How to Build a Political Revolution

 

Read more about the walk-out at the DNC: What you see on TV is not what really happened.

We're on the air again, Berners! Bernie Sanders will give a live stream address on August 24 at 9 PM ET. Can you host a gathering in your home, local union hall, church hall, library auditorium or restaurant? It'll be great meeting and commiserating with our fellow progressive revolutionaries and hear what Bernie has to say. Here's the sign up page: https://go.berniesanders.com/page/s/host-ourrevolution?source=emv1

We're feelin' the Bern! (And it's not due to the heatwave, either.)

How to Build a Political Revolution
by Cindy A. Matthews

The last time I checked  there weren't many how-to guides on how to build a political revolution. I've never seen a DIY kit at Lowes or Home Depot with the words "Political Revolution" on it, either. I guess that means we get to make it up as we go along? 

Where to start? Well, we are a diverse lot, our conglomeration of Progressives, Berners, Greens, Democrats, Democratic Socialists, Berniecrats and Socialists who follow the ideals of Bernie Sanders. But there's one thing we can all agree on: We need to make some serious changes in America if it's going to survive and if we ourselves are going to survive on this rapidly warming planet.

Lucky for us, there are some very creative and talented people out there giving us ideas and insights to get us going.  Learn from the At Home Activist (video above). Gain inspiration from two great progressive women, Nina Turner and Jill Stein, who spoke at The People's Convention in Philadelphia (video below). (And if you really need a feel good moment, check out the very last video at the end of this week's blog.) Join groups like Brand New Congress and campaign for progressive candidates. Attend a local Bernie livestream meet-up on August 24 and find out more what our next steps in Our Revolution will take. Check out Democracy for America's Political Revolution Night School and take any and all of their online classes.

We are not alone, and we're not without support. We are building our revolution and transforming our world into a better place for all, one step at a time. No one said it was going to be easy or quick. A lasting creation doesn't happen overnight, and it doesn't happen in a vacuum. Reach out and make some new friends by joining a Bernie meet-up, taking an online class and by helping progressive candidates and causes.  Remember, there's no such thing as a lone revolutionary.

We can do it ourselves, and be proud of what we're building. Our Revolution will be built to last.



Now some insights from a Bernie delegate recently returned from Philly, ready to get Our Revolution going in Ohio. Dennis tells us how we should be wary of those who say they're promoting democracy and free speech, only to yank it away like so many signs taken away from Bernie delegates at the convention. 

Convention photos by Dennis Slotnick

Democracy Lost

(to the DNC propaganda machine)

Dennis Slotnick

I understand that politics in American democracy is persuasive by definition. I understand that, but the formal convention has become manipulative forgone conclusion with only a shadow of democratic process. I feel it undermines democracy in its unfairness (to say the least). Here are some examples. 

Not one speaker said much about Bernie not even credit or recognition for the ideas in new platform, expect the guy who introduced him. Most speeches used the kind of propaganda of steal, list, build and hook. Steal ideas from Bernie without giving him credit, listing them as if they are Hillary's and then praising Hillary as the champion of the idea. There was only one speech favoring Bernie and that was the one that introduced him. This is all before a single convention vote was cast, and yet he got 45% of the public vote. I say equal delegates, equal time on the floor.

Queued banners using pre-canned lines from speeches on the floor and quick distribution for the show. World of difference between inside the Hillary propaganda frame and the streets of Philly and the US. Bernie totally dominated the streets. Hillary's show was inside the formal convention. In the sponsored convention, there was surprisingly little discussion about the presidential campaign except when Bernie spoke.

The timing of lights and videos was all about maximizing the coronation process as a media-based promo--like one long commercial with no chance for a protest chant. Ballots for roll call were handed out without any discussion on candidates and before Bernie even addressed the convention. I would like to have heard Hillary speak, too. Equal time? All the five hours of praising Hillary and not much reference to Bernie the whole time, and Bernie delegates are 45% percent of delegates. Where is the fairness in democracy? Not there in the least. 

