A Philosophical Endorsement: Why A Vote For Sanders Transcends Political Parties

What if we were to step back and observe ourselves as a system--one complete with glowing lines... making clear how everything is entangled with everything else?

When we speak of saving the world... what we really mean is to let the current ecosystem have its day. In essence we are talking about saving ourselves.

Daniel Quinn once said that we “will not be saved by programs but changed minds”. So, that leaves the question: what is the answer for a people that are not yet that ideal?

The conclusion I keep coming back to is that--at this moment in history--Bernie Sanders is the clear best choice of contending presidential candidates.

After diving deeper into the human story, I hope many will agree that the benefit of a Sanders presidency transcends political parties.

Initial effort went into being concise & precise here, and this led to zooming up on more doors, to let in more intangible clouds... so this is some brutal, anti-poetry, but it should shred any idea that my endorsement is given lightly.

We have our shadows, yet most of have a sense of being more, and we want to ease suffering in the world. And it is that suffering & the barely tangible complexities entangled with it, that compels my support of Bernie Sanders. 

I've watched Bernie's Speech in opposition to the Iraq War in a number of times. It highlights his five major concerns regarding future side effects, which sadly have come to be true... but more than that, his words shine with deliberation and mindfulness... right in the face of peer pressure and the manipulative pull of powerful interests. 

In a culture where people are greatly influenced by threats, real and perceived, we know easy manipulation in the midst of fear & uncertainty is not uncommon. Without consciously knowing it, we may find ourselves wrapped up in power's agenda. 

This may refer to the influence of those who buy media power & election power, providing campaign money, for promises owed and heavily influencing the fate of candidates (see the Howard Dean scream in 2004).

Just as only ten corporations produce the multitude of seemingly individual brands we see in the grocery store, six corporations collectively control the seemingly individual sources of U.S. Media today. 

The press can distract us with a hot issue and let others fall into the abyss. Few can claim exemption to its social pull. My grandfather, once a CBS cameraman, is not alone in saying “the press makes the news”.

This year there is the matter of Trump gaining the bulk of broadcast time, an estimated 30x more than Sanders, and the matter of Time Warner (CNN/Time Magazine) being a major contributor to Clinton's campaign. 

“Media in the hands of big business, will only present us with politicians who will serve their interests. It would be completely illogical for them to do otherwise”. (Woody Harelson)

Sanders has been framed continually as someone who can't win, even though his numbers exceed those of Obama at this point in his run against Clinton... and reflect him easily beating Trump (by ~14 percentage points).

How many of us have lost ourselves to the news? Very often the TV is the fire the tribe gathers around. (and yet the more you walk away from that fire, the more you might feel the Bern:) 

The agenda of power may also relate to terrorism, which may seek out a country's reciprocation with violence. This may also refer to our internal separation, as we risk pushing others--fellow citizens--past the membrane that defines us, into the unstable roles of outsiders. 

One can simply look at where half of the villains in superhero movies originate from. Their fear & hate ultimately fold back in again... in real life, this is how we fulfill the very goal of terrorist organizations. 

Consider the French president's speech regarding the 'poison of suspicion', following his welcoming of Syrian refugees, which Sanders is in agreement with. (Of course, yes there is a screening process).

The world's welcoming of refugees, according to an ex-Isis hostage, Nicolas Henin, demonstrates the very opposite of the reality Isis envisions, a reality in which most of the world is against them, and against all Muslims for that matter.

Inviting refugees in with open arms defies this logic and pulls fuel out of the fire. It is an empathetic move and a smart move. When we act, deliberation like this is in order to limit the spread of violence. Sanders, if anything, is deliberate.

In addition to complex international relations, as civilization pushes the practical limits of the biosphere, we may face an ultimate reconsidering of economic growth as a primary survival strategy. 

There are issues regarding how resources are sustained and ethically shared, and the future will, in all likelihood, demand a reconsideration of work and what a workday is like. See Sweden's 6-hour workday.

We face the integration of new technologies, meaning the likely reality of more and more automation. There are obviously complex issues regarding public safety & personal liberties, including the issue of gun ownership.

With complexity afoot, knee jerk responses to both threats external and our own internal resistance to change may undermine our better values & lead to more suffering. 

In the movie Star Wars, there is a reason why Luke is invited to give into hatred to strike the Emperor down. When the opposition wants us to lose control, that may be the least productive thing we can do. At a certain point we are slaves and we are owned.

