My American friends, keep kicking at the darkness until light breaks through! We support your fight! In 7 days, we will scale our fight up! Bring some more economic pain to Trump and his maga morons! We will all win when this is over! Love a Canadian
Thank you. It’s an embarrassment and a tragedy to have our current government in the US! We love our neighbors in 🍁 Canada! Thank you for supporting us even though our President keeps lobbing horrific crap at you. Forgive us. We will make it right soon!
We use paper ballots and no machines for federal elections here. Only at the provincial level do we use tabulators with paper ballots as a back up. The paper ballots are fed into the tabulator and counted, then they remain in the machine. They are locked up and protected and hand counted if a recount is required. To do this at a federal level would be more work than is needed and it could make us question the results. Our current system is trustworthy and the majority of Canadians have confidence in the results. As long as our Maple Maga don’t march down this road, we should be ok! Thank you for your warning and the article. I do appreciate it. 😊❤️🇨🇦
Please keep fighting for us! We stand with our friends in Canada and hate what this MAGGAt regime has done not only to us but to our friends in Canada.
Thank you so much for your support. The last 10 years since trump entered politics has been a nightmare for me and millions of people. I will never understand what he has or does that appeals to too many people. Maybe it's the hate, the cruelty, the "permission" he gives to others to do the same as he does.
I fully support and thank Canada and any other country that stands up against trump. There are too many people, companies, institutions, etc in the US that willingly bend the knee to trump. He kicks them in the teeth anyway. Always has, always will. That how he rolls.
It's about time the economic pain is finally hurting the maga morons. Maybe they will wake up. Elbows Up, Canada. Keep it up.
Thank you so much. Your message just lifted my spirits. It’s wonderful to know that despite everything that the Pedophile-In-Chief is doing to destroy the great relationship we’ve had with Canada, there are still Canadians like you who know that there are more of us who despise him, than there are who love them, and are supporting us through this dystopian nightmare. All the best to you. Love, Margot
Thanks for leading the way, Bernie! Let those secretive Super PACs waste their money! People-powered Progressive campaigns that speak the truth and offer solutions to the problems we face today are worth their weight in gold, not dark money! #NotMeUS
The moment we're in now was created, indeed dictated, by the Supreme Court's ruling in the infamous Citizen's United case, which legalized bribery of elected officials by corporations and the very rich by allowing them to "donate" as much as they want. Until that awful precedent is reversed we will always be fighting against ever increasing amounts of greed, money and cynicism.
Corporations are government sanctioned legalized fictions of non- responsibility, disappearing in a flurry of bankruptcy legal proceedings that leave the government and living communities to survive the losses
You are obviously a legal scholar of some note. Yes, corporations do not actually exist. It’s interesting that the things we bring to existence that didn’t previously exist, whether physical (nuclear war) or imaginary (corporations) turn out to be worse than any of the nightmare monsters we once hid under the bed from. It is hard to be optimistic, but it is always in the bleakest hour that something good mysteriously occurs somehow. Not necessarily this time, but I choose to hope.
Mitch was always infatuated with power and really, really appreciated the role of money in acquiring and maintaining same. Of course he wanted corruption on the biggest scale imaginable. So much the better for him. Sadly, that's the thought pattern of most of our "statesmen" these days. The real thing is still around, though, thankfully. But the truth is that most people in politics today are for sale.
"Corporate Democrat" is another way to say "bought and paid for by corporations" For those folks, it's their personal economy, stupid! Greed always looks and works the same in any political party.
You are exactly right about what our agenda must be. The people agree. Bernie you are still my president because you speak for the people, you represent us. Even when a small minority don't understand how they are being played, you can cut through the bs and hold up the flame of democracy. Somehow we've slipped back to the days of the Magna Carta. The barons will lose again; the people are awakening.
