Bernie Sanders Platform. Dangerous...Failed...Rehashed...and NOT "Revolutionary"

Parliaments

Parliaments are the backbone of that conventional democracy prevailing in the world today. Parliament is a misrepresentation of the people, and parliamentary systems are a false solution to the problem of democracy. A parliament is originally founded to represent the people, but this in itself is undemocratic as democracy means the authority of the people and not an authority acting on their behalf. The mere existence of a parliament means the absence of the people. True democracy exists only through the direct participation of the people, and not through the activity of their representatives. Parliaments have been a legal barrier between the people and the exercise of authority, excluding the masses from meaningful politics and monopolizing sovereignty in their place. People are left with only a facade of democracy, manifested in long queues to cast their election ballots.

To lay bare the character of parliaments, one has to examine their origin. They are either elected from constituencies, a party, or a coalition of parties, or are appointed. But all of these procedures are undemocratic, for dividing the population into constituencies means that one member of parliament represents thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of people, depending on the size of the population. It also means that a member keeps few popular organizational links with the electors since he, like other members, is considered a representative of the whole people. This is what the prevailing traditional democracy requires. The masses are completely isolated from the representative and he, in turn, is totally removed from them. Immediately after winning the electors’ votes the representative takes over the people’s sovereignty and acts on their behalf. The prevailing traditional democracy endows the member of parliament with a sacredness and immunity which are denied to the rest of the people. Parliaments, therefore, have become a means of plundering and usurping the authority of the people. It has thus become the right of the people to struggle, through popular revolution, to destroy such instruments – the so-called parliamentary assemblies which usurp democracy and sovereignty, and which stifle the will of the people. The masses have the right to proclaim reverberantly the new principle: no representation in lieu of the people.

If parliament is formed from one party as a result of its winning an election, it becomes a parliament of the winning party and not of the people. It represents the party and not the people, and the executive power of the parliament becomes that of the victorious party and not of the people. The same is true of the parliament of proportional representation in which each party holds a number of seats proportional to their success in the popular vote. The members of the parliament represent their respective parties and not the people, and the power established by such a coalition is the power of the combined parties and not that of the people. Under such systems, the people are the victims whose votes are vied for by exploitative competing factions who dupe the people into political circuses that are outwardly noisy and frantic, but inwardly powerless and irrelevant. Alternatively, the people are seduced into standing in long, apathetic, silent queues to cast their ballots in the same way that they throw waste paper into dustbins. This is the traditional democracy prevalent in the whole world, whether it is represented by a one-party, two-party, multiparty or non-party system. Thus it is clear that representation is a fraud.

Moreover, since the system of elected parliaments is based on propaganda to win votes, it is a demagogic system in the real sense of the word. Votes can be bought and falsified. Poor people are unable to compete in the election campaigns, and the result is that only the rich get elected. Assemblies constituted by appointment or hereditary succession do not fall under any form of democracy.

Philosophers, thinkers, and writers advocated the theory of representative parliaments at a time when peoples were unconsciously herded like sheep by kings, sultans and conquerors. The ultimate aspiration of the people of those times was to have someone to represent them before such rulers. When even this aspiration was rejected, people waged bitter and protracted struggle to attain this goal.

After the successful establishment of the age of the republics and the beginning of the era of the masses, it is unthinkable that democracy should mean the electing of only a few representatives to act on behalf of great masses. This is an obsolete structure. Authority must be in the hands of all of the people.

The most tyrannical dictatorships the world has known have existed under the aegis of parliaments.

Just thought I'd pass this on. Take from it what you will...

Interestingly, Obama has been called a Socialist...but his policies and Administration have been close to STATE CAPITALISM.

Hillary Clinton seems to be of the same mold...and that mold is also 'bad', but not full blown Socialist....but a step away.

Bernie, when examining what he proposes, really does have a hallmark "Socialist/Marxist" tone. Not just a State Capitalist.
He really believes in the power of the State and proposes a wide range of Central Planning fixes, economically AND culturally.

He has the influence of the South American models, the Asian models, Soviet models...but hardly anything like the Scandinavian models outside of Healthcare.

