohen is also the director of the Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College, and he was the founder of the media watchdog FAIR.
The interview covers more than just Bernie's views on foreign policy, but regarding that issue:
There's a petition, anyone can sign it. Bernie Sanders is great on corporate power, he's great on inequality. But he's now talking more about racial discrimination and racism and criminal injustice. He doesn't talk about foreign policy and the militarism that Martin Luther King Jr. talked so much about in the last year of King's life. So there's a petition at RootsAction.org saying Bernie, speak up. You can't denounce corporate power without denouncing militarism. And we want to have Bernie explain how he differs from President Obama on these drone strikes and on these expanding wars. That's the key. I think that's a real blind spot. And if we have a big social movement we can push Bernie Sanders to be more comprehensive in the politics he's putting forward.
Here's the link to
sign the petition
With a strong grassroots campaign for president, Senator Bernie Sanders is denouncing corporate power, economic inequality and “oligarchy.”
But he’s saying very little about crucial issues of war, militarism and foreign policy.
Martin Luther King Jr. explicitly and emphatically linked the issues of economic injustice at home with war abroad. Bernie Sanders should do the same.
Adequate funds for programs of economic equity and social justice will require an end to what Dr. King called “the madness of militarism.”
Overcoming militarism is just as vital as overcoming oligarchy. We won’t be able to do one without the other.
Please sign this petition to Bernie Sanders:
Senator Sanders, we are enthusiastic about your presidential campaign’s strong challenge to corporate power and oligarchy. We urge you to speak out about how they are intertwined with militarism and ongoing war. Martin Luther King Jr. denounced what he called “the madness of militarism,” and you should do the same. As you said in your speech to the SCLC, “Now is not the time for thinking small.” Unwillingness to challenge the madness of militarism is thinking small.
Their goal is 25,000 signatures. When I checked, they were already up to 26,089.
I signed the petition. As a Democrat, I think this is an issue that needs to be discussed (by all candidates.) We spend entirely too much money "over there" and not nearly enough money "over here." I would hope this is something that any Democrat would agree on, regardless of who you're supporting in the primaries.
As a Bernie supporter, though, I really like the idea. Bernie has differentiated himself from other candidates by talking about issues that other candidates don't address, or have not been clear about. If Bernie starts addressing this issue, maybe it will open up the conversation and we can hear what the other candidates (on both sides of the aisle) have to say.
Be part of the Political Revolution. Sign the petition. It won't cost you a dime. And you don't even have to get up off your ass to do it.