One thing, you say that as progressives, we have to come together and fix this. I'd say that it's not just progressives in this tent of Democracy, it includes Republicans who are *traditional conservatives* who also object to these radical and lawless moves to take over our United States. Authoritarianism and throwing out the constitution is a horrifying and radical change in the path for our country. If we truly want to change our government, we can talk about it and vote on it!
What woke many Americans up was the genocide in Gaza and then came the reality that huge amounts of OUR tax dollars were sent to Israel each year approved by both parties. Add to that Israel has a non-profit, universal health care system while our government is making the CEO’s of our insurance companies among the richest in the US.
We have been robbed, swindled, lied to, and used as pawns in a game of chess ruled by royal figures. Most of us refuse to move forward one more step.
I have been thinking for some time about where America is heading.
The conclusion I keep coming back to is an uncomfortable one: America is a country in decline, and I am not convinced that either of its political parties knows how to reverse the process.
That is a frightening thought.
America has enormous strengths. Its wealth, military power, technological capability, universities, entrepreneurial culture and extraordinary capacity for innovation are still formidable.
But great countries do not decline because they suddenly become weak. They decline when their institutions become incapable of dealing with the problems confronting them.
And that, increasingly, is what I see happening in Washington.
Trump arrived at precisely the wrong moment.
I have little doubt that Donald Trump has accelerated America’s deterioration. His administration has, in my view, been characterised by corruption, incompetence, political vindictiveness and an extraordinary willingness to undermine institutions that took generations to build.
But I would make a distinction.
Trump did not create America’s problems. He exposed them—and then made many of them considerably worse.
Look at Congress.
The behaviour of America’s elected representatives increasingly resembles tribal warfare rather than government. Compromise has become a dirty word. Political survival appears to matter more than national interest.
When I watch what happens in Congress, many of my worst fears about America’s political system are confirmed.
And yet I have little confidence that the Democrats have the answer either.
They remain heavily dependent on wealthy donors and corporate interests, and too often appear to be reacting to events rather than getting ahead of them.
The obvious temptation for the American left is therefore to move further left.
I believe that would be a serious mistake.
White America is simply not ready for a hard swing to the left.
Attempting to force such a transformation before the electorate is ready for it could produce precisely the opposite result.
It could hand the House and Senate back to the Republicans.
And if that happened, the deterioration I fear could accelerate dramatically.
America needs a Trojan Horse
So what does the centre-left do?
In my view, it needs a Trojan Horse.
Not a candidate who merely excites the Democratic base.
Not another candidate selected because the party machinery considers them safe.
America needs someone capable of reaching people who do not normally vote Democrat while simultaneously offering something fundamentally different from the politics of Trump.
Someone who can build a coalition around competence, fairness and national renewal rather than ideology.
If I were pulling the strings, I would seriously consider doing something that conventional political wisdom would regard as absurd:
I would work very hard to get Bernie Sanders into the White House.
Yes, I know his age.
And yes, I know how difficult such a proposition would be.
But Sanders possesses something that is increasingly rare in American politics: an ability to articulate what many ordinary Americans believe is wrong with the system without sounding as though he is simply reading from a party script.
More importantly, I believe Bernie has the intelligence and political experience to surround himself with the very best people available.
And that brings me to what may be my most radical suggestion.
Michelle Obama
If she could be persuaded to do it, I would make Michelle Obama my first choice for Vice President.
The Obamas are a formidable political team.
Michelle Obama brings qualities that American politics desperately needs: intelligence, communication skills, personal credibility and the ability to appeal to people well beyond the traditional Democratic base.
And, ultimately, I believe America needs a woman in the White House.
Men have had their chance.
They have failed abysmally.
Perhaps it is time to try something different.
If Bernie were elected with Michelle Obama as his running mate, his age would become much less of a political liability. Should he decide to step down—or should he become unable to continue—the country would have a Vice President capable of assuming the presidency, supported by a formidable political and intellectual team.
VOILÀ.
I realise how improbable this sounds.
I also realise that Bernie Sanders and Michelle Obama may have absolutely no interest in my little political fantasy.
But perhaps that is not the important point.