He says "Democratic Socialist" as cover, but when you read his website, hear his speeches, and analyze his wording and historical Philosophy, he is WAY LEFT on the spectrum and an Authoritarian.

"Revolutionary"?? This is regression. This has all the hallmarks of the WORST parts of the past failed policies.

originally posted by: BatheInTheFountain
The main ingredient, the main sentiment or driving force I read coming from Bernie Sanders supporters, are things like:

"Likability, sincere, honest, good egg, means well, trustworthy"

Guys, this isn't a vote for who your neighbor or boyfriend/girlfriend should be. This is a vote for a person that can literally make or BREAK the country....for long periods of time.

As most Americans, you obviously haven't figured it out yet....a President doesn't make or break this country. It's the other embedded players in our system...mainly the ones non-elected or appointed that control everything. A president is just basically for our amusement while we play WWF style politics and elected ones stash away money. I do believe Eisenhower and Kennedy both warned or hinted at such players but we marginalized it. I'll vote for Bernie because he's so far the least annoying puppet. Be honest now.

a reply to: BatheInTheFountain

a debate on politics is about as useless as a debate on religion. no one ever changes their stances, only in it to try to change the other person's view. in one ear and out the other. we know none of it really matters, but in the end the president is just a puppet dancing on a string.

originally posted by: Freenrgy2
a reply to: IlluminatiTechnician

Your post makes sense if you vote. I'm choosing not to.

I won't be either lol

The more they poke companies for taxes, the more that will leave and go to Mexico and the likes. But who needs a job, right? Bernie has one.

The problem with Bernie is that his chances of winning in the general election are very slim.

Hell be too much labeled a radical and too many people will shy away from voting for him....
Of course I could be wrong but I doubt it.


Too much propaganda like this OP that I can thoroughly debunk but I don't have the time and will at this time.


All I'll say is this to the OP.

What modern country in the world follows the American system of oligarchical capitalism that has the highest poverty rate and incarceration rate in the developed world. And allows millions of its citizens to suffer without health care?
NONE!


And the Scandinavian countries and Germany and many others do fine with socialists elements that all Bernie wants to do or all he will be able to do is adapt similar policies.

a reply to: Staroth

Actually, it just needs to be more profitable to stay than to leave. Simple, really. That can be attained by having a sane trade policy.

You know why pharmaceutical companies charge 100,000% more for some drugs in the US than they do in other countries?
'Cause they can.

a reply to: BatheInTheFountain

This is what the left don't realize about Sanders... They think he is against the top 1%, but in fact he is a puppet of the top 1%.

In a thread I started there was a link to a New York Times article which Bernie Sanders wrote himself.

The Truth of Sanders is That He Is a Socialist.

In it he states that if he is President he would give himself the power to nominate who can control the Fed

Bernie Sanders: To Rein In Wall Street, Fix the Fed

By BERNIE SANDERS DEC. 23, 2015
...
If I were elected president, the foxes would no longer guard the henhouse. To ensure the safety and soundness of our banking system, we need to fundamentally restructure the Fed’s governance system to eliminate conflicts of interest. Board members should be nominated by the president and chosen by the Senate. Banking industry executives must no longer be allowed to serve on the Fed’s boards and to handpick its members and staff. Board positions should instead include representatives from all walks of life — including labor, consumers, homeowners, urban residents, farmers and small businesses.
...

www.nytimes.com...

Whomever controls the Fed controls the nation, and Sanders wants to control it all.

He will also completely demolish our Constitution, and in specific our second amendment right.



Starting at 40 seconds he states he wants to ban all weapons except hunting rifles, and then states that all weapons that kill people should not be sold/should be banned in the United States... This of course includes the right of Americans to defend themselves against criminals, which Sanders wants to ban.

Like every good Marxist... I mean socialist, he wants power, and he wants it all.

He won't be good for the majority of Americans, he would even be worse than Hillary, if that were possible...

originally posted by: BatheInTheFountain
Interestingly, Obama has been called a Socialist...but his policies and Administration have been close to STATE CAPITALISM.

