Jonathan Chait's Laughable Attempt to Take Down Bernie Sanders Over Nicaragua

[Uncle Joe]

(snip)

As Sanders noted in his interview with the Times last week, the 1980s were a decade removed from the CIA-backed military overthrow of Salvador Allende in Chile, two removed from the CIA-backed military coup in Brazil, and three removed from a CIA-backed military coup in Guatemala. In Nicaragua, the U.S. had backed the Somoza family dictatorships for four decades before the Carter administration changed course as the wheels were actively falling off.

So, yes, Nicaraguans had a fundamental right to be furious at the American government. Apparently, Sanders’ big crime was not brandishing an American flag and scolding them for their anger, and pointing out that the American media should challenge the Reagan administration line.

Sanders visited Nicagagua, by the way, in 1985. The anti-Sandinista side was a nun-murdering, authoritarian militia. There was no centrist third party waiting in the wings to take power as a compromise; Daniel Ortega had soundly defeated the closest thing to an opposition in the previous year’s first democratic election in Nicaragua in decades.

(snip)

In Sanders’ case, however, the criticism doesn’t hold weight. When you’re someone who’s been active in American political life for decades and have been right about nearly every major question of American foreign policy in that time frame, you should repeat it, and often, even if it angers people who can never seem to get it right.

https://splinternews.com/jonathan-chaits-laughable-attempt-to-take-down-bernie-s-1835069500

[SouthernProgressive]

1. It's always pretty easy to tell when something stings.

Like the argument that all incarcerated persons should vote, this one isn't that flattering.

[Hortensis]

2. :) This topic isn't exactly a winner for Sanders, you know.

Or maybe you don't.

Here's the line: Sanders is the only REAL progressive Democratic candidate. And it was Hillary who longed to lead a giant socialist revolution instead of being stuck with the peaceful prosperity of Vermont.

[BannonsLiver]

4. Bernie is infallible.

Did you not get the memo?

[ehrnst]

10. .....

[Vidal]

3. Don't you know that people can see through what you are doing?

It's laughable.

[peggysue2]

5. Not so laughable

This is the sort of info that was not exposed during the 2016 campaign. It would not have been attractive then, anymore than now. Hillary Clinton did not smear the Senator from Vermont despite howls to the contrary. But this isn't 2016. Whole different ballgame because we're fighting for the life of the country itself. The interview clip illustrates how Senator Sanders handles unflattering questions--change the subject and/or attack the interviewer.

Not going to work this time out.

[George II]

6. Not laughable at all, what might be laughable is Mr. Blest's personal attack on Mr. Chait:

"Because vapidity never takes a day off, New York concern troll-at-large Jonathan Chait was at it again on Memorial Day"

[melman]

9. That looks like a pretty accurate take on "Mr. Chait"

Nothing laughable about it.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

7. Is Chait a Reagan Democrat who wants to re litigate the Contras and apologize for Reagan?

Sure sounds like a Reagan Democrat.

He supported the Iraq invasion.

He’s written columns lamenting “political correctness”

He accused Elizabeth Warren of selling out to special interests in her opposition to Charter Schools (Chait’s wife a big shill charter schools)


The guy is a right wing clown.


Anyway, LOL, from the comments:

turns out the people being massacred by yankees for the crime of electing someone to the left of Pinochet register their unhappiness with the situation impolitely.

i know, rude of them.

there’s also the part where Sanders thinks charter schools are a grotesque handout to Betsy DeVos and her kind, and Chait responds “hey wait my wife is one of her kind, how dare you”

[Otto Lidenbrock]

8. Not much of a take down

Given the average voter likely can't point to Nicaragua on the map.

[ehrnst]

11. Splinter News....

It takes a very far left fringe POV.

If that is where one needs to go to validate one's anger at criticism of one's candidate, one should not be surprised should one's choice of candidate is considered to be too fringe by a majority of voters.