The important point is what the idea represents.
America needs a political coalition capable of appealing beyond the ideological extremes of both parties.
It needs someone—or, more realistically, a team—capable of bringing together working-class voters, moderates, independents and progressives without demanding that they sign up to an ideological revolution.
It needs competence.
It needs integrity.
It needs people prepared to put the interests of the country ahead of the interests of donors, parties and political careers.
And above all, it needs to rediscover the idea that government is supposed to serve the people.
And then there is Canada
There is one other country I have been watching with particular interest.
Canada.
Under Mark Carney, Canada appears to me to be one of the few Western countries that clearly understands the direction in which the world is moving and is attempting to position itself accordingly.
If America continues down its present path, the damage will not be confined to America.
The United States has spent decades building alliances and friendships around the world.
Those relationships are an enormous strategic asset.
The loss of Canada’s friendship would therefore be far more serious than a diplomatic disagreement with a neighbour.
It would be another indication that America’s ability to lead—and to persuade others to follow—is diminishing.
The United States was once the shining city upon a hill.
I fear that the city is now badly broken.
The painful question is whether America can repair it before the foundations give way.
My American friends, keep kicking at the darkness until light breaks through! We support your fight! In 7 days, we will scale our fight up! Bring some more economic pain to Trump and his maga morons! We will all win when this is over! Love a Canadian
Thank you. It’s an embarrassment and a tragedy to have our current government in the US! We love our neighbors in 🍁 Canada! Thank you for supporting us even though our President keeps lobbing horrific crap at you. Forgive us. We will make it right soon!
Thank you~
A mortified , angry American 💚
God bless Canada! Thank you!
I Hope Bernie Sanders will arrive in Italy. Italy needs your politic and politicians like Mandami and Al sayed
Thank you friend!! And never let your country slide into electronic voting machines. This is how we lost our democracy.
:( https://thiswillhold.substack.com/p/how-did-6-million-people-vote-in?r=2sjycf&utm_medium=ios
We use paper ballots and no machines for federal elections here. Only at the provincial level do we use tabulators with paper ballots as a back up. The paper ballots are fed into the tabulator and counted, then they remain in the machine. They are locked up and protected and hand counted if a recount is required. To do this at a federal level would be more work than is needed and it could make us question the results. Our current system is trustworthy and the majority of Canadians have confidence in the results. As long as our Maple Maga don’t march down this road, we should be ok! Thank you for your warning and the article. I do appreciate it. 😊❤️🇨🇦
That’s why I said she should have asked for a recount of all the ballots and votes
Please keep fighting for us! We stand with our friends in Canada and hate what this MAGGAt regime has done not only to us but to our friends in Canada.
Thank you so much for your support. The last 10 years since trump entered politics has been a nightmare for me and millions of people. I will never understand what he has or does that appeals to too many people. Maybe it's the hate, the cruelty, the "permission" he gives to others to do the same as he does.
I fully support and thank Canada and any other country that stands up against trump. There are too many people, companies, institutions, etc in the US that willingly bend the knee to trump. He kicks them in the teeth anyway. Always has, always will. That how he rolls.
It's about time the economic pain is finally hurting the maga morons. Maybe they will wake up. Elbows Up, Canada. Keep it up.
Thank you so much. Your message just lifted my spirits. It’s wonderful to know that despite everything that the Pedophile-In-Chief is doing to destroy the great relationship we’ve had with Canada, there are still Canadians like you who know that there are more of us who despise him, than there are who love them, and are supporting us through this dystopian nightmare. All the best to you. Love, Margot
Thanks for leading the way, Bernie! Let those secretive Super PACs waste their money! People-powered Progressive campaigns that speak the truth and offer solutions to the problems we face today are worth their weight in gold, not dark money! #NotMeUS
The moment we're in now was created, indeed dictated, by the Supreme Court's ruling in the infamous Citizen's United case, which legalized bribery of elected officials by corporations and the very rich by allowing them to "donate" as much as they want. Until that awful precedent is reversed we will always be fighting against ever increasing amounts of greed, money and cynicism.
