Self-proclaimed socialist Senator Bernie Sanders has lit up the US presidential race by drawing on enthusiastic support of largely young people in a campaign calling for a “political revolution” against Wall Street.

Defying talking heads who long ago gave the Democratic nomination to the corporate-backed Hillary Clinton, Sanders' social justice platform of pro-poor reforms has provided a hopeful counter-point to the hate pushed by Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Self-proclaimed socialist Senator Bernie Sanders has lit up the US presidential race by drawing on enthusiastic support of largely young people in a campaign calling for a “political revolution” against Wall Street.

Defying talking heads who long ago gave the Democratic nomination to the corporate-backed Hillary Clinton, Sanders' social justice platform of pro-poor reforms has provided a hopeful counter-point to the hate pushed by Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Self-proclaimed socialist Senator Bernie Sanders has lit up the US presidential race by drawing on enthusiastic support of largely young people in a campaign calling for a “political revolution” against Wall Street.

Defying talking heads who long ago gave the Democratic nomination to the corporate-backed Hillary Clinton, Sanders' social justice platform of pro-poor reforms has provided a hopeful counter-point to the hate pushed by Republican candidate Donald Trump.

In fact all polls show that, head-to-head, Sanders would beat the Republican front-runner in a presidential election. Clinton, however, struggles in polls when put head-to-head with the right-wing populism of Trump.

Yet there remain big obstacles in front of Sanders and his anti-corporate campaign, being waged inside a profoundly pro-corporate party. The Democrat establishment is lined up against him. As well as a range of alleged measures favouring Clinton, a big hurdle is the role of 718 unelected, appointed “super-delegates” who overwhelmingly back Clinton.

Greens

Jill Stein, a veteran grassroots environmental and social justice activist, is running as a presidential candidate with the Greens.

Acknowledging how inspiring the Sanders campaign has been for huge numbers of people, but aware of the ability of the Democrats to destroy such movements, Stein is presenting her campaign as a “Plan B” in the event the Democrat machine kills Sanders' political revolution.

In a March 14 interview with Corey Collins on the Canadian site Ricochet, Stein said of Sanders campaign: “We have a lot in common, and I applaud the Sanders campaign for what they're trying to do. I myself have had enough experience in the Democratic Party to know that it only lets you go so far.

“We have an enormous amount in common: calling for an economy that works for everyday people, for unions' rights, for living wages, for health care as a human right and, in general, an economy that works for everyday people and reining in Wall Street.

“But when it gets down to fine print, there are a number of details where we differ and some big issues as well. So, for example, we think that the war budget — spending 54 per cent of our discretionary dollars on a massive, bloated military budget — is unacceptable.

“Bernie hasn't talked about cutting the military budget, not in this race. There was a time when he did, but he hasn't for quite a while. We think it needs to be cut…

“As well, we believe we need to hold the Netanyahu government accountable, as all governments must be held accountable. Right now we are paying $8 million a day to maintain the Israeli army, which is in flagrant violation and committing war crimes in these periodic massacres ...

“In the last campaign, I was the only candidate arguing for free public higher education. This time around, Bernie Sanders is also taking up that call, which is great.

“We are, however, the only campaign that is calling for cancelling student debt. We did it for the crooks on Wall Street who crashed the economy with waste, fraud and abuse, so that's the least we can do for the generation that is a victim of the economic disaster.”

Collins raised the issue of backing “less evil” candidates, highlighting the point made by renowned left-wing intellectual Noam Chomsky, who said he would vote for Stein as he was not in a “swing state”, but would vote Democrat in a swing state.

Stein said: “I think it's really important to address [the issue] straight on. I would say that that the predator political parties are working overtime to try and hold on. So let's take a look at what this politics of fear has done.

“We've been told for quite a while that they don't dare stand up and vote their values, that they'll get all these terrible things. Unfortunately, the record is very clear. We've gotten all of those terrible things anyhow. Silencing ourselves is not the solution. The lesser evil basically discourages people from coming out to vote…

“Sometimes I call this the 'Hail Mary' moment, because it's kind of now or never. The climate is crashing and the economy is on the verge of another crash. The Democrats didn't fix it. They're not going to fix the economy.

“Let's stop pretending that the lesser evil is going to be on our side. It's sponsored by the same corporate predators. It's time to reject the lesser evil and stand up and fight for the greater good like our lives depend on it because, guess what folks, they do…

“So don't let them intimidate you out of your power. We have the power. It's the only way forward. It's time to stand up and use it.”

Sanders' 'political revolution'

Of her call for Sanders supporters to view her campaign as a “Plan B” should Sanders' “political revolution” be blocked, Stein said: “Many of his supporters are also our supporters. If you go to our Facebook page you'll see that there's joint support all over the place.

“So for many people we're Plan B. For others who feel that the Democratic party is not going to let Sanders survive and is incapable of solving this problem, we're Plan A.

“There have been efforts to reform the Democrats before. Many people just don't want to keep going around this block. It's clear that we have to build something that doesn't just get reabsorbed into the Democratic party … It becomes more corporatist, more militarist and more imperialist, and the billionaires get richer and more in control. It hasn't been working for decades.

“Whereas independent politics, I think we are just rediscovering it. We see a surge around the Sanders campaign because austerity has really thrown people under the bus. This is where Plan A and Plan B come together and they need to come together quickly because the clock is ticking.”

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