Manipulation & domination have been ongoing themes in our shared history. After years and years of human civilization, of masses of people taking over the land and one another, of masses of people being controlled by the interests at hand... deliberate, thoughtful, authentic leadership is needed.

This is the leadership embodied by Bernie Sanders who, as a priority, seeks to get corruption out of the political process... to the greatest extent possible... to ensure we still resemble a democracy and not an oligarchy.

As someone pointed out, this is what some of our culture's great stories are about... a group of rebels standing up to oligarchy... Star Wars for instance. 

(Tempting here to mention Disney's ownership of ABC (World News Tonight) which this year provided ~81 minutes of stand alone coverage for Trump and ~20 seconds for Sanders--who again, is leading Trump according to polling--not to mention Disney's endless creation of plastic. Who is the Empire really?)

We would benefit by representation that is empathetic, limits corruption and does everything possible to respect the biodiversity of the planet while at the same time avoiding more conflict.

It is desirable to have someone, like Sanders, who is smart enough to take a pause... even while others, in the grips of fear, hate & ignorance, offer emotionally charged peer pressure. Ideally we would key into the wise elders of our tribe, rather than simply the charismatic ones. 

“And as most of us know all too well ---- groups are frequently dominated not by people who are most likely to be right but rather by people who are belligerent, persuasive, persistent, manipulative, or forceful” (David Freedman).

Responding to terrorism by throwing Muslims to the fire so to speak and meanwhile expecting all of those individuals to not feel separate--not to hold a grudge--is unrealistic. 

If we incite fear, we risk fear's repercussions. “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering”.(Yoda). 

It might surprise that an FBI Study looking at terrorism committed in the U.S. between 1980 and 2005 found that 94 percent of the attacks were committed by non-Mulims.

"If you are afraid, you can do whatever you want-- that's the legal standard." This is not to say emotions are not valid or that action is not valid, but we benefit by a courageous--observer style--look at the country we have been born into... and its role in the creation of violence. Self awareness.

Without even delving into the genocide of native American peoples, slavery, and segregation (which ended, at least on paper, in 1964--not so long ago), we can simply mention the Iraq War, which rode on public sentiment (and manipulation of the public) following 911.

Again, we can refer here to Bernie's 5 concerns about invading Iraq, including the creation of more destabilization, which ultimately contributed to Isis. It is also worth watching clips of Marianne Williamson and others commenting on the creation of Isis.

To quote Jim Wilson. “We have to keep in mind that the ultimate dynamic is the exploitative actions of Capital: There would be no Isis without the effects of Western exploitation - there would be no exploitation without the politics of oil - there would be no such significance to oil without the need for Western capital to dominate its sources of raw materials - there would be no need for such control of raw materials if profits weren't the overriding criteria for capital. Etc.”

I am not an expert on Middle East relations, but it is easy to recognize that the interrelationships here are a Pandora's Box, into which accuracy escapes: 

U.S. provided arms to (fanatical) group in Afghanistan in order to defeat the Soviet Union and then left that fanatical group behind and very well armed..... the U.S. continued to rely on oil however → U.S.'s continued involvement in the Middle East with the dictatorship in Saudi Arabia → continued presence in Saudi Arabia following Gulf War → Responding sentiments from Al Qaeda (the fanatical group initially funded by the U.S.) → 9/11 → Public sentiment manipulated & redirected → War with Iraq → Destabilization → Increasing presence of Isis → More terrorism → U.S. bombs sites in ongoing war against terrorism → Collateral damage → Potential for more membership to terrorist groups.

“It's even more complicated... We can bring Iran into the picture (our support of the Shah over Iranian democracy and the resulting break with Iran; our more-or-less unconditional support of Israel that has permitted the Palestinian situation to fester; our support of dictatorships in Egypt and Yemen and elsewhere, etc etc)” (Yaniv Tomer)

Where do we go from here?

This country's history isn't the starting point and is not to blame for everything, but there is a reason we do not have this relationship with Africa, for example. I was talking with a Marine who served in the middle east once, and someone said to him 'I can't believe people think this is about oil' to which he responded... 'But that is exactly what it is about.'

Bernie Sanders, who recently put forth his 16 page climate plan, is, more than any other candidate, all about freeing ourselves from the fossil fuel industry. While the Paris agreement is a powerful step, Bernie--a congressional leader in opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline--sees more.

And needless to say, in the long view we benefit by looking at our general role as consumers and how that plays into many of our own issues. Consider Jessica Wright Hay's well written paper highlighting the power of everyday consumerism. (It does not have the agenda of endorsing a particular candidate as I'm using it here). 