So very true and thanks for the fight Bernie! It’s time for the blue wave as so many call it. 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
Corporations are government sanctioned legalized fictions of non- responsibility, disappearing in a flurry of bankruptcy legal proceedings that leave the government and living communities to survive the losses
You are obviously a legal scholar of some note. Yes, corporations do not actually exist. It’s interesting that the things we bring to existence that didn’t previously exist, whether physical (nuclear war) or imaginary (corporations) turn out to be worse than any of the nightmare monsters we once hid under the bed from. It is hard to be optimistic, but it is always in the bleakest hour that something good mysteriously occurs somehow. Not necessarily this time, but I choose to hope.
AND DON'T FORGET...moscow mitch Spearheading Citizens United!!
Mitch was always infatuated with power and really, really appreciated the role of money in acquiring and maintaining same. Of course he wanted corruption on the biggest scale imaginable. So much the better for him. Sadly, that's the thought pattern of most of our "statesmen" these days. The real thing is still around, though, thankfully. But the truth is that most people in politics today are for sale.
Sad but true. R equals sociopathic fascist! D equals sociopath lite. Always, always the lesser of two evils.😢
"Corporate Democrat" is another way to say "bought and paid for by corporations" For those folks, it's their personal economy, stupid! Greed always looks and works the same in any political party.
https://youtu.be/8PBeG9CbFiI?si=OhFszZunDjJ5TZHx
You are exactly right about what our agenda must be. The people agree. Bernie you are still my president because you speak for the people, you represent us. Even when a small minority don't understand how they are being played, you can cut through the bs and hold up the flame of democracy. Somehow we've slipped back to the days of the Magna Carta. The barons will lose again; the people are awakening.
Yes indeed! Protect and Preserve OUR National Parks and Federal Lands Not for sale or lease! Got Oxygen? Water for LIFE! Don't Dump on Me
thank you !
One thing, you say that as progressives, we have to come together and fix this. I'd say that it's not just progressives in this tent of Democracy, it includes Republicans who are *traditional conservatives* who also object to these radical and lawless moves to take over our United States. Authoritarianism and throwing out the constitution is a horrifying and radical change in the path for our country. If we truly want to change our government, we can talk about it and vote on it!
A corporate briefing is not the Governments coming to meet and make agreements for our current felon USA President to sign US up for.
Mamdani ffs 🥴
Thank you, Senator!
What woke many Americans up was the genocide in Gaza and then came the reality that huge amounts of OUR tax dollars were sent to Israel each year approved by both parties. Add to that Israel has a non-profit, universal health care system while our government is making the CEO’s of our insurance companies among the richest in the US.
We have been robbed, swindled, lied to, and used as pawns in a game of chess ruled by royal figures. Most of us refuse to move forward one more step.
Start paying their fair share of taxes not STOP
Right on!
The fact that you don’t even mention Wisconsin speaks volumes!!!
(Numerous typos - please poof-read post better before posting!)
better than using ai
Poof!
THE BROKEN CITY ON THE HILL
The truth is painful
I have been thinking for some time about where America is heading.
The conclusion I keep coming back to is an uncomfortable one: America is a country in decline, and I am not convinced that either of its political parties knows how to reverse the process.
That is a frightening thought.
America has enormous strengths. Its wealth, military power, technological capability, universities, entrepreneurial culture and extraordinary capacity for innovation are still formidable.
But great countries do not decline because they suddenly become weak. They decline when their institutions become incapable of dealing with the problems confronting them.
And that, increasingly, is what I see happening in Washington.
Trump arrived at precisely the wrong moment.
I have little doubt that Donald Trump has accelerated America’s deterioration. His administration has, in my view, been characterised by corruption, incompetence, political vindictiveness and an extraordinary willingness to undermine institutions that took generations to build.
But I would make a distinction.
