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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."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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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."
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."
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