a person said it was patriotic to support people who are calling death to Americans

[Fresh_Start]

would you vote for him?

"Worst of all, the Republicans also had video of Sanders at a 1985 rally thrown by the leftist Sandinista government in Nicaragua where half a million people chanted, "Here, there, everywhere/the Yankee will die,'' while President Daniel Ortega condemned "state terrorism" by America. Sanders said, on camera, supporting the Sandinistas was "patriotic."

the fact that this along with other wonderful bernie bigmouth ("Mr Consistency&quot is why I'm terrified of a bernie candidacy. His support for the cuban revolution is why the Florida democrats are afraid of a Bernie candidacy.

https://www.newsweek.com/myths-cost-democrats-presidential-election-521044

[NurseJackie]

1. That's unforgivable. It disqualifies him.

As if being a GD Socialist wasn't bad enough.

There will be no revolution. "Our Revolution" is a dark-money joke.

By the way, why is everyone else's "dark money" PAC considered "bad"... but nary a word of criticism or complaint about "Our Revolution"?? How odd. (Not really... I just like saying "how odd".)

[DanTex]

2. Just an FYI, the US actually was involved in "state terrorism" in Nicaragua.

The Contras were the various U.S.-backed and funded right-wing rebel groups that were active from 1979 to the early 1990s in opposition to the socialist Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction Government in Nicaragua. Among the separate contra groups, the Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN) emerged as the largest by far. In 1987, virtually all contra organizations were united, at least nominally, into the Nicaraguan Resistance.

During their war against the Nicaraguan government, the Contras committed numerous human rights violations and used terrorist tactics.[1][2][3][4][5] These actions were frequently carried out systematically as a part of the strategy of the Contras. Supporters of the Contras tried to downplay these violations, particularly the Reagan administration in the US, which engaged in a campaign of white propaganda to alter public opinion in favor of the contras,[6] while covertly encouraging the Contras to attack civilian targets.[7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contras

[Fresh_Start]

4. America has a history of unsavory actions in other countries

I'm not denying that.

Would you, your parents, your neighbor who served in the military vote for the person supporting a mob yelling death to Americans?

This is the type of shit that the GOP is sitting on to exploit in the general.

[DanTex]

5. Do you know why those people were chanting that?

Because the US was funding terrorism and death squads in their country! That tends to piss people off. To your question, no Democrat I know would have the slightest problem with Bernie voicing support for Sandinistas over the Contra death squads.

Yeah, the GOP is going to do what they're going to do. I'm sure they'll use this against Bernie. If it's Biden, they'll use the Ukraine bullshit. With Hillary, it was the emails. That's a given.

[Fresh_Start]

7. I'm not asking about the sandinistas...I'm asking about sanders

and whether or not it would impact the vote in America

We the US do shitty things in lots of places. I know that and apparently you know that too. Different discussion for a different time.

If we can't talk about this on DU....how do you think it will play when the GOP airs this 1000 times between the nomination and the general?

Even people who don't know that nicaragua exists will know bernie supported death to americans.

[DanTex]

10. You changed the question.

The original question was whether it would affect my vote or my family or anyone I know. And the answer there is obviously no. Anyone who knows about the Contras would totally see what this is about. And anyone who didn’t could google it. It would take a total moron to think that Bernie hates America or whatever.

Your new question is whether it will impact the vote generally. I have no idea, it’s sort of like the Hunter Biden thing. There’s no substance to it but I’m sure the GOP will try to push it anyway. They’ll do that to anyone we run.

I think the best thing for us to do is not to push right-wing smears against our candidates. That goes for the Ukraine bullshit as well as the Bernie hates America bullshit.

[Fresh_Start]

11. I don't think Bernie hates america

I think bernie has a loud mouth and doesn't engage his brain enough

unfortunately there is substance to this...because it happened.
and if you think the average voter is going to research the US actions in central america and why something happened...I have to admire your optimism.

[DanTex]

13. There is no substance to this. At all.

The substance is that the Contras were a US backed terrorist and death squad group. That’s not an exaggeration. The Wiki page for the Contras literally has a section titled “atrocities”.

Will the GOP try to use this to convince the “average voter” who maybe never heard of the Contras that Bernie hates America? Sure. The GOP will also try to convince the “average voter” that the Hunter Biden thing is something horrible.