Wars will be stopped “when people boycott the economic outposts of Empire that are strung across the globe.” (Arundhati Roy)

Our role as consumers plays beyond the borders of our country... not only in terms of the aforementioned links to oil/resources and to violence, but in terms of global ecological impact.

This is just one concern with trade agreements such as the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) -which Bernie Sanders stood against and that make it easier to import goods born of unsound ecological practices, including certain domestically banned pesticides and certain violations of animal rights, for example. 

Like the idea of rendition--sending suspects to other countries to be tortured--we negate ourselves by attempting to export our offenses. We are pulling faraway strings which fold in on the entire system, and our ideals only exist in fantasy.

But who wants to be regulated? Many of us (including myself) fantasize about living in little bands/tribes again. However, what made those systems work is a set of natural checks and balances. 

When we remove natural checks and balances (see financial crisis 2008, overpopulation, climate change, invasive species), we can only float on the air for a limited time.

We benefit by understanding ourselves as a living system, as a planet... by setting reasonable parameters to replicate as best as possible what we left behind, as applicable to civilization. 

We may not destroy the planet, but we nonetheless may lay down the gauntlet of radical quick change, which, natural or not, demands our radical quick adaptation, which is not always a possibility (especially for 10 billion people)... and thus can lead to more suffering for us and a lot of other creatures. (See Dinosaurs & meteor crash) Thus the concern with climate change.

And as Sanders mentioned at the second debate, climate change is linked to scarcity of natural resources (and certainly, if that isn't convincing for someone, environmental degradation certainly is linked... desertification from unsound farming practices, for starters, which relates heavily to Syria).

Scarcity is a side effect that has already played a large part in our history... in the taking over of land... and the quick change of that land... in the proliferation of fight or flight... the proliferation of shame and subservience.

And of course (going back to books such like Ishmael and Guns, Germs & Steel), much of this leads back to the implications of (another quick change called) the agricultural revolution.

It has been indicated that increased food supply led to increased calories which led to an increased fertility rate which led to more people (more food = more mice) and later as we tapped into fossil fuels and other resources, we were afforded the illusion of living beyond the carrying capacity of the land.

We grew in population to become more stratified into specific jobs and layers of social worth, with the masses further and further from power... so we embrace democratic representation as a solution... 

But that representation has been undermined, largely by corporate entanglement in the electoral process and by the unconscious vote of the consumer, as demonstrated in daily purchases.

We find ourselves in the same pyramid again without even realizing it... while still under the illusion of democracy. Bernie Sanders quotes Pope Francis, who brilliantly referred to this as a “dictatorship without a face, which is lacking any truly humane goal.”

Sanders, despite the “democratic socialist” label, which will be elaborated on later, is a person fighting for a truly representative system that we think we have but do not, and for inspiring the public back into the political process. 

He largely emulates FDR who said “We must scrupulously guard the civil rights and civil liberties of all citizens, whatever their background. We must remember that any oppression, any injustice, any hatred, is a wedge designed to attack our civilization.”

Though we are often motivated by fight or flight, ironically, we are also, on the other end, often gripped by complacency.... not only a political complacency but a relaxed into routine of unconscious, consumerism which turns the hidden wheels. 

How is it that we fight cancer while at the same time pouring agents of change into the ecology linked to it—including certain types of (pink) plastics which leach into our bodily systems?

We are intimately entangled. We live in a civilization thick with influences, thick with human strings, that by its very operation tends, puts in motion quick changes, to which we often do not adapt in time, thus feeding dis-ease, in both our bodies and the world.

People may take to two extremes in approaching a disease state... to embrace it as self... and to fight it as though it were outside the self.

In a context, yes we can fight disease and, no doubt, having a certain gumption can be an asset to a survivor. Yet if the world denotes that this disease comes entirely from outside us, we are misled. If we only treat symptoms without realizing they are symptoms, we are misled, and this is what we appear to be doing.

This is all reflected in the healthcare we have now, which does little to address deficiency and toxicity and often uses invasive--and expensive--medicine in lieu of gentler preventative--and complementary--modalities. 

While naturopathic medicine is validated by a growing number of states, many other modalities (such as Western Herbalism, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Holistic Nutrition, Rolfing, Energy-work, Detoxification, Acupuncture, Biofeedback etc etc) take deliberate approaches to healing & address the root imbalance.

Many of us are impatient with conventional systems so slow to catch up to ancient traditions, and promoting a national health system of this variety has its repercussions and thus may seem hipocritical on my part. Yes, it is tricky and, yes, Sanders does support national health care, albeit in an altered form, so lets go deeper on that. Four points...

