this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2025
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There’s some people who just hate on Bernie regardless of what he says or does. He if makes no comment in this time of authoritarianism, you’ll say he’s useless. If he does speeches like he’s doing, you’ll say he’s useless- as many comments here currently reflect. He typically says things that have a moral core or decency to them. He’s of course not perfect. He also has to politically function within a broken two party bullshit system which, unless there’s a significant change to how it functions, limits how he can try to enact laws. But to many here he’s clearly damned if he does and doesn’t. I’ve read through all of the comments here so far and none of the people critiquing Bernie have offered up a tangible suggestion for what Bernie should be doing instead, rather just pointing out how ineffective they feel Bernie is. Bernie made a huge national culture shift to the left through his historic runs for president. He was stifled by the DNC and ultimately lost, but the enduring left of center message continues in many politicians running in the country on the Democratic side. I am not defending the Democrats as a party at all, but I’d argue Bernie successfully used the Dems to get his message across during his presidential runs, and now as an Independent continues to have a platform for left of center messages. Whether he’s sufficiently left enough or effective enough is the eternally tired debate with some on the left who, besides shitting on Bernie, don’t themselves offer solutions.
People reacting to activism, in a nutshell.
Defense mechanism
That way they feel less bad about doing nothing themselves
He's less than useless. His moment passed. He had two chances. The first time, him and his supporters failed to see the lengths that the Democrats would go to to subvert his candidacy. Cool. I get it. It's understandable when building ground support and frankness and sincerity are the essence of what guides your success.
But then they failed to adjust to that reality in the interim and leverage that for a successful 2020 run. I can't imagine being owned so hard by the DNC and then just falling into line. Not just once from 2016-2020 but again from 2020-2024. His time came and went twice.
I don't give a shit if he's left or not. He's politically feeble. The left may not be dead, but it's worse off than basically everyone else including the Dems. And in no small part due to the strategic decisions of the Bernie campaign and the left's decisions to fuel it.
It is super easy to say Bernie is useless and then offer zero solutions yourself. I genuinely ask- who’s out there doing it better? What should he and others be doing instead? The left needs constructive organizing, not negative take downs with no counter points or real world solutions as alternatives.
I'm saying Bernie missed his moment. There is no better because we don't know what to do with this moment. We haven't built anything outside of Bernie and that failed.
Anyone who thinks they know what to do isn't recognizing what was lost when the Bernie campaigns failed. And maybe that's what's needed. To really see clearly how the Bernie moment failed to connect with the American public. We can complain that it was the Democrats fault. But damn if didn't fail in important ways as well.
This reply is exactly my point. And…? So he’s not sufficiently left and/or effective enough for you. What is the solution? It’s easy to dump on others, and a hell of a lot harder to actually produce answers. I’ll also add that there’s a lot on the left who propose pie in the sky answers that resemble little in the way of constructive, real world, “how does this get done in real life” type answers. I’m on the left, too. I’m all for solutions. Let’s hear them. I’m beyond “Bernie is a shill” and “Bernie is useless”. Let’s hear your genius plan then for how to better this country. Be constructive.
For one stop following false idols. If Bernie was for real he would have fought Hilary and Biden to the end. He didn't. He folded and started touring for then right away with the lesser of two evils talk. He came and took all that grassroots money and organizing and handed right over to the DNC. Bernie comes out when the people are angry and need a lullaby and the democrats need more money.
I have no doubt Bernie (if he stayed true to character) would have won both times as the democratic candidate if not for DNC being obstructionists and him not folding, but he folded. In 2020 he could have made a 3rd party viable, but he folded. He should have run 2024 with the state of everything, but he backed Biden then Harris.
Why does anyone think that guy is now all of a sudden going to fight for them?
Never vote for democrats, people who carry water for democrats, or anyone who takes unregistered foreign money. It's that simple. They will never advocate for real change. Tell all your friends and tell them about the significance of 1972. And source your news from a wide political spectrum of real independent media.