There is no difference in substance between this Nicaragua thing and the Ukraine thing. Both are bullshit smears. What we here on DU can do is avoid spreading right-wing smears against either Bernie or Biden or anyone else.

[Fresh_Start]

14. newsweek is not a right wing source

they are left leaning and have fact checkers.

so Bernie should be doing something now to deflate this so when it appears in the fall, people will yawn it off.

ignoring the elephant in the room is not a credible strategy

[DanTex]

15. The article is about right-wing oppo research.

You're missing the entire point. I'm not denying that this video exists, just like nobody would deny that Hunter Biden was on a board in Ukraine. I'm denying that Bernie did anything wrong, just like I deny that Joe or Hunter did anything wrong.

I'm not denying that the right-wingers will try to portray Bernie as doing something wrong here, just like they will with Biden in Ukraine. What I'm saying is that we as Dems shouldn't be pushing right-wing smears either about Bernie talking about Nicaragua, or about Hunter Biden in Ukraine.

Neither this video nor Hunter Biden in Ukraine are "elephants in the room".

[Fresh_Start]

16. I am not pushing a right-wing smear

I am trying to understand what strategy will be used in response to the right wing smear.

I believe Joe was completely innocent of wrong doing in Burisma. I don't think its going to matter to some voters...because the appearance of wrongdoing. It sure as hell will be used against Joe by the GOP if he is the nominee.

[DanTex]

17. Well, there are going to be right-wing smears against any candidate.

I'd say the best strategy is to talk about issues and policies that matter to people.

[Fresh_Start]

18. I don't think that will work

I think he will have to talk to this event because he won't be able to ignore it

It would have to involve a full hearted apology...telling Americans that the sandinistas were right isn't going to cut it.

If Bernie is the nominee, I have no moral option other than vote for him.
But it seems like an unforced error to proceed with this history.

[thesquanderer]

9. Supporting the Sandanistas does not equate to supporting the death to America chant.

Reagan was supporting the Contras. The Sandanistas had legit reasons to be angry at us.

[Fresh_Start]

12. yep. sandanistas had legit anger at the US

a US politician...and Bernie was already an elected official should probably had enough brains to know not to support the crowd screaming for death of americans.

Unfortunately 'mr consistency' who is so proud of his consistency will have some explaining to do. and some people will accept it and others will not.

[abqtommy]

3. Wow. Now Bernie and Mike are both unfqualified! Verrrry interestink!

[George II]

6. Big Sanders supporter/campaigner and AOC's campaign manager and first Chief of Staff....

....admires a man who was a Nazi collaborator during WWII and actually organized troops to fight Americans in India and enlisted thousands of men to fight the British in both India (alongside the Japanese) and Europe (for Hitler) during the war.

Here's Saikat Chakrabarti proudly wearing a T-Shirt with the portrait of Subhas Chandra Bose on it:



Also, from the Forward:

AOC’s Chief-Of-Staff Wears T-Shirt Featuring Nazi Collaborator

(JTA) — The chief of staff for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is under fire for wearing a T-shirt bearing the image of a Nazi collaborator.

Saikat Chakrabarti is seen wearing the green shirt in a video that aired in December on NowThis News about Ocasio-Cortez’s surprise congressional victory the previous month.

The shirt features a sketch of Subhas Chandra Bose, a dissident Indian nationalist recognized by Adolf Hitler as the leader of the Free India Government. In exchange, Bose enlisted tens of thousands of Indian men to support the Japanese invasion of British India in 1944 and help fight the British in Europe for Hitler. The Indian Legion Bose raised for Germany trained as a regiment of the SS.

He also broadcast propaganda for Hitler on a radio network set up by Bose to encourage Indians to fight for freedom. Bose met with Hitler in Germany in 1942.

The T-shirt controversy comes days after Ocasio-Cortez quoted Evita Perón, the first lady of Argentina who was a Nazi sympathizer, in a tweet in response to news that President Donald Trump had compared the two women.

“I know that, like every woman of the people, I have more strength than I appear to have,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, quoting Peron. She wrote in a second tweet quoting her: “I had watched for many years and seen how a few rich families held much of Argentina’s wealth and power in their hands. So the government brought in an eight hour working day, sickness pay and fair wages to give poor workers a fair go.”

[floppyboo]

8. I thought this was going to be a post about Bill Ayers lol!!!!