One: we know the power of desperation, and, to a point, a society that begins to have its basic needs met stands to think more preemptively and to embrace preventative action. 

Two: coming back to that plastic bottle, it is hard, so long as we impact the collective water, air--one in three children in Harlem have asthma--and land with our consumer practices and our emissions, to argue we do not bear responsibility for one another's health. 

Three: empathy.

Four: Lastly, after some 61 attempts by Republicans to remove Obamacare, the move toward universal healthcare does not appear to be going anywhere. So, in the long view, we may at least think of its evolution in terms of cost and in terms of intelligent, preemptive care, more free of corruption- in terms of pharmaceutical companies and the Food and Drug Administration.

(Look, I didn't even mention Ebola- which is no individual matter).

Sander's approach will likely curb some corruption, at least on the part of pharmaceutical companies and... “in short, single payer health care will save taxpayers about $500 billion per year even including the initial costs to train more doctors and nurses.

Canada and the other 19 wealthiest countries pay about 60% as much on health as we do, for care that is always free at the point of service, and that results in an extra three years of lifespan.” (Sanders on Healthcare)

“There’s something else to keep in mind: every single-payer system in the world, and there are many of them of varying flavors, is cheaper than the American health care system. Every single one. 

So whatever you might say about Sanders’ advocacy for a single-payer system, you can’t say it represents some kind of profligate, free-spending idea that would cost us all terrible amounts of money” (Washington Post)

In addition, it is likely that less people would be in fight or flight. While extreme suppression of communities may incite awakening and eventually revolution--of the kind we don't want--the average person lingering in various stages of fight or flight, may be too focused on pure survival and too stuck in systems, as to float above and recognize one's power. 

“Their politics are confined to bread and salt” (Film-Ghandi)

Yes, there is an irony here, as extreme comfort as well as extreme lack can distract, yet a person with basic ground needs met, logically stands to be less disenfranchised and to make a more empowered citizen... and can afford to be a more aware consumer... which folds back in on collective healthcare. Consumer choices are national health choices, often laced with irony.

To reemphasize, it is hard to fight cancer while holding a plastic bottle. In the documentary 'Tapped', for example, high local cancer rates were associated with emissions/bi-products from the bottled water industry. 

Disease can spread along with consumer trends, animated by the hidden strings we pull with our purchasing power. Those strings ultimately contribute to violence as well, both on national and international levels.

And consider this TEDTalk in which violence is compared to a disease. It is all in the subtle forces at play, and we ignore those at our peril and become slave to not only our subconscious personal behaviors... but those of our society.... and the manipulation continues.

“Naturally, the common people don't want war, neither in Russia nor in England nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. 

All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifist for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in every country (Hermann Goering)”. 

Iraq War... case in point.

Terrorists of course don't see themselves as terrorists. These are people in the grip of belief.... who have exaggerated traits, influence and tools at their disposal... as a side effect to all we discussed before, as well as humanity's general departure from indigenous living. 

While indigenous ways of life may seem so distant as to be irrelevant, consider: 

1) 10,000 years (for example) is nothing in the broader time scale, equating to about 500 generations, which is not much adaptation time in terms of our bodies and our dietary, postural, behavioral, psychological, and habitat relationships. 

2) Indigenous peoples still live beside us today; and this means 

3) what we observe as human is only human under certain conditions; and this begs the question 

4) what would these people--terrorists--be like in “a modern context that recognizes the emotional and spiritual...and physical... needs that are often neglected in modern societies"?

And as Nicolas points out, we are talking about a group of people--terrorists--living in an alternate reality, thus seeing the worldview, that we tend take as real, as something akin to the matrix... which they have stepped out of. So to them we are the Empire perhaps.

No, of course that doesn't make it right, easy to contend with or any less disturbing at a gut level of being, yet the basic idea can be related to. 

We all sort of live in our personal and collective matrixes, and there are things most mainstream cultures do that seem crazy--and are perhaps fear provoking to outsiders. Again, please see our role in some of the events leading up to our conflict with Isis.

Still, we know sadness and perhaps the fire of righteous anger. In a context, anger can incite an infringed upon group to rise out of despair and confront oppression. It's natural to experience anger when unthinkable, inhumane acts are taking place, such as terrorist attacks and beheadings, but where are the enemies here? 

To be fair, all of these words hit a wall... because where is the beginning?