Trump did not create America’s problems. He exposed them—and then made many of them considerably worse.
Look at Congress.
The behaviour of America’s elected representatives increasingly resembles tribal warfare rather than government. Compromise has become a dirty word. Political survival appears to matter more than national interest.
When I watch what happens in Congress, many of my worst fears about America’s political system are confirmed.
And yet I have little confidence that the Democrats have the answer either.
They remain heavily dependent on wealthy donors and corporate interests, and too often appear to be reacting to events rather than getting ahead of them.
The obvious temptation for the American left is therefore to move further left.
I believe that would be a serious mistake.
White America is simply not ready for a hard swing to the left.
Attempting to force such a transformation before the electorate is ready for it could produce precisely the opposite result.
It could hand the House and Senate back to the Republicans.
And if that happened, the deterioration I fear could accelerate dramatically.
America needs a Trojan Horse
So what does the centre-left do?
In my view, it needs a Trojan Horse.
Not a candidate who merely excites the Democratic base.
Not another candidate selected because the party machinery considers them safe.
America needs someone capable of reaching people who do not normally vote Democrat while simultaneously offering something fundamentally different from the politics of Trump.
Someone who can build a coalition around competence, fairness and national renewal rather than ideology.
If I were pulling the strings, I would seriously consider doing something that conventional political wisdom would regard as absurd:
I would work very hard to get Bernie Sanders into the White House.
Yes, I know his age.
And yes, I know how difficult such a proposition would be.
But Sanders possesses something that is increasingly rare in American politics: an ability to articulate what many ordinary Americans believe is wrong with the system without sounding as though he is simply reading from a party script.
More importantly, I believe Bernie has the intelligence and political experience to surround himself with the very best people available.
And that brings me to what may be my most radical suggestion.
Michelle Obama
If she could be persuaded to do it, I would make Michelle Obama my first choice for Vice President.
The Obamas are a formidable political team.
Michelle Obama brings qualities that American politics desperately needs: intelligence, communication skills, personal credibility and the ability to appeal to people well beyond the traditional Democratic base.
And, ultimately, I believe America needs a woman in the White House.
Men have had their chance.
They have failed abysmally.
Perhaps it is time to try something different.
If Bernie were elected with Michelle Obama as his running mate, his age would become much less of a political liability. Should he decide to step down—or should he become unable to continue—the country would have a Vice President capable of assuming the presidency, supported by a formidable political and intellectual team.
VOILÀ.
I realise how improbable this sounds.
I also realise that Bernie Sanders and Michelle Obama may have absolutely no interest in my little political fantasy.
But perhaps that is not the important point.
The important point is what the idea represents.
America needs a political coalition capable of appealing beyond the ideological extremes of both parties.
It needs someone—or, more realistically, a team—capable of bringing together working-class voters, moderates, independents and progressives without demanding that they sign up to an ideological revolution.
It needs competence.
It needs integrity.
It needs people prepared to put the interests of the country ahead of the interests of donors, parties and political careers.
And above all, it needs to rediscover the idea that government is supposed to serve the people.
And then there is Canada
There is one other country I have been watching with particular interest.
Canada.
Under Mark Carney, Canada appears to me to be one of the few Western countries that clearly understands the direction in which the world is moving and is attempting to position itself accordingly.
If America continues down its present path, the damage will not be confined to America.
The United States has spent decades building alliances and friendships around the world.
Those relationships are an enormous strategic asset.
The loss of Canada’s friendship would therefore be far more serious than a diplomatic disagreement with a neighbour.
It would be another indication that America’s ability to lead—and to persuade others to follow—is diminishing.
The United States was once the shining city upon a hill.
I fear that the city is now badly broken.
The painful question is whether America can repair it before the foundations give way.
Protect and preserve OUR National Monument from plunder by corporations mining and extraction practices in life supporting habitat on Earth
No more $ for wars. NO MORE.
Agreed!
AI task force to regulate AI and deal with negative fallout and risks.