Bernie Sanders: Instead Of Fighting ISIS, We Should Focus On Helping The Middle Class

[Cali_Democrat]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/30/politics/bernie-sanders-middle-east-quagmire/

Washington (CNN) -- Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the Senate's leading doves, said Tuesday he doesn't want the United States leading the fight against ISIS. Instead, said the Vermont senator, who is eyeing a 2016 presidential bid, the nation should be focused on helping the middle class.

Sanders, an Independent who caucuses with Democrats, said he doesn't want to see the United States fall into another "quagmire in the Middle East," and he put the onus on Muslim countries to take on ISIS.

"I'm sitting here wondering where Saudi Arabia is, where Kuwait is, where Qatar is," Sanders said on CNN's "New Day." "I'll be damned if kids in the state of Vermont -- or taxpayers in the state of Vermont -- have to defend the royal Saudi family, which is worth hundreds of billions of dollars."

Saudi Arabia and Qatar are part of a five-country coalition of Middle Eastern nations that have joined the U.S. in airstrikes against ISIS in Syria, but Sanders suggested the U.S. should only be "supportive."

[arcane1]

1. Well-said, and I'd go one step further: helping those who wish they were middle-class

to Bernie for telling it like it is.

[Cali_Democrat]

2. Yes

There's talk this could go on for years.

We just can't afford it.

[Veilex]

12. +1

Federal funds have been hemorrhaging into the "war against terror" since Bush Jr. got into office

[Ampersand Unicode]

20. Actually, since Ike (last good Republican) warned us about the MIC.

[Veilex]

24. Fair point... allow me to modify my statement:

Since Bush Jr. got into office, the hemorrhaging of federal funds into the "war against terror" has been kicked into overdrive with a hefty dose of nitrous oxide and steroids.

[L0oniX]

14. When the majority are poor ...they become the middle class.

[arcane1]

19. Sad but true :(

[Ampersand Unicode]

21. John Steinbeck was right.

[Cha]

3. "Supportive"? Yeah, we're supportive alright.. sorry, if the USA is "leading" too much for you.

Bernie stands with the President on this "Enormously complicated issue".. as he calls it. He disagrees with staying out of ISIS like some around are clamoring on about.

As he stated it's an "International effort" and guess what.. "they have to put money in it too."

Senator Sanders also said Assad Gassed his own people.. whether the conspiracy theorists around here believe it or not..

Hartman and he talked about one republiCon saying.. they'll "blast him if it doesn't work and ask why he didn't do it sooner if it does." Sounds like a familiar whine.

[samsingh]

9. honestly

we created the problem in the middle east by supporting idiots like saddam, putting the house of saud in power, and then of course the invasion of iraq.

how can anyone ignore the massacres of Kurds and Christians in the middle east?

in terms of the middle class: free health care and employment protection improvements. Also, access to vote freely (who can even believe we should be concerned about this in the Land of the Free).

[BrotherIvan]

4. ...

[noiretextatique]

5. but...but...but ISIS and that group that probably doesn't exist

are the worst manufactured boogeymen ever!!! Obama said so, so it must be true. we...must...spend...billions to defeat these people (and kill a bunch of innocents) so grandma can sleep at night. what's that you say? grandma's losing her house to a predatory bank?! fuck grandma. must...spend...billions: so we will be safe! rinse, lather, repeat.

[blkmusclmachine]

10. What's the definition of "is" ???

[noiretextatique]

11. +1000

sickening.

[L0oniX]

15. Grandma will have a free public park to sleep in ...after they cut SS for their wars.

[johnnyreb]

6. Thank you Senator Sanders

...thank you so much.

[zentrum]

7. The words in this headline...

...subtly miss the intelligence in Sander's words. f the said the headline as written he'd be shooting himself in the foot politically with the less informed who live whipped up into fear that ISIS is coming to get us.

His actual remarks, in the way he explained them, would get him votes even with those people.

Bernie is more on fire than ever.

[cheyanne]

8. Since none of the Marxists seem to be stepping up to the plate, I will.

Sanders is right that the basic problem is that America cannot now give their citizens, not just a better life, but hope for a better life. By assuring the basic human rights (including health care and a living wage) to Americans, we provide Americans with the security and confidence to deal with international problems in a rational and pragmatic way.

In stead of falling into the vicious cycle of dehumanization and fear-mongering, Americans will be able to work at the root causes of the extremism, either in this country or the world.

There is no such thing as "foreign policy" any more: we are a planet.

[bigdarryl]

13. What about the poor Sanders

[Populist_Prole]

16. He's reading my mind

I also am quite dismayed at the number of even progressives I know are allowing themselves to be distracted by this middle east thing; or for that matter, any other "headline" newsy items pushed by "MediaCo".

[chknltl]

17. KnR Sen. Sanders speaks for me here. nt

[City Lights]

18. Fuckin' A!

Thank you, Senator Sanders!

[NightWatcher]

22. I've never seen an "ISIS" but I have skipped meals to buy prescriptions

You really want to piss off ISIS, make America the hap hap happiest place on the planet. That will piss those fundy religious nuts off.

[Ampersand Unicode]

23. BERNIE IS THE MAAAAAAN.

[1StrongBlackMan]

25. While I'm sure this statement pleases many here ...

to me it highlights the difference between being a Senator and a President. Senators can be tunnel visioned; whereas, Presidents must take a much broader view of issues.

[TheNutcracker]

26. Funny, Bernie is the ONLY one who actually talks about the issues....all of them!

[1StrongBlackMan]

28. Yeah ... Okay ...

Saying to ignore something that we are already involved in is not "Talking About" (or even thinking about) an issue, anymore than closing one's eyes makes something scary go away.

[KentuckyWoman]

27. He's wrong. We can do both.

Sending stealth bombers into Syria at a cost of $79 mil per run doesn't to much if anything to solve anything. There's plenty of money.

[Sparhawk60]

29. Strange Idea

How about instead of blowing up third world countries, we use that money here?

Heck, I would rather have the government randomly pass out 1,000 checks for a million a piece to tax payers than to spend that money on bombs. The checks would stimulate the hell out of the economy, the bombs will just make more people hate us.

[daleanime]

30. K&R....

[ladjf]

31. Damn! It's difficult to fault the Senator's logic.nt

[flamingdem]

32. Bernie is right as usual

We should not linger over there, that money is needed for Americans.

[Egnever]

33. And sadly that is why Bernie will not be elected president.

We need to do both.

[rtracey]

34. Got my vote

Ok there it is..... I will vote for him in a heart beat...I totally agree with everything he says, completely..... get the Muslim countries to fight their battles, not the US