A few more significant conclusions from the recent Democratic debate between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton





by system failure





The latest Democratic debate was even more enlightening. There is a lot of discussion on who have won the debate, but this is not the key issue here. Since the start of this process, Bernie Sanders managed something that would appear impossible, just a few years ago.





What Bernie achieved, is to bring back the real political discussion in America, at least concerning the Democratic camp. Bernie smartly "drags" his primary rival, Hillary Clinton, into the heart of the politics. Up until a few years ago, you could not observe too much difference between the Democrats and the Republicans, who were just following the pro-establishment "politics as usual", probably with a few, occasional exceptions. The "politics as usual" so far, was "you can't touch the Wall Street", for example.





Bernie continuously forcing Hillary to appear apologetic about her campaign funding from big financial interests. She tries hard to persuade the public that she will not serve specific interests. Her anxiety can be identified in many cases and it was very clear at the moment when she accused Bernie of attacking her, concerning this funding. Hillary was forced to respond with a deeply irrational argument: anyone who takes money from big interests doesn't mean that he/she will vote for policies in favor of these interests!





Of course Hillary is deeply pro-establishment and this was proved by her arguments concerning the US foreign policy. She tried again to present Russia as major threat for Europe, calling for more US military presence in Europe, more effort and spending by the European allies on defence. Bernie had clearly a different approach saying essentially that the problems will be solved through discussion and cooperation. He said clearly that he is against US troops in Middle East. The facts justify Bernie's stance. He voted against Iraq invasion and proved to be right. Just look at the mess now in the Middle East. Hillary appears to be in total denial by not recognizing that the invasion was an absolutely wrong decision.





Furthermore, Hillary avoided to stand directly against NAFTA and TPP agreements who are designed by the lobbyists to serve the interests of the big banks and corporations. She actually implied that they need to be improved. Bernie instead, spoke clearly against these agreements, because he knows very well that such agreements further empower the banking-corporate interests at the expense of the workers and the majority of the people.





Hillary's anti-progressiveness can be also identified in her mainstream rhetoric. She uses phrases like "I'm not making promises that I cannot keep", which means that she doesn't want to commit on what Bernie basically supports: fix this deeply unequal system for the benefit of the majority.





Such phrases belong to the category of cliches that the system uses to demonize anyone who dares to speak about a real change. Mainstream journalists are using them ('that's not how it works', 'you can't do this', etc.), to present anyone who speaks about pro-people policies, more or less, as a "naive" person who dreams of things that are impossible. When the truth is that the change in the American reality right now, is only about bringing back the most fundamental rights of the American people. Rights which are given in most countries, like free healthcare and education, as Bernie says. The same tactics were used in Greece by the mainstream media during the crisis, to make people compromise with the destruction of the social state.





But now, Bernie drives the discussion towards fundamental ideological issues. He forced Hillary to defend her "progressiveness". She was forced to speak even about economic interests by names. A few years ago, this would be nearly a taboo in any debate between any primaries.





Bernie has the background and the ability to change the course of the US politics. He speaks straightly about things buried by the establishment, as if they were absent. Wall Street corruption, growing inequality, corporate funding of politicians by lobbies. He says that he will break the big banks. He will provide free health and education for all the American people. Because of Sanders, Hillary is forced to speak about these issues too. And subsequently, this starts to shape again a fundamental ideological difference between Democrats and Republicans, which was nearly absent for decades.





But none of this would have come to surface if Bernie didn't have the support of the American people. Despite that he came from nowhere, especially the young people mobilized and started to spread his message using the alternative media. Despite that he speaks about Socialism, his popularity grows. The establishment starts to sense the first cracks in its solid structure. But Bernie is only the appropriate tool. It's the American people who make the difference.





No matter who will be elected eventually, the final countdown for the demolition of this brutal system has already started and it's irreversible. The question now is not if, but when it will collapse, and what this collapse will bring the day after. In any case, if people are truly united, they have nothing to fear.





Read also:







