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Little tidbit on Bernie Sanders...
Various ^ | Various | Various

Posted on 02/09/2004 10:35:08 AM PST by Stingray

Representative [Bernie] Sanders delivered the following remarks at the National Conference on Media Reform held in Madison, WI.

"I had run for office in Vermont as a third party candidate and received 1 or 2 percent of the vote. And then, having been a little bit involved in media production, I decided to produce a video biography on the life of Eugene V. Debs, one of my heroes -- the great labor and socialist leader of the early part of the 20th century."

Here's a sampling of some of the writings of Sanders' self-professed "hero", Eugene V. Debs:

"Let me say at the very threshold of this discussion that the workers have but the one issue in this campaign, the overthrow of the capitalist system and the emancipation of the working class from wage-slavery."

THE CLASS STRUGGLE

"We are entering tonight upon a momentous campaign. The struggle for political supremacy is not between political parties merely, as appears upon the surface, but at bottom it is a life and death struggle between two hostile economic classes, the one the capitalist, and the other the working class."

THE HISTORIC STRUGGLE OF CLASSES

The call of the Socialist party is to the exploited class, the workers in all usefull trades and professions, all honest occupations, from the most menial service to the highest skill, to rally beneath their own standard and put an end to the last of the barbarous class struggles by conquering the capitalist government, taking possession of the means of production and making them the common property of all, abolishing wage-slavery and establishing the co-operative commonwealth."

CLOSING WORDS

"The overthrow of capitalism is the object of the Socialist party. It will not fuse with any other party and it would rather die than compromise."

Eugene V. Debs, Founder of the American Socialist Party Opening Speech Delivered as Candidate of the Socialist Party for the President at Indianapolis, Ind., September 1, 1904

Some hero, huh?

BTW, Sanders' congressional page lists all the members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus here, http://bernie.house.gov/pc/ of which Kucinich is an officer.

More on Debs, the hero of Sanders and a number of other American Marxists here:

http://www.marxists.org/index.htm


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: berniesanders; eugenevdebs; marxist; socialist
This issue recently came up on another website where it was alleged that Sanders is not a Communist and that Socialists and Marxists are two completely different animals. Further, it was alleged there that the Nazis were not Socialists but rather extreme right-wingers, and that American lefties have virtually nothing in common with them or their beliefs.

More on that later, if I get the time.

Just thought you might enjoy this ever-so-brief tour through the mind of an American Marxist: Bernie Sanders.

1 posted on 02/09/2004 10:35:13 AM PST by Stingray
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To: Stingray
Why did Vermont's citizens elect this person?
2 posted on 02/09/2004 10:38:52 AM PST by TheGeezer
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To: Stingray
Or do I have this person confused with one of Vermont's senators? I think I do.
3 posted on 02/09/2004 10:40:09 AM PST by TheGeezer
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To: TheGeezer
Why did Vermont's citizens elect this person?

Vermont has been taken over by ex-hippies from New York and Massachussetts. My husband graduated from the University of Vermont in '73, and at that time the hippies were living in communes all over the state and the native Vermonters couldn't wait to leave. There were more cows in the state than there were people and fewer jobs. The teaching and nursing professions were so over crowded that teachers were being paid less than 6,000 /yr and nurses made for a whole day what they made per hour in other states.

4 posted on 02/09/2004 10:44:44 AM PST by Eva
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To: TheGeezer
No, this is THE Bernie Sanders "Independent" congress critter from Vermont.

My opinion of Sanders has always been really low, but my opinion of Vermonters just fell through the basement floor.
5 posted on 02/09/2004 10:45:38 AM PST by Stingray ("Stand for the truth or you'll fall for anything.")
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To: Stingray
Debs was wrong on one point:

"The overthrow of capitalism is the object of the Socialist party. It will not fuse with any other party and it would rather die than compromise."

Socialism didn't die or compromise, but it did fuse with the Democrat Party.
6 posted on 02/09/2004 10:48:09 AM PST by Stingray ("Stand for the truth or you'll fall for anything.")
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To: Stingray
Vermonters aren't as un, queer, as many Republicans like to think they are. Americans react very strongly to a politician who firmly holds his views. Look at Gore's overtaking of Bush when he got nominated and went from Tin Man to Die Fuhrer.

Our natural advantage as Republicans is that our views are far less scary than Democrats. Our disadvantage is that we keep nominating nancy-pantsy, big-government, cower-at-the-sight-of-Ted-Kennedy, soap-fetching wimps named Bush.
7 posted on 02/09/2004 10:55:59 AM PST by dangus
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To: dangus
Our disadvantage is that we keep nominating nancy-pantsy, big-government, cower-at-the-sight-of-Ted-Kennedy, soap-fetching wimps named Bush.

Tell us, How you really feel...then think, would you really want Algore as Pres./Chief Excut...esp. w/ the war on terrorism...on balance keep GWB.

8 posted on 02/09/2004 11:19:01 AM PST by skinkinthegrass (Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you :)
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To: skinkinthegrass
" Tell us, How you really feel...then think, would you really want Algore as Pres./Chief Excut...esp. w/ the war on terrorism...on balance keep GWB."

I *did* say *we*. But hey, at least the French would've supported the war. Bwahahaha!
9 posted on 02/09/2004 11:22:05 AM PST by dangus
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To: Eva
Why did Vermont's citizens elect this person?

In David Horowitz's book, Radical Son, he talks about an early movement, I think in the 50's-60's, to send lots of pinko's to Vermont and try to take over the state's politics. Then they would take on the rest of the country. Obviously, they had a bit of success.

Almost exactly like the current Libertarian project to do the same, but opposite, in New Hampshire. What is it called, the "Free State Project" I think?

New Hampshire and Vermont truely are twin states. Exact mirror images of each other, and that's only been true in the last 50 years. They make great case studies of the effects of socialisim vs. capitalisim.

10 posted on 02/09/2004 11:38:24 AM PST by narby (Who would Osama vote for???)
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To: Stingray
Bernie's soooo independent that he is the loneliest guy in congress. ;)
11 posted on 02/09/2004 12:14:31 PM PST by rudypoot
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To: dangus
I *did* say *we*. But hey, at least the French would've supported the war.

that's true...What did Gen. Patton say about the French, "I rather have them in front of me, then behind...So I could watch them."

12 posted on 02/09/2004 4:18:43 PM PST by skinkinthegrass (Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get you :)
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