You all get that Democrats get massive "donations" from corporations, right?

[Garrett78]

10. As Julio wrote...

"If we think we can change the system within our lifetimes, then this certainly will feel like small change."

Even if Sanders were to be elected, we wouldn't experience large-scale systemic change. Sanders himself said, "...no matter who is elected to be president, that person will not be able to address the enormous problems facing the working families of our country. They will not be able to suceed becuase the power of corporate America, the power of Wall Street, the power of campaign donors is so great that no president alone can stand up to them. That is the truth. People may be uncomfortable about hearing it, but that is the reality. And that is why what this campaign is about is saying loudly and clearly: It is not just about electing Bernie Sanders for president, it is about creating a grassroots political movement in this country."

The system is rotten to its core. And I guess it's sort of a catch-22 in that the system is too rotten for someone like Sanders to be nominated. I know some call that defeatist (and some might say that what Sanders said signals defeatism), but I've followed US politics long enough to feel confident that I'm just being a realist.

I hear you on the SCOTUS thing and I'm certainly not suggesting that you not vote for Sanders. If nothing else, I hope his campaign does spur a "grassroots political movement" in the US. And I can assure you my few posts about his prospects won't have any bearing on the election outcome. And I hear you on wanting systemic change in your lifetime ("The PTA just ain't gonna get me anywhere near where I need to go in my lifetime.&quot , but I'm afraid the level of change you and I would both like to see is going to take a lot of time...and I think it begins with taking over local organizations and government. We have to plant seeds in the collective consciousness/conscience, accepting that we may not see all the fruits of our labor before we die.

It'd be a shame if you left the US, but I can understand why you'd feel that way.

Thanks for the link. The Zapatistas are very impressive. I believe Amy Goodman on Democracy Now has discussed them before.

Here's a link to an article about how neoliberalism has impacted society as a whole: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/29/neoliberalism-economic-system-ethics-personality-psychopathicsthic