Socialism is about State control. One branch of government, one group of people controlling everything on a nation on the platform of it's for the common/collective good.

Obama is very socialist. He was the one who wanted to nationalize GM, and even told GM what sort of cars they should be building.

Obama has bypassed Congress with several executive orders, and he has even stated he would continue doing it because Congress would simply not approve his policies...

Bernie Sanders would just continue what Obama started and would introduce even more socialist extremist policies. All under the guise of "for the common good"...

For the common good, the good of the collective the worst dictatorships that have ever existed took control of nations like Germany, U.S.S.R., China, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam, Burma, Laos, etc.

How accurate is this?

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: mOjOm

There is no right choice.

just a number of bad ones.

Want me to speak plainer?

We're all slaves to the system. It's just that I'm not going to be a happy one.

I'm not going to cheer the new regime, the new master. Your master wants to take more of my money.

Why not take your money and buy an unpopulated island to live on? You'll have plenty of 'freedom'. No one to consider except yourself. Sounds like your answer Cowboy.

a reply to: Constance

Id rather we all pool our money & buy an ATS members only island for us to all live in harmoniously.

Okay...here's your list back at you.

1. An Outsider. Keep in mind that an outsider is someone that isn't part of the inner cabal that runs washington. Many career politicians are outsiders...two on the republican side that are that way are Rand Paul and Kasich...the more I look into him.

2. Wall Street. I pay more in taxes...literally...then most wall street fat cats. How is that fair and why are you okay with that?

3. Illegal immigration. Amnesty.. There's a word. Why would anyone support amnesty? How about the fact that we then have 11 million more taxpayers paying money into the economy...and they have valid ids and social security numbers and can be tracked if they commit crimes. Or...as we've done for the past 50 years...we could do nothing. Amnesty sounds good to me.

4. Wages...you talked about our 20 trillion debt but a lot of that came from Afghanistan and Iraq and our endless drone wars and our big bailouts of banks and wall street fat cats...

5. Social Justice. I love social justice. Who wouldn't? You don't want a fair world and laws that allow us all to be treated fairly or do you like that some people get preferencial treatment? Keep in mind that just like your Wages point...it's not all legistlaion but speeches and policy that can create big changes.

6. Education. We already pay billions for education. Take a little money away from the warmongers in the pentagon and put it towards education. I don't see a problem with that. Keep in mind that our military budget is way more than we'd ever need to defend ourselves it's a budget for war and invasion. The constitution tells us our military should be for defense only.

7. Single payer. We all want healthcare reform. Obama got elected twice on that platform. Americans want it. let's keep working at it again until we get it right. Like every other leading industrialized country on earth.

Not a lot of substance to your rant.

originally posted by: Esoterotica
a reply to: Constance

Id rather we all pool our money & buy an ATS members only island for us to all live in harmoniously.

It would be Lord of the Flies.

Harmoniously? The Sanders people would demand we all share our bananas, take from those who have extra coconuts, call those who eat crab meat "rich", and hog the conch and scream about island social justice for the ones with sunburns.

If we all lived on an ATS island, the Sanders supporters would invite marauders from a neighboring island, tell us to shut up if they rape us or steal our food, call us bigots if we defend oirselves, and then convince us the marauders are loving people who will only "add" to our pool of coconuts and are just looking for a better life.

originally posted by: amazing
Okay...here's your list back at you.

1. An Outsider. Keep in mind that an outsider is someone that isn't part of the inner cabal that runs washington. Many career politicians are outsiders...two on the republican side that are that way are Rand Paul and Kasich...the more I look into him.

2. Wall Street. I pay more in taxes...literally...then most wall street fat cats. How is that fair and why are you okay with that?

3. Illegal immigration. Amnesty.. There's a word. Why would anyone support amnesty? How about the fact that we then have 11 million more taxpayers paying money into the economy...and they have valid ids and social security numbers and can be tracked if they commit crimes. Or...as we've done for the past 50 years...we could do nothing. Amnesty sounds good to me.