Did Bernie people have the right to rebel? You bet. Did they get impatient? To say the least. Did they show great resolve and respect? Utterly. Were they submissive and placated and convinced that HRC is best? Not at all! Just quietly waiting--then they exploded with deep appreciation for Bernie when he took stage and was finally honored by having the last word before the Rabbi closed the convention Monday night.

I thought democracy means open discussion of issues and qualifications for candidates. Of course we knew it would be jaded, but not like this. Upon walking into the registration, each delegate receives a bag of materials. One is this convention official program, essentially a glossy photo album promoting Hillary. Not a single mention of Bernie at all. A full 65 pages. One book written by (former Republican, now Clinton supporter) David Brock called Killing the Messenger, a book clearly pro-Hillary. Why not offer Bernie's book, too? Maybe you know why.

These buttons were passed around to everyone at breakfast promoting Ohio. I thought it was cool. Take a look at this free Ohio button. Look again carefully. See it? The corporate-like icon H-> One of my fellow Bernie delegates was wearing one. I went up to her and commented about it, complimenting  the importance of Ohio. When I showed her the H-> she was shocked to realize how subtly we've been corrupted. She took off the button. We knew we were up against a very dangerous kind of corruption.

Two hours before we were going to have a voice we were given a 135 page book with 70 pages of technical, legal speak on the credentials, rules and platform. It is the first time anyone other than the committees could see what was generated. Who can study, critique and evaluate and discuss this document with his or her state delegation with so little time? Many delegates weren't even in the room until the gavel fell, just an hour before voting. (This could be nothing more than a stamping of approval of the committee work. No dissension  possible.)

Voice vote in a stadium is like a cheering match between high school juniors and seniors for determining school spirit. Only the chair is to determine which has more votes. Think on that. In an indoor arena it becomes a matter of who shouts loudest, not how many yeas and how many nays. (Democracy fails again.)

No signs were allowed through security. Content-free signs were distributed before and during speeches. Stronger together, do more good, democracy rising, I'm with Her... The signs handed out were pro-Hillary for unity as if Bernie people would join the HRC vote. The signs we were given for use before we voted. Six signs were for her, one for Bernie. Fair time, fair visibility? (Think of it as a TV ad.) They must have had the whole thing planned, even the loudness and lighting so that the mic pickup can cut out the loud Bernie cheering and shut down sign demonstrations.

These are just a few of the examples of how the DNC is not democratic. 

Bio: Dennis was an Ohio Bernie delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Read his story about the DNC walk-out protesting the silencing of Berners in What You See On TV Is Not What Really Happened.

***

We start a new feature this week called, "Thank You, Bernie." Tell us what you think about Bernie Sanders' leadership, inspiration, and ideas. Email us your thank you to thebernieblog2016@gmail.com and thank you! 

Our first grateful Berner is Marianne Kelly. She gives a moving testimonial as to why she's thankful to be a Bernie supporter.


I covered Bernie for our local paper when he was a congressman and visited my town. He is a truly kind, decent, intelligent, and an intensely compassionate man. He ate lunch with us, said hello to people he knew, and introduced himself to those who were new to him. I was shocked that he remembered my name and the paper I worked for. He answered our questions and gently corrected us so we could give an accurate account to our readers.

I used to all him the "John the Baptist" of politics, for at that time he was a voice crying in the wilderness. Bernie has awakened a sleeping giant called We the People who will never return to the collective coma that brought us to this place in our history.

 I am so proud to call him my senator, and if by some incredible long shot miracle he makes it to the White House, I will be prouder to call him Mr. President. I fear we shall never see his like again--at least not in my life time.  

May the God of the Universe be ever gracious to you Bernie, Jane and those you call yours. You will always be Mr. President to me.

***

Finally, some inspiration from the man himself from earlier in the campaign season. It should encourage you to vote your conscience and feel better about the political revolution. Yes, Bernie actually said we shouldn't listen to him or anyone else who tells us how to vote. How could we ever forget his words? #FeeltheBern and support the candidate you want to support--not a candidate others are trying to force on you. 

