Before it fades into our collective bruised memories, I think it's important to take note of something. Of all the moments in all the speeches given at the Democratic National Convention, one stands out in my mind: the assertion by Sarah Silverman that I, as a Bernie or Buster, am “being ridiculous.” Well, Sarah, I have an admission. I am ridiculous.
Electoral Smoke and Mirrors
If one takes the root of the word ridiculous, you find it to be ridicule. While I was not there, I was watching in disgust and rage as the delegates pledged to Bernie Sanders were ridiculed, derided and trivialized by a Democratic establishment whose practices were shown to be unbalanced and duplicitous...at best. As the caucuses and primaries ground through the early states, time and time again Sanders supporters were met with systems that were closed to the will of the people or functionally deficient to their purpose. These systems spat upon the will of ALL the voters...independent and Democratic alike. This unfair and tilted playing field that had been rigged by the DNC continued through to California where the Mother of all election frauds was perpetrated, by a Clinton surrogate, Secretary of State, Alex Padilla. As a point of affirmation of this assertion, I offer the lawsuits below that are currently grinding their way through the legal system.(TrustVote links).
Of course though, this Bernie or Buster is being RIDICULOUS. It was a completely level electoral playing field....riiiight.
Ridiculous Justice
I suppose I am being RIDICULOUS because I believe a criminal justice system should dispense justice, not act as a revenue extraction arm of the government and a promulgator of itself. The criminal justice complex has become an industry unto itself whose primary purpose is expansion, fee collection, and community suppression. More subtly, the Criminal Justice problems are just the most obvious and brutal example of a larger and more insidious problem. Criminal justice is the enforcement arm of the laws that our government implements. This governmental system no longer views citizens as entities to be served and protected, but as hosts to be parasitized. We exist to be feasted upon by the many bureaucracies that comprise “the government.” It could be state, local or federal...no matter, the same intrusion and coercion apply. I believe that citizens have the right, duty and responsibility to reign in and control the bureaucracies. Criminal “justice” is only one arm of government that has come to have excessive control over our lives. I am ridiculous that way.
Money in Politics
Now, to the best estimates, we can look to 13 million people voted for Bernie Sanders in the primaries and caucuses. Countless more would have voted for him and his progressive beliefs if we had open primaries that were actually interested in the will of the people. Given the marginalized state of progressive principles prior to the 2016 primaries, this was a very impressive accomplishment.
Running for elective office is an expensive undertaking. Sanders was able to fuel his campaign with an average donation of...as we all now know: $27. This innovative revolution in financing a major campaign will probably be remembered as one of its major accomplishments. Now, it's no longer debatable: HRC and the Democratic National Convention won by rigging the system in her favor. I can only speak as a resident of California, but the lawsuits concerning the audits by the Registrars of Voters of the various counties are going forward and will take time to work their way through the court system. These lawsuits are raising significant concerns about the validity of the California primary. The fact that Sanders did as well as he did, given the knowing deceitf of the DNC, makes the achievement of garnering 13 million votes, and victory in 23 states all the more impressive. Now, am I going to vote for the candidate who rigs the game and pays for it with corporate SuperPAC donations or am I going to vote for the candidate who renews my faith in representative democracy by voicing authentic progressive concerns. Not a hard choice. I guess I am just ridiculous that way.
Ridicule
The last point of the Bernie or Bust ridiculousness is something rather intangible and ethereal. Ironically, it concerns ridicule. Going back to the first Clinton administration, there has been an ever growing marginalization, trivialization, and ridiculing of fundamental working-class, progressive values. We had a respite from this marginalization during the Obama administration. Or so we thought. Actually, our progressive values were used to play us for chumps. Then Sarah, we really were, or at least felt, ridiculous. So when Bernie or Busters say, enough is enough, we are fed up...we are NOT ridiculous. Thomas Frank had a searing observation about how progressives have been treated by the Democratic party over the last 20 years. In his book, “Listen Liberal” he goes into great deal about the concept of “counter scheduling” that the Clinton's cynically used to great effect. Fundamentally, they knew that progressives had no place else to go. The Republicans certainly weren't going to embrace these values and it allowed the Clinton's to bargain away progressive interests and principles with impunity and still get their votes because their was no other game left in town. So, after 20 years of being “counter scheduled” into accepting the crumbs of the innovative class of the ascendent, we Bernie or Busters are perfectly willing to be ridiculous in the defense of the values brought back to life by the Sanders Campaign.
Perhaps, I am being hard on you Sarah. I will close with the piece of advice: when you're trying to persuade someone to your point of view, you don't insult them, you empathize with them. And you certainly don't call them ridiculous.