Bernie Sanders

I’ll start by saying that I see the appeal of Sanders’ sentiments. His criticisms of the ruling class, income inequality, police brutality (after being challenged by Black Lives Matter protestors in Seattle), structural racism, the War on Drugs, and the military-industrial complex are all… commendable — as far as they go, which is in no way far enough.

The point is, though, that I understand why people like him. In fact, his appeal is at the core of the problem. But first, we have to address Bernie’s strategy for dealing with all of these aforementioned social and political issues. While Bernie’s sentiments may be laudable, his strategy is ludicrous.

He wants to use the most powerful, hierarchical, violent, imperial institution on the planet to help those oppressed by said institution. Only in the minds of liberal reformists and state socialists is such a strategy even plausible, let alone desirable. It should be outright laughable to anyone not willfully ignorant of the machinations of power.

To accept it requires a focus on actors at the expense of everything else. Ignore any analysis of systems, institutions, and incentives and emphasize the individual actions of one politician. Mix that with a belief in the false dichotomy between public and private power in the U.S. Then, add a few drops of rhetoric-equals-policy faith — the trust that what a candidate promises will be reflected in actual policy — and you find yourself cheering for yet another politician to take control of the most violent organization on Earth. Easy.

Of course, taking control of the American political structure and enacting heroic liberal reforms isn’t his true purpose. Sanders’ role in this election season is to generate buy-in from progressives who have too much conscience or dignity to support Hillary Clinton. Think of the millions of young Americans who would be jaded and disillusioned by an 18-month election cycle between Trump, GOP goons, and Hillary. The purpose of Sanders’ campaign is to keep young, progressive-minded people participating in an election they would otherwise dismiss as a perfect example of everything wrong with American electoral politics. This is exactly what you see reflected in polling numbers. In fact, it’s exactly what Bernie himself claims as one of his campaign’s primary goals: “Our job is not just to defeat Republicans, our job is to revitalize American democracy, bring people who have given up on the political process back into the system.”

His job is to bring people back into the system.

Sanders sees this as a positive thing, as it’s almost universally accepted in the U.S. that “engagement” is, by default, a virtue. But whether or not you value engagement in the political system, there is no mistaking it as a primary function of Bernie’s campaign.

And remember, Sanders has made it clear he will not run against the Democratic Party. From the Guardian’s profile: “Despite a highly successful career defined outside the Democratic party, Sanders never contemplated… running for president as an independent. Sanders was adamant he did not want to be a ‘spoiler’, sapping votes from whoever the Democratic presidential candidate is….”

Which means when he loses the Democratic primary, he won’t run as an independent; instead, he’ll transfer all of the support he’s garnered to Hillary. His campaign, he will claim, dragged Clinton further left, therefore making it a success and justifying progressive support. That, and your standard issue lesser-evilism, will drive Bernie supporters to throw in with Clinton.

That is Bernie Sanders’ purpose: Generate investment in the political process from otherwise disillusioned young people, then transfer their votes to Hillary Clinton.

It’s not a conspiracy. There is no mustache-twirling villain behind the scenes planning how the Sanders campaign will function as an annex of the Clinton campaign. This is just how politics in America’s two-party system works. Even SNL gets this. This is what pragmatism creates in a political structure designed to protect and sustain itself. It will use your beliefs against you to perpetuate the system.

But I’m feeling the Bern, what do I do?

I’m never going to begrudge anybody a defensive vote. If you want to throw a vote to Sanders in the primary, go ahead. But know what game you’re playing.

Is it to get Bernie elected? Because the chances of that happening are very, very low. And even then, what have you achieved besides placing a politician who says words you like at the top of an empire? Is that Real Progress™?

Is it to drive the Democratic Party further left? Support for Sanders may send a message to other Democrats, but so what? All you’re doing is teaching a political machine how to better pander to you. Maybe you’ll get some conciliatory reforms out of it, maybe not.

I would urge any Bernie supporters to consider what their actual end goals are. Is it to tweak the existing political system or is it to render fundamental change to the social structure of this country?

I prefer the latter. But either way, I submit that any of these signals would be better sent by mass withdrawal from the political process as a whole. Politicians still have to adapt to shifting cultural norms — and voting delineates those boundaries more than it pushes them — so your strategy should focus on pushing the culture in certain directions, rather than participating in the establishment’s soap opera.

Ask yourself: Do you want to oppose authoritarian systems or do you want to “engage” with them?