 

And now that you have that worry off your mind, get off your backside and get out into the streets. We have a revolution to build! 

Which Side Are You On?

Bernie watches over me from the Black Men for Bernie bus as I march.

 Which Side Are You On?

by Cindy A. Matthews

The Peter, Paul and Mary song "Which Side Are You On?" keeps playing in my head. I bought the In These Times CD with the song on it at a recent library sale. It's was recorded about a decade ago, but it's a great recording full of songs about unions and workers and underdogs. Somehow the entire "Union Medley" feels appropriate to Our Revolution at this time. (Click on the link and sing along.)

 

Which side are you on? Are you on the side of the progressive political revolution or have you thrown in the towel and crawled back into your hole and given up? It's time to take a stand, folks! Our Revolution needs revolutionaries, not cowards. There's work to do and progressive candidates to support. So, let's stop licking our wounds and crying about injustices and do something about them.

Bernie has offered us suggestions (as have many others). Join his new organization called Our Revolution today and find out what all Bernie has in store in the coming weeks in transforming America and advancing a progressive agenda. He's also started the Sanders Institute to help educate voters and bring about more fair and balanced media. Brand New Congress is also helping to elect progressive candidates this November. Help them out!

But I realize we're human and it hurts. We were cheated and robbed of seeing the right person for the presidency, Bernie Sanders, made the nominee. Some of us aren't sure if we can keep fighting the self-serving politics of corruption and fear. (But we can.) First, let's get some of that anti-DNC angst off our chests with the following commentary and some photos from the Philly protests. 

The Party to Which We Belong

by Judy Cummings

In watching both the Republican and Democratic Conventions recently, I felt at a loss to know where I fit in. Seemed to me like a lot of folks manage to squeeze into a red, white, or blue party hat,just fine, but as I listened to the conflicting party views, one labelled “dystopian” the other labelled “hopeful,” I was pretty sure neither party was speaking to me.

I know come November I will be unable to vote a man into the presidency who has lied about his wealth, his care of others, and his love of our nation. Likewise, I will be unable to vote for a woman claiming to be a “change-maker” who is in the pocket of corporate interests, whose party rigged an election in her favor and and who stole campaign funding from those lower on the political rung to pursue her presidential agenda. (Realities that the mainstream media touch less than a bad case of poison ivy.)

Looking across the vast wasteland at both presidential conventions amidst all the hoopla, balloon popping, and talk of “hope for the new generation,” I did see one candidate for whom I might have voted. He sat quietly, sitting in a chair next to his wife, occasionally waving, as one speaker after another used his name in the hope of gaining his supporters. Yes, that candidate was the “impractical” Bernie Sanders. This was the real change-maker – but the one who will never be in the position to make the “changes” that corporate interests so fear.

Even as he sat there, I could see that he felt left out of the “party,” too. And, when the DNC delegates from overseas gave him 10 of their votes (the last one presented tearfully by his brother Larry Sanders), I knew that this candidate belonged to our nation, represented the values of this party, and had earned my vote as well.

Why did so many of the US expats vote for Bernie? Could it be that his ideas, “so outrageous and impractical in the US” are standard fair in Europe? Universal health care, labor rights and sick pay, parental time-off  are considered “rights” not “benefits” in many European nations, large and small. But, because of our privatization of everything from water to education to health care, these are not guarantees to the American people. In many cases these “rights” have not only cost Americans money, but have cost them their lives.

Who will make the change? The one who accepted millions of dollars in corporate money  (from Big Pharma and Energy) or the one who funded a campaign with $27 donations one at a time? Who is the one we can “believe in?” The one who syphoned donations from her party for local races to pocket it for her campaign – or the one who has set aside his personal interests to promote a progressive agenda for the nation despite the fact he will not be in a position to oversee this agenda?

In the midst of the hullabaloo and endorsements from one president after another, there truly is only one presidential candidate in this election. There is only one candidate who put the interests of nation above interests of self. And that is the candidate who had the humility to step aside in an attempt to unify a decidedly fractured party. That is the candidate who has spoken change from the beginning of his candidacy, not borrowed this idea to win progressive votes. That is the only candidate who is showing a true love for his nation but, sadly, he was not “partying” at his party's party. In my view, he is the only candidate that many Americans, voices now silent, feel deserves their vote: Bernie Sanders.