No one can find it. So there is accountability but at the same time no one to blame. We can chase it all the way back to the big bang. 

And that isn't easy to say, as there are powerful natural inclinations we may have... inclinations for fairness and to act on certain overwhelming emotions. Admittedly, when it is personal we may know it best. Again, fear gives us permission to respond.

And while I can not directly relate to the horrors some have endured, certainly in my own experience I have housed (as Rumi would say) a variety of intense emotions including anger and despair. 

Sometimes it feels like the house is going to come down. What keeps it from burning down is self observation. 

Even when most of my practice has gone out the window, there is that tiny remnant of self observation.... that inner voice which allows an individual to be more than his/her program... and all the triggers the world flips... allowing one to bridge things till a person gets back on track...

Thus the dire need for awareness in our personal lives and in our culture. Thus the need to foster the conditions that foster awareness & encourage deliberation and empathy in the generations to come. 

Thus the need to not be manipulated... and not just with regard to our own emotional reactions but with regard to the powers that be....

...And the masses and masses of people who have been moved by them through the centuries to do power's bidding.... sometimes empowering that which--in a tribal society--would be of limited representation with limited consequences.

Human is more than the current structures we are filling & their inherent limitations and dysfunctions. And perhaps the true enemy, if we want to call it that, is unawareness.

Awareness becomes even more vital when natural checks and balances are removed. (i.e. indigenous living). It seems certain types of education can reduce population growth, to a point, despite abundant food supply. 

(Just like awareness allows smart food choices, when, once default, built in foods appropriate to our systems are no longer built in givens. Sanders supports labeling of gmo foods, by the way.) 

Awareness allows deliberate choices and deliberate actions... a deliberate vote.

In answer to much of what the above discussed, importantly, Sanders campaign seeks a restoration of the democratic process.... to cut some of those strings of manipulation. He seeks with all sincerity to overturn Citizens United, a supreme court decision which has played a large part in allowing corporations to buy elections.

How many sub par industries have we inflated with our dollars... which now buy the candidates we see on stage? Sanders seeks to have publicly funded elections... This means someone can run for office without seeking out and pandering to big money.

Sanders seeks automatic voter registration and the involvement of as many people as possible in the electoral process. 

A Sanders presidential address would be a different monster... and I suspect it would include a call to action... for people to be aware--decrease in natural checks and balances requires increase in awareness--to know the issues, to know the forces of influence, to call our representatives to have our voices be heard, to make it to the polls on a non-presidential election year.

An authentic candidate cuts through the plastic and does not become plastic to sneak a vote out of you. There is an element of transparency here, seemingly necessary for moving forward. That is what the revolution is about.

Sanders also calls for empathy which is another kind of vote. Empathy, like certain martial arts practices, allows a strength through softening. 

An empathetic approach encourages connection and a place for people to be at ease, perhaps allowing basic ground needs to be met, serving as roots for the tree, allowing for actions that are more deliberate, less reactive, allowing greater ease into greater visions rather than just fight or flight. 

It is said that the supple survives. The brittle shatters. This goes for nature & people and countries as an extension of that nature (at least in general).

Bernie has shown time and time again to embody the quality of empathy, whether marching on Washington with Martin Luther King... or standing up for gay soldiers on the house floor twenty years ago... or being a strong advocate of women's rights (Sanders has more women donors to his campaign than Clinton) or very recently, in his addressing of a Muslim student's concerns regarding discrimination.

Many of us are concerned about animal welfare, and though there are miles to cover in this, Sanders gets high ratings from animal rights organizations. 

Perhaps it is empathy that helps keep Sanders deliberate under duress & under peer pressure. Perhaps empathy plays into the quality of foresight. 

This is a candidate that in many ways predicted, well in advance, the economic crash of 2008. Again, this is a candidate that opposed the Iraq war and is willing to consider a bigger picture when it comes to complications around violence.

We have to truly ask, if we had avoided both the Iraq war and the banking crisis (and given proper attention to ecological issues) where would we be? Foresight. Bernie's role in Veteran's Affairs has exposed him to the casualties of war. Empathy.

On a side note, it is empathy (along with those mirror neurons) that binds us in some ways to one another and to the world. We may slip beyond ourselves. 

Studies by Lynne McTaggart, Dean Radin, Rupert Sheldrake and P.E.A.R. (Princeton Experimental Anomalies Research) indicate that there is a tangible global consciousness, of which we are all a part.

They indicate that there is a tangible impact of personal intent/prayer on physical systems, whether we are speaking of a field of broccoli that, in a controlled study, grows 10% faster in response or focused intent on decreasing casualties of war...

