I think most of Bernie Sanders' supporters now feel the same way I do after watching Bernie Sanders take to the road with a creep like Tom Perez trying to re-build the Democratic Party after the fiasco of Hillary Clinton which Bernie Sanders contributed to in a big way which delivered us into Trump's hands.
If Bernie Sanders was honest he would open up a discussion asking about how his supporters feel about all of this.
Sanders has a massive mailing list.
Political honesty requires Bernie Sanders to open up this discussion. That he refuses to open up this discussion to his supporters and the much broader liberal/progressive/left tells me he is nothing but a shill for the Democrats; Democrats most people in this country are as fed up with as they are with the Republicans.
Bernie Sanders refuses to open up this question about the need for a new party because he is a shill for the Democrats; who else would choose to work for "unity" with a creep like Tom Perez who is as corrupt, lying and deceitful as they come?
Unity of liberals, progressives and leftists--- the majority of the working class and a very sizeable section of the middle class--- can not be achieved by working with these kinds of sleazy Democratic Party hacks. And, these sleazy Democratic Party hacks will never push for peace and the kind of real reforms required to solve our problems.
Let us be clear about this:
Uniting people to vote for Democrats who bring forward nothing but platitudes to trick people out of their precious votes is not the basis for "unity."
Anyone who still believes what Tom Perez does, that this government can continue to squander the wealth of our Nation on militarism and wars and then have the needed funding for reforms, is a complete fool. Why would Bernie Sanders even contemplate, much less participate, in such a farce with the likes of Tom Perez if he wasn't a shill for the Democratic Party?
No one is saying don't work with grassroots Democrats; but, it is important to understand that drumming up support for people to vote for Democrats is not the same thing as uniting people behind a real progressive agenda that will pay for large-scale reforms with a Peace Dividend derived from ending these dirty imperialist wars and this insane drive towards World War III and a nuclear winter.
We must remember that it was because Franklin D. Roosevelt had to fight his own party dominated by reactionary Truman type Wall Street Democrats that all of his reforms were too late and too little to help many suffering people.
These corporate Democrats have never cared that people need to eat when they are hungry and get medical care when they are sick instead of waiting for reforms to be dished out in "baby steps" and "incrementally."
Here is the basis for unity--- interesting is the fact that it has been real progressive Democrats who brought forward all of these things and they couldn't win the support of their own Democratic Party which should cause people to think in terms of why we need a new working class based people's party to achieve peace and these reforms:
Campaign for a “21st Century Full Employment Act for Peace and Prosperity”
We are fed up with politicians campaigning on promises of “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” and then failing to make themselves legislatively responsible for attaining and maintaining full employment.
We are fed up with our tax dollars being squandered on militarism and wars instead of being used to create jobs by solving the problems of the people and defending our living environment… its time to beat swords into plowshares. Put people to work solving the problems of the people.
A National Public Health Care System would create over twelve-million new jobs paying real living wages providing people with free health care--- general medical, eyes, ears, dental, family planning and mental health--- through a network of neighborhood and community health care centers; this is a better use of our tax-dollars than wasting our human and financial resources on a far flung empire of over 800 U.S. military bases around the world. Or, it could be financed the same way Social Security is financed. Or paid for with a tax on Wall Street transactions. Or financed with a combination of these methods. Public funding. Public administration. Public delivery… nothing controversial; just like public education.
A National Public Child Care System would create over three-million new jobs providing working class families with free child care.
We need to restore the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (C.E.T.A.), Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
“At Will Employment” legislation in states across the country needs to be rescinded and repealed to expand democracy in the workplace and provide workers with the right to freely participate in the communities where they live.
All attacks on immigrant workers, documented and undocumented, need to end.
Planned Parenthood needs to be defended and programs expanded.
We insist Congress and the president enact full employment legislation which makes them legislatively responsible for attaining and maintaining full employment; assure everyone who wants a job employment at real living wages in line with the actual cost-of-living.
Full employment would provide stability for Social Security; everyone paying in; everyone getting something out. A Basic Income for All must be guaranteed. Pensions must be honored and protected. The Wall Street swindle of pension funds must end; restore the Glass-Steagall Act.
Turn Habitat for Humanity into a massive public works project to create jobs and assure everyone has a decent home.
Free education through university; cancel student debt. End military recruitment in the high schools.
Unemployment and lack of a National Public Health Care System is the price we pay for militarism and wars. We are entitled to a Peace Dividend……... Let’s talk about the politics and economics of livelihood.