Bio: Judy Cummings is a middle class, grassroots citizen. She worked as a child-care specialist at a social service agency in the state of Illinois where she managed a family/early literacy program for newly-arrived families from seven nations. This program was funded by a state grant. Due to the ongoing bickering between Democrats and Republicans, Illinois has not passed a state budget in two years. Her position was terminated in March as a result. She currently is unemployed.

And now some words from a brave Bernie delegate who survived the convention.

This has been a very hard week and very great week all at once. I am sure you wondered if I had been swallowed up by the media rage and the social media blitz. Maybe you wonder if I lost my ability to use a computer, Facebook or went mindless.  In a way, all are true. I spent all my time totally absorbing and functioning and leading forth Bernie Sanders message, delegated to represent the 15,000 primary voters from NW Ohio.  I have written dozens of pages of notes and taken many photos.  

Instead of showering you with bits and pieces of the convention, I will soon spend  my observations, insights, concerns and opinions in an orderly way. Starting with the objective observations and ending with a role you can play in a stolen democracy!  For now, let me say that I am deeply moved by the Bernie effect and totally overwhelmed with the propaganda of the Democratic party. all at once. The tremendous emotional, mental and physical strain on all Bernie delegates of working for months with hundreds of dedicated Bernie supporters to see the steamrolling effects of a corporate media-driven propaganda machine appear to flatten has been extremely hard. We are not discouraged, though, and we're ready to reconstruct our activities for the transformation rises quickly on the rebound.  

All this I shall document with descriptions, photos and commentary.  It may take a few days, but that's because I prefer to make it meaningful, in context, valid in documentation and worthy of our friendship and our relationship.  You mean more to me than twenty sound bites from the floor and a dozen photos of Bernie T-shirts.  I take this very seriously.  

Thank you for understanding.  

Dennis Slotnick, Bernie delegate, 5th Ohio Ccongressional District 

And now a  few words from a marcher in Philadelphia.

Post-Philadelphia Thoughts
by Adrian J. Matthews

So, what did I bring back from the hot and dusty streets of Philadelphia? First, I got a sense of the amazing energy and enthusiasm on the streets and in FDR Park during the various rallies for Senator Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein. People are no longer tolerant of the "business as usual" attitude espoused by the two "main" parties. They are in the mood to break things, particularly the rotten political system in this country. The Revolution is going forward, and things will never be the same.

Second, it's now obvious the so-called Democratic Party is anything but. After 2008, Clinton drones infiltrated the party machine until it became just another wing of The Establishment Party, of which the GOP is the other. They are not two sides of the same coin; they are on the same side, that which favors the oligarchy. Bernie Sanders had no chance of becoming the Democratic presidential nominee. He could have showed up in Philadelphia with every state primary in his pocket and 100% of the delegates, and the DNC would still have contrived to shut him out in favor of That Woman. Everything the party did was to promote Shillary by the flagrant breaking and bending of laws and party rules. You only have to look at how Bernie's delegates and surrogates were treated during the convention to see how it was rigged. There are even rumors of an assault on Bernie Sanders himself and threats against his wife and family by thugs in the pay of Clinton.

Third, independent voters will not tolerate any accusations of "spoiling it for Shillary" or "letting Drumpfolini win." The Bifurcation Fallacy is now known and recognized. Attempts to make this election like others of the past, where the campaigning name-calling is set aside after the nomination "for the sake of party unity" are failing, and the party faithful can't understand why. Independent voters far outnumber the Establishment Party's two wings combined, and they are rejecting the pathetic attempts to force them to vote for the lesser evil. Green Party candidate Jill Stein is experiencing a surge in popularity the like of which has never been seen by the Greens in this country-- something that should make the oligarchs very worried indeed.

