Thanks for posting it. This bit really highlighted the absurdity of The Revolution-
...The answer, he says, is “…to have millions of people rise up…”
Note the use of the verb “have.” We’ll just have that happen. Like, “We’ll have the maid pick up an extra quart of milk.”
We don’t need to ask just how many millions of voters would be required to make this dream a reality. We don’t need to consider what congressional districts to target. We don’t need to consult political scientists to gain a better understanding of why people vote and why people don’t vote. We don’t need to build new, or improve upon existing political infrastructures to facilitate this dramatic electoral transformation. We certainly don’t need to consult with the people in the Democratic party who have, for decades, been studying the makeup of the voting population across the nation, developing tools and strategies to reach people more effectively. Nope. None of that is necessary. All that’s necessary is for Bernie Sanders to become president. Once that happens it will be like Field of Dreams. Ghosts will wander from cornfields, ready to vote for single payer.
We’ll just have it happen.
Which reminded me of an excellent point on this topic I read just yesterday at Shakesville:
...(T)he fact is that even an enormous number of people showing up and getting involved in the political process doesn't axiomatically translate into affecting progressive change, or even stopping regressive legislation.
Take, for example, Wendy Davis' filibuster in the Texas legislature. Despite the then state senator's 11-hour filibuster to block legislation that would severely undermine reproductive access in Texas, a packed floor of activists, a nationwide call to attention, and countless pro-choice people across the country taking action in support of her, the Republican-majority legislature, with a corrupt assist from then Governor Rick Perry, forced the measure through.
That moment is one of many examples of how an engaged citizenry is not always enough to overcome the steep power imbalance between an entrenched conservative legislature and We the People.
http://www.shakesville.com/2016/02/i-want-to-know_8.htmlIf that's the proposed tactic, why no success? How would Bernie handle that one? It is Smoke. And. Mirrors.
Worse, he's deluding a large segment of young people with a bullet point manifesto that ignores and discounts civics. Want what you want, you can have it now! he leads them to believe. They will be so disillusioned whether he wins or loses. The time I remember that happening was just after we lost Bobby. The tendency was to tune out and turn on, with disastrous effect.
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