4. Wages...you talked about our 20 trillion debt but a lot of that came from Afghanistan and Iraq and our endless drone wars and our big bailouts of banks and wall street fat cats...

5. Social Justice. I love social justice. Who wouldn't? You don't want a fair world and laws that allow us all to be treated fairly or do you like that some people get preferencial treatment? Keep in mind that just like your Wages point...it's not all legistlaion but speeches and policy that can create big changes.

6. Education. We already pay billions for education. Take a little money away from the warmongers in the pentagon and put it towards education. I don't see a problem with that. Keep in mind that our military budget is way more than we'd ever need to defend ourselves it's a budget for war and invasion. The constitution tells us our military should be for defense only.

7. Single payer. We all want healthcare reform. Obama got elected twice on that platform. Americans want it. let's keep working at it again until we get it right. Like every other leading industrialized country on earth.

Not a lot of substance to your rant.

1) rand Paul has been in office for about 5 years

2) Prove it.

3) Grant Amnesty? Then what? A Tax base? What about the fact that you just FLOODED the work force with tens of Million of low educated, low skilled, sparse English speaking newcomers. More will come, they will REQUIRE Welfare because of the work imbalance OVERNIGHT.

Then they'll burden PUBLIC services because they are now impoverished citizens. They'll have no choice but to soak up all the FREE STUFF Bernie means to give away...and then what?

Another wave comes....and after that....what?

Amnesty sounds good? That's amazing

4) Nothing to do with wages.

5) Dunno what all that means in the real world.

6) And how would Bernie change that? By what decree outside of CONGRESS?

7) Read my OP...I addressed that.

originally posted by: BatheInTheFountain

originally posted by: amazing
Okay...here's your list back at you.

1. An Outsider. Keep in mind that an outsider is someone that isn't part of the inner cabal that runs washington. Many career politicians are outsiders...two on the republican side that are that way are Rand Paul and Kasich...the more I look into him.

2. Wall Street. I pay more in taxes...literally...then most wall street fat cats. How is that fair and why are you okay with that?

3. Illegal immigration. Amnesty.. There's a word. Why would anyone support amnesty? How about the fact that we then have 11 million more taxpayers paying money into the economy...and they have valid ids and social security numbers and can be tracked if they commit crimes. Or...as we've done for the past 50 years...we could do nothing. Amnesty sounds good to me.

4. Wages...you talked about our 20 trillion debt but a lot of that came from Afghanistan and Iraq and our endless drone wars and our big bailouts of banks and wall street fat cats...

5. Social Justice. I love social justice. Who wouldn't? You don't want a fair world and laws that allow us all to be treated fairly or do you like that some people get preferencial treatment? Keep in mind that just like your Wages point...it's not all legistlaion but speeches and policy that can create big changes.

6. Education. We already pay billions for education. Take a little money away from the warmongers in the pentagon and put it towards education. I don't see a problem with that. Keep in mind that our military budget is way more than we'd ever need to defend ourselves it's a budget for war and invasion. The constitution tells us our military should be for defense only.

7. Single payer. We all want healthcare reform. Obama got elected twice on that platform. Americans want it. let's keep working at it again until we get it right. Like every other leading industrialized country on earth.

Not a lot of substance to your rant.

1) rand Paul has been in office for about 5 years

2) Prove it.

3) Grant Amnesty? Then what? A Tax base? What about the fact that you just FLOODED the work force with tens of Million of low educated, low skilled, sparse English speaking newcomers. More will come, they will REQUIRE Welfare because of the work imbalance OVERNIGHT.

Then they'll burden PUBLIC services because they are now impoverished citizens. They'll have no choice but to soak up all the FREE STUFF Bernie means to give away...and then what?

Another wave comes....and after that....what?

Amnesty sounds good? That's amazing

4) Nothing to do with wages.

5) Dunno what all that means in the real world.

6) And how would Bernie change that? By what decree outside of CONGRESS?

7) Read my OP...I addressed that.

I'll just go with 3 for a second. That tax base and work force. They're already working. They've already flooded the work force. Amnesty just makes them legit taxpayers who will need the proper forms and permits and paystubs etc. Where is the downside again?