I was at the Left Forum in NYC this weekend. There was a forum entitled "Should the Left support Bernie Sanders?"
So many people think that Bernie is there as a plot by the DNC to draw the support of the left to Mrs. Clinton, and not address other issues that are "more important." Many are stating that there needs to be a third party and Bernie would be more credulous if he ran in a third party. Even the speakers who supposedly supported Sanders stated that if he was to lose the primary, they could use the mobilization of people that they got behind Bernie to other worthwhile causes.
The discussion was much nay-saying, and poo-pooing that Bernie is a mainstream candidate, who doesn't address the violence against people of color in this country, is for the military, and is against Palestine. Yes, these people are REAL socialists, Marxists, and the general EXTREME left wing. Jill Stein and Howie Hawkins of the Green Party were in attendance, but did little than pull for a Green Party presidency. There was even a little division within these leftists, as the Green Party is not really left, according to some.
Well among the drivel I sat through for an hour and a half, there was finally time for comments and questions from attendees.
When my turn to comment came up, this is what I said:
There are two ways that we can change the government in this country. That is by revolution or evolution. Revolution is too bloody, and messy, and we simply do not have the people power to accomplish this, so we must do this in an evolutionary way. Many speak about a third party, but a third party would only split one of the two parties, so we need more like third, fourth, fifth, and sixth parties. The more the better. This would split factions from the larger parties into their own groups.
Though there have been people running on a third party on the left, each time they run in a national election, they split the Democratic Party, and therefore we get garbage. Even if a third party won the presidential election, the candidate's agenda would go nowhere, because in the US, we pass laws in three bodies: The House of Representatives, the Senate, and the President. With only one of these three, there can be little or no movement to the left. If you really want to get this third party going, you have to run candidates in the House and Senate, and win them. Then, and only then, is there a chance that the left can have any hope of getting their agenda taken seriously.
Then came the kicker. I asked, by a show of hands, how many people have ran for office, including a small office, as school board. About a dozen people raised their hands, including myself, in an audience of over 200. I also asked how many would be willing to run for office. Only a few more hands went up.
I then stated that people cannot start a movement from the top down, it has always been from the bottom up, and this is no exception. If you want to get the left's agenda, it is your duty to run for office, any office, become a known entity, and accomplish small things to start, then work on to greater things, but the presidency was a way off. You have to get up off your ass, and stop bitching, and start doing something about it, and the only way that you can do something about it is to do it from within. So either do something to get people in office, or quit bitching, because that will get you nowhere.
Until such time as people are willing to get out and run for office, I shall pick the candidate who stands the best chance to win, who has similar values to mine, though not all. I would rather have something than nothing, and Sanders gives us that chance. Therefore, I shall support Bernie Sanders for president.
You could hear crickets when I was done.
Nobody shied away from me, but there was no applause, as there was for other commenters. I could tell, by the expressions on some folks' faces, that I made them think, which is all that I could hope to accomplish.
Sorry if this is off topic a bit, but I had to spill it somewhere, and this seemed like the best opportunity.
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