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Bernie Sanders, United States senator from Vermont, speaks at the Hay Festival on June 3, 2017. (Photo: David Levenson/Getty Images)
After Trump 'Treason' Talk, Sanders Says 'Grassroots Activism' Key to Defeating 'Authoritarianism'
"The great political issue now facing our country," Sanders says, "is not Democrat vs. Republican, it's democracy vs. authoritarianism."
Feb 06, 2018
Reacting to President Donald Trump's dictator-like insistence that Democrats who didn't applaud during his State of the Union address are "treasonous" and "un-American," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) argued in a video on Tuesday that Trump's remarks and behavior demonstrate that the "great political issue now facing our country" is "democracy versus authoritarianism."
"Yesterday Trump suggested that members of Congress who don't mindlessly stand and applaud his every word are guilty of 'treason,'" Sanders said. "Our job now is to remind Trump and his allies what democracy is all about. By our grassroots activism we will defend President Lincoln's words at Gettysburg, when he stated, "that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth. Our job: stand up, fight back, get involved."
\u201cThe great political issue now facing our country is not Democrat vs. Republican or progressive vs. conservative. It's much deeper than that. It's about democracy vs. authoritarianism.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1517941340
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
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Reacting to President Donald Trump's dictator-like insistence that Democrats who didn't applaud during his State of the Union address are "treasonous" and "un-American," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) argued in a video on Tuesday that Trump's remarks and behavior demonstrate that the "great political issue now facing our country" is "democracy versus authoritarianism."
"Yesterday Trump suggested that members of Congress who don't mindlessly stand and applaud his every word are guilty of 'treason,'" Sanders said. "Our job now is to remind Trump and his allies what democracy is all about. By our grassroots activism we will defend President Lincoln's words at Gettysburg, when he stated, "that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth. Our job: stand up, fight back, get involved."
\u201cThe great political issue now facing our country is not Democrat vs. Republican or progressive vs. conservative. It's much deeper than that. It's about democracy vs. authoritarianism.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1517941340
Reacting to President Donald Trump's dictator-like insistence that Democrats who didn't applaud during his State of the Union address are "treasonous" and "un-American," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) argued in a video on Tuesday that Trump's remarks and behavior demonstrate that the "great political issue now facing our country" is "democracy versus authoritarianism."
"Yesterday Trump suggested that members of Congress who don't mindlessly stand and applaud his every word are guilty of 'treason,'" Sanders said. "Our job now is to remind Trump and his allies what democracy is all about. By our grassroots activism we will defend President Lincoln's words at Gettysburg, when he stated, "that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth. Our job: stand up, fight back, get involved."
\u201cThe great political issue now facing our country is not Democrat vs. Republican or progressive vs. conservative. It's much deeper than that. It's about democracy vs. authoritarianism.\u201d— Bernie Sanders (@Bernie Sanders) 1517941340
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