Bernie’s Thug Life
Why Sanders is lying when he says he doesn’t approve of violence perpetrated on his behalf.
May 19, 2016
Matthew Vadum
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Lying about violence comes naturally to left-wingers.
Although right-wing political violence doesn’t take place a lot in modern American politics, Sanders and the media want Americans to believe otherwise. This helps to explain why they falsely accused Tea Party groups of violence (and racism and other undesirable
isms) during the fight over Obamacare. The right-wing populism spurred by Obama’s un-American policies presents an existential threat to the Left.
Sanders accuses Donald Trump’s supporters of unprovoked physical aggression against his supporters, while at the same time denying that he is encouraging his supporters to rough up Trump rally attendees.
Of course Sanders’ denials, however passionate at times, ring hollow. It is a longstanding practice of the Left to accuse its enemies of its own antisocial misdeeds in order to avoid accountability. (This is not to excuse or make light of the relatively few incidents in which Trump supporters have thrown punches at Sanders-supporting protesters, but for the most part fans of The Donald were trying to deal with obnoxious protesters who were disrupting Trump rallies. Excessive enthusiasm in cracking down on the rude is not the same as trying to prevent free speech and political expression.)
On the weekend, Sanders’ backers acted out their unhappiness with Nevada’s byzantine delegate-selection process. They
became abusive and physically aggressive as they tried to silence speakers like Hillary Clinton surrogate Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) with loud boos and profanities. The Nevada Democratic Party went as far as writing the Democratic National Committee accusing Sanders supporters of having a "penchant for extra-parliamentary behavior — indeed, actual violence — in place of democratic conduct in a convention setting."
According to one news report:
“Democratic officials released text messages and voicemails with threats against the Nevada Democratic Party chairwoman Roberta Lange. They included such comments as ‘Hey bitch, loved how you broke the system, we know where you live, where you work, where you eat, where your kids go to school ... You made a bad choice, prepare for hell, calls won't stop.’ Another one said, ’You're fired bitch, #FeelTheBern, speak or else, corrupt bitch, answer the phone you pussy.’"
Alarmed at the prospect of internecine violence, party elites put the heat on Sanders to denounce the obnoxious behavior forcefully.
"There is no excuse for what happened in Nevada, and it is incumbent upon all of us in positions of leadership to speak out," said Clinton marionette Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the Florida congresswoman who heads the DNC.
“I grew up in Brooklyn. I’m not afraid of bullies,” Boxer said at the convention. “We need civility in the Democratic Party,” she said with a straight face. “Civility."
Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY's List, a pro-Clinton PAC, added, "These disgraceful attacks are straight out of the Donald Trump playbook, and Bernie Sanders is the only person who can put a stop to them. Sanders needs to both forcefully denounce and apologize for his supporters' unacceptable behavior — not walk away."
When left-wingers complain about the violent tactics other left-wingers use against them you just know something big is afoot.
It could be that the Democratic Party is just as fragmented, or even more bitterly divided, than the Republican Party.
Bernie Sanders is fine with that.
Bernie’s Thug Life