This one sentence in the red-baiting NYT article about Bernie sums it up clearly.

[DanTex]

Nothing in the documents suggests that Mr. Sanders was the only local American official targeted for propaganda, or even that he was particularly receptive to it, though they do describe him as a socialist.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/05/world/europe/bernie-sanders-soviet-russia.html

That won't stop the "Bernie is a communist stooge" smears, of course. The real story isn't about Bernie, it's about the media.

[randr]

1. Reporting that Bernie is called a socialist

or that the smear will escalate is not the "medias" bad. I think they have a responsibility to report what the opposition will throw out at each candidate.

[DanTex]

2. But running a whole article insinuating Bernie was some kind of Soviet stooge is.

You might be right, that they have a responsibility to report what the opposition will throw at our candidates, but for some reason they only do that for Bernie.

Hmmmm....

[randr]

6. I thought the article painted a very good picture of Bernie

It gave him some international diplomatic cred even while still a Mayor.

[DanTex]

7. I wonder why the headline didn't frame it that way? Hmmm....

[ehrnst]

21. Hmmm... yeah, there's been nothing whatsoever in the media about the "Burisma"

accusations.

[NCProgressive]

8. Let's look at the evidence

1. He proudly admits that he is a socialist on video

2. He has voted against every single Russian sanctions bill.

3. He was actively supported by Russia (See Mueller's indictment of Russia)

4. Intelligence agencies are again seeing that Russia is helping Bernie via bots, trolls and disinformation campaigns.

5. Bernie praised Cuba and Fidel Castro around the cuban missile crisis.


It doesn't take a genius to decipher these actions into questioning the nature of the relationship.

[Magoo48]

9. But, corporate media is self censored, terribly understaffed with independent investigative

journalists, and simply blind to topics which question the corporate structure. Responsibility? When have they been responsible to the whole truth in recent memory?

[LanternWaste]

3. Blame the media, question the polls, rinse, lather, repeat as necessary.

It's come full circle.

"The real story isn't about Bernie, it's about the media."

Sure it's about Bernie. It's always about Bernie. It's about Bernie's self-righteous oppression at the hands of the world's evil-doers (that would be pretty much everyone who doesn't reciter Bernie's Progressive Litany three time a day), and how he's fighting against the evil Democratic Establishment.

It's always about Bernie.

Always.

[beachbumbob]

4. so bernie was a socialist then? Did he have ties to socialist organizations as well who had ties

to marxist and communist party of america, just wondering to see if sanders supporters really know sander's history

[DanTex]

5. You mean "Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?" Really?

Do you know where that quote comes from?

[Magoo48]

10. A bit disconcerting, yes?

[DanTex]

16. Yup. Here we are, 70 years later...

[NCProgressive]

12. It is a question asked every immigrant before granting a visa

and in every interview for the citizenship (naturalization)


Check out for N-400 from USCIS. It has that question in it.

[Celerity]

14. +1

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=639092

[DanTex]

15. Really? You don't know the history and significance of that question?

[Celerity]

13. its a valid question

https://www.uscis.gov/n-400

[bucolic_frolic]

11. You mean like

his economic advisor 2016 from University of Massachusetts Economics Department?

[thesquanderer]

17. And three different Biden supporters posted that story to this forum this morning...

...as a negative, despite, as you say, the article not actually being critical of Sanders at all.

[DanTex]

18. That's because of the ominous headline.

It's got people asking "are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party." Really. 70 years later, here we are...

[NurseJackie]

19. His month-long silence after learning that Russia was helping him...

... that was a mistake. I think it was something that made many voters question his honesty and integrity. It made others wonder of the "communist stooge" thing was a bit more than mere smoke. And then there's his no-vote regarding the Magnitsky Act, and being conveniently absent from another high-profile vote that imposed sanctions on Russia. Not once in his entire career in Washington, D.C., which started way back in 1991, has self-proclaimed and avowed Socialist Bernie Sanders ever voted yes on any bill with sanctions against Russia.

He's only making it worse for himself. This is all his own doing... you can't blame the media for pointing it out.

[Happy Hoosier]

20. If it were this one thing, I'd agree....

... but this fits a pattern.

This one issue isn't a big deal IMO. But added to all the other apologetics for the Soviets and Cubans, it reinforces a narrative.

[KPN]

22. Yes, partly. But it's also about institutions and their relative resistance to change. Resistance

takes many forms.

[ehrnst]

23. The Firehose of Falsehood.

“None of this is brand new; politicians have always sought to smear journalism they didn’t like. What’s new is that the attack is no longer about this or that story, but about journalism itself. It’s a challenge to the very notion of an independent accounting of facts.”

https://www.niemanlab.org/2017/12/the-firehose-of-falsehood/

[MiniMe]

24. There is a difference between a communist and a socialist.

I think many people in the US don't understand the difference

[Gothmog]

25. This is a great article and explains why Putin/Russia have been supporting sanders

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Mister Ed]

26. K&R for the sake of truth and accuracy.

I read the entire article from beginning to end. I could find nothing damning about Sanders in it. It seems to me that the headlines were written to sensationalize what was otherwise a long and somewhat uninsteresting article.