Meta: I am giving up Sanders Diaries (anti Hillary diaries) for Lent. Too little cerebrum, way too much bile.
Let begin with a disclaimer—and please read it clearly. This is not a diary trashing Senator Sanders. I have listened to him for years on progressive radio, and even when I have disagreed he’s provided me with Brain Candy and an afternoons of great discussions. I still believe (despite the fact that he is costing the Dems millions of dollars that could be used for the general) that this debate is good for progressives.
But I have totally had it with the fringy, biased and politically ignorant diaries that have infested this site. I don’t even look at it most days. You can tell them in a heartbeat: Grab a quote from 10 or 20 years ago out of context (or even worse, a quote from President Clinton and associate it with his wife) and make it into a diatribe. There is nothing more sexist than using a husband’s quote or action to indict a spouse. I’ve been taking stats: Mostly of the really vile diaries are from very high user IDS and mostly done during working hours.
My first frustration is that a community of over a million thinking progressives tolerates this. I am well aware that the majority of pro-Sanders diarists are real and sincere. A month ago they were in the majority. I copied out almost all of them and discussed them with my spouse. But the minority of (what I presume to be) trolls now gives the true Sanders supporters a totally bad name.
My second frustration is that an understanding of economics is totally lacking in these diaries and none of the replies demand it. Imagine getting rid of private insurance companies. The majority of Americans have mutual fund and/or retirement funds (public and private) which include stock in those companies. A significant chunk of the financing for public bonds comes from these companies. Senator Sanders has never been asked what would happen to these funds—and most of the Sanders voters haven’t considered it. There is absolutely no way that the US goes to single payer in a president’s term (with a GOP house!) The only path is a public option that gradually becomes more popular over time. Reagan-style “back to basics” has won; critical thinking has lost.
Senator Sanders has created a Santa List of promises. The average college student loves a speech about free college and free health care. I do, too...and then I grab a cup of coffee and think Imagine the GOP ads about that debt! The Sanders campaign has not acknowledged that problem, has given vague consolation by saying that a “wave election” would give him a majority. Again, politically naïve!We are so gerrymandered that’s currently impossible in the house.
And putting “Break up the Big Banks” on bumper stickers is another sop to the ignorant. AIG isn’t a bank GMAC and Countrywide were not banks. And most banks that Americans use today are international, so there is no way a potential President Sanders could break them up. Do readers here ask that question?
So my third frustration is the really bad state of economics and civics education in this country, that allows people to read and listen without asking key questions. When the audience booed Hillary Saturday for saying that Bernie only registered as a Democrat a bit over a year ago, I lost it. Do they really not realize that or are they truly civics-challenged?
There is a very real threat here: Bloomberg will run if Hillary isn’t nominated. That will insure a Republican victory and SCOTUS.
And I blame the Sanders campaign for not creating thoughtful policy papers on economic issuez. Bumper sticker campaigns just remind me of the GOP. They would make Santa lists impossible.
And of course my fourth frustration is that a Senator whom I truly respect hasn’t come to this site and repudiated the trashers and trolls, asking those who support him to stick to real issues. Those who support him should be doing that too. I am really wondering if the momentum of the Sanders campaign hasn’t distracted Senator Sanders from his true lifelong honesty.
It’s time to resolve to analyze the issues as we have in the past! Don't conduct cat fights or allow trolls to invade this great community of thinkers and debaters. When that happens, let me know.