#BernieOrBust2020

[EgoDeath]

I will hold my nose and vote for Sanders if he is the nominee. I sure as hell won't like it but I'll do it because I recognize that ANYONE is preferable to Trump.

Unfortunately, so many of you Bernietards are every bit as irrational as Trumptards.

The DNC is rigging the election? How the fuck can they do that, you idiot? They are holding a gun to people's heads and forcing them to vote for Biden? Grow to fuck up. Like it or not, there are centrist democrats (like myself) that are as put-off by far-left candidates as they are by far-right. We won't vote for someone like Sanders in the primary. If Sanders is beaten, it will be because of us - not the DNC. You don't have to agree with us and it's certainly your prerogative to stay home election day if your man isn't the nominee. But you sound like an irrational, petulant child.

Go ahead and enable 4 more years of an evil circus clown over a good man like Joe Biden. I sincerely hope you will get what's coming to you.

Okay... insults and mean-spirited talk aside... I honestly don't see Bernie as all that radical. Universal healthcare is something that most of the developed world has already gotten on board with - because they realize that it's just a good idea. As far as raising taxes on the rich... Yeah, that would really suck if you're the guy who just hits that high bracket, because it's going to affect people like that the most... probably folks who are small business owners and stuff like that. But... Excuse me if i'm not going to shed tears for the multi-billionaire who has to pay a 40% tax rate. Never mind that he's probably hiding billions offshore and is finding more than a dozen ways to get tax breaks out the wazoo.

I mean, people are starving in the streets in this country man. And if you want to be the Michael Jordan of capitalism, do your fucking thing, but if you live in this country, you should help out a little if you're living like a modern day Emperor. Period.

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I always encourage people to look over a candidate's platform page on their campaign website. It will usually be titled, "Platform" or "Issues" or "Plans" or something similar... whatever page they use to talk about what they want to accomplish as POTUS. Regardless of whether you think it's B.S., or think they won't fulfill their promises, or whatever else, this is really the best bet you have in trying to determine what a candidate is all about, because usually they don't have enough time to talk about everything they want to accomplish. The news is always cutting people off and limiting time, so candidates are just trying to get little soundbites out there - the debates are basically the same thing. That's why I was really happy to see Sanders on the Joe Rogan Experience, though after the backlash Rogan got for possibly supporting Bernie, he decided that he'll no longer have political candidates on his show. Whether or not he sticks to that forever is another thing, but that's what he says...

But I was happy to see Sanders on Rogan's podcast because a podcast is basically a long-form, open-ended conversation where people really have a chance to hash out the ideas they want to talk about... They can get into the specific nuances and nooks & crannies of different thoughts they have and whatnot. So, it sucks that Rogan isn't going to continue to let politicians on, but it was good while it lasted I guess, LOL.

I bring this up because as I look over Bernie's page, located here, I do some ideas that could be considered a bit radical. Doesn't mean they're bad, but I can see how moderate Dems might be turned off by him.

The most out-there ideas in Bernie's platform, at least by my estimation, are:

-The Green New Deal

-College For All (making higher education free)

-Housing For All (creating permanent affordable housing to end homelessness in America)

-High Speed Internet For All (this is sort of part of The Green New Deal)

-Legalizing Marijuana

So these, as I see it, are his most radical ideas. This forces us to ask, are these bad ideas? Personally, I think the Green New Deal is highly aggressive, but given that our planet is suffering so much because of our actions as a species, I think something radical needs to be done. We need to start taking care of this big blue rock that we live on. And unfortunately, corporations, even in America, have proven time and time again that, so long as they can get away with it, they will dump, pollute and drain to their hearts content so long as it helps them turn a bigger profit. I do believe in a free market. I do believe that capitalism is a great thing and is essential to our freedom as Americans in many ways, but if big corporations can't be trusted to do the right thing, the gov't needs to step in and create regulations. And unfortunately, we've gotten to a point where some pretty aggressive regulations are becoming necessary.

As far as College For All, this isn't going to eliminate private institutions that still want to charge people money for a degree - it's simply going to allow people who cannot afford a private college the opportunity to pursue a higher education for a much more affordable price, or if need be, for free. And honestly, in a world where you essentially need a college degree to get any kind of decent job (and if not a degree, some kind of certification or trade skill), or compete in the corporate world with any kind of success, it's not that insane to suggest that every adult who wants it should get an opportunity to go to college. Just my two cents.

I feel the same way about Housing For All. Homelessness is a problem and creates problems for communities all around the country. Ever see skid row in LA? I've never seen it in person but the videos I've watched horrified me. There's a lot of untreated mental illness out there and people who really should be in some kind of institution, and instead they wander the streets, self-medicate with drugs and unfortunately have to resort to crime a lot of the time just to have food to eat or a place to stay. So while I don't think just giving everyone housing is going to solve the issue, it's a step in the right direction. Before anyone jumps down my throat - I'm sure there are some lazy sacks of shit who just don't want to work and would rather freeload off of people and whatnot. And I agree, we shouldn't necessarily be giving those people a free ride. But those folks have to live somewhere. Why make them resort to living on the street and engaging in crimes to stay alive? Why not give them a place to stay so they're at least out of your hair?

Access to the internet is essentially necessary today to get by in the world. This one is a no-brainer.

If you have any reservations about legalizing marijuana, maybe the drunk driver who hits you on your way home from work one night will knock some sense into you. I mean, I don't actually wish that on anyone, but c'mon, who the fuck actually opposes weed being legal?