For myself, I'm Still Sanders. He's a man of integrity and honesty, a genuine public servant and man of the people. By running as a Democrat, Senator Sanders has exposed the Democratic Party to the world for the rotten edifice it is. I left behind any interest in the Democratic Party once the nomination was given to Shillary. As far as I'm concerned she and that other guy are now irrelevant. I will do my best to promote the peaceful and progressive policies espoused by Senator Sanders and Jill Stein, to work on a positive theme for the future and the betterment of humanity as a whole and not just for the 1%. It would be great if Bernie and Jill Stein combined forces, as I'm positive they would bury Drumpfolini and Shillary (along with what's left of her party after DemExit) and take the presidency. For the sake of sanity and world peace I hope it's so.

(Use of silly names is to prevent the two people I despise more than any other in the world from trending on Twitter and elsewhere).

Bio: Adrian J. Matthews is a published novelist, artist and avowed Democratic Socialist.
 

Which side are you on? Are you ready to join Our Revolution today? Whatever you do--keep talking about progressive issues and candidates. We can change our country and world if we don't give up.

We Are Marching For Our Lives

Some photos from the March 4 Our Lives (Monday 7-25-16) and some commentary from Ohio Bernie delegates Barb McMillen and Dennis Slotnick...

Thoughts on the DNC

by Barb McMillen, Bernie delegate Ohio 5th congressional district

Was watching the DNC last night and the tapes from the day before and started to think that the problem with the DNC goes beyond what we talk about - money, corruption, keeping people out. I took pride in being a Democrat my entire life. I fought for Kennedy, and Obama, Johnson, Robert Kennedy, Carter. 

The party itself is also made up of civil rights superstars and the convention itself is filled with people the party has advocated for - people with disabilities, poverty, absent social justice. So why did the parade of the vulnerable bother me? Why was my pride and spirit not raised?

So I began to think about the super stars - Barney Frank, Lewis, Cummings, the Clintons, whomever, and I wondered... They are all my age or older. Their issues are issues that permeated and defined the sixties. They made Change, were social and cultural warriors. They formed a team, a group of warriors who bonded themselves to the cause.

Think about that. Fifty to sixty years dealing with social issues successfully? They come to rely on each other, trust each other. They covet their power to define what issues get covered, who is meaningful and whom is not. 

They became institutionalized. Though they continue to fight the good fight, they became a closed system. And they fail to see how the world has changed. They fail to see they have narrowed the field of interest by aging commitments. The tower is no longer a tree. All fluidity is absent. The focus is to keep us going. And exclusion rather than inclusion becomes increasingly the order of the day.

So, here we are today. Corporatism is not an issue despite its ties to the party structure. Black Lives Matter is not an issue because All Lives Matter since we've been recognizing and handling civil rights issues for years. And the money we were grateful for to keep us going has become the money we demand to keep us going.

The danger of this televised truly Orwellian evangelical parade of the saved--disabled, women, people of color that marches across the screen like Jerry Lewis's Muscular Dystrophy patients--is that all these wonderful people have become the "objects" of the Dems intention and the visual proof of the demonstrable power they have to save you. 



They are all too invested. They need to find a way to become inclusive and alive to new issues. They are like that line from Fitzgerald describing Gatsby himself:  "He was a son of God—a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that—and he must be about His Father’s business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty." 

An update from Delegate Dennis Slotnick, Ohio 5th congressional district

I cant believe I  am at the same convention that the press was. Don't trust anything on the mass media. It's all stacked against Bernie. He was not booed this Monday afternoon. His comment was about supporting Hillary but that was not booing him. The crowd was not raucous. It was loving and energized and calmly and deeply appreciative of him. He did not struggle to get the attention to start speaking. He was humbly recognizing our reception. 

There as no unruly outbursts at all. There was no contention.There was some disagreement, but not chaos as media has suggested. More later. 

Beautiful chalk art outside of FDR Park

 

Protesters at the fence leading to the Wells Fargo convention area.

 "Bernie" marches with us!

 

 Protesting the Confederate (Mississippi state) flag hanging along Broad Street.