“Random number generators (RNGs) based on quantum tunneling produce completely unpredictable sequences of zeroes and ones.

But when a great event synchronizes the feelings of millions of people, our network of random number generators [around the world] becomes subtly structured. 

We calculate one in a trillion odds that the effect is due to chance. The evidence suggests an emerging noosphere or the unifying field of consciousness described by sages in all cultures.” (Global Consciousness Project). 

The force awakens... even without the plastic.

The idea of mind reflecting matter and vice versa is nothing new in many healing arts communities where there is a lot of emphasis on the power of personal intent. (You create your own reality, etc.) 

We have a ways to go here, but still it is important to note: To say the existence of these powers/influences then excuses the existing power structures is just as limiting as to say that the ladder of success justifies an economic system which allows those working in it to live in poverty--in the vicinity of industries that cause disease--and, furthermore, just as limiting as religions that say Hell is there... but that's okay, because everyone has had a chance to be saved.

I'm thinking of the movie Beautiful Mind which mentioned game theory... a win is when a person does what is best for him/herself and the group, and we exist not only at an individual level but at a collective level. 

There is also the matter of taking real world action, as even Luke Skywalker I assume eats his breakfast with a spoon... otherwise he would just be a big Jedi head floating around, like a tacky Star Wars balloon sold at Walmart.

We can't make the world self aware, but we can raise global consciousness by being aware and fostering an environment that encourages awareness and does not trigger violence. 

Our individuals reflect society. Violence in many cases, seems a function of sensitivity. And much like the issue of climate change, even if one puts aside the overwhelming evidence, the side benefits of treating the issue make for a huge win. 

Furthermore, what about a society that encourages mindfulness? 

Bernie Sanders demonstrates awareness, truly regarding war as a last resort. When he does agree on action, he seeks coalition, diluting the chance for the conflict to be about one broad religion vs. another. 

He also does not deny any role our country may play in the tangle of events proceeding it, including the consumption of fossil fuels. He seems more deliberate, less bought than any other contender. In fact it seems he is not for sale at all.

However, will I agree with every decision that Sanders will make? Will I be comfortable with even coalition-based military actions, while also finding much agreement with the quote “You can't bomb an idea”?.

Or this quote “You can't have a war on terrorism, because that's not an actual enemy, it's abstract. Its like having a war on dandruff. That war will be eternal and pointless. It's idiotic. That's not a war, it's a slogan. It's a lie. 

It's advertising, which is the only art form we ever invented in America. And we use it to see soap, wars and presidential candidates in the same fashion.” (Gore Vidal).

All candidates may benefit by considering the thoughts of an Ex-ISIS hostage.

It is all very complicated to say the least, and sometimes we are in a catch 22-situation. In practicality it is hard to make plain argument against military intervention entirely. 

What about the genocide in Darfur? What types of intervention were/are appropriate there? I don't know what the answers are.

What about the case of Nazi Germany? “When Hitler came to power Einstein saw the danger. He said, “I am a pacifist in principle, but I am not an absolute pacifist.” Many of his friends and colleagues in the peace movement were irritated with him for changing his position. 

But Einstein said that he hated the military and militarism as much as before, but that he could not close his eyes to the coming danger of Hitler”. (Wolfram Wette)

Speaking of Nazi Germany, we could say Hitler was one side and desperation the other.

We can take note that societies tend to sway back and forth... between protecting personal liberties... and embracing security... at the expense of those liberties, thus making for easy manipulation. 

So, we may encourage awareness, but strive to find balance between personal liberties and security. How does Sanders strike you in this regard? 

Because you may find Bernie Sanders out on the house floor tearing the Patriot Act to shreds, strongly raising issues with the mass collection of phone and email data--on all Americans, standing up for personal liberties... and discrimination of all kinds, fighting to get corruption out of the process... to ensure we don't have an oligarchy.

And to be clear, Sanders is not a Marxist, meaning he does not want the government to control the means of production. 

Part of the reason Sanders has received 25% of the Republican vote in Vermont is that he worked to protect small farmers... He also takes on Monsanto and wants states to have the right to let people know what is in their food. 

One may also look at Sander's desire to bridge the differing perceptions of guns in rural communities vs. guns in more urban areas.

Sanders uses the word socialism, but he specifies democratic socialism. He has received complaints from 'true' Socialists who say what he should not be using the term 'socialist' at all.

Sanders has also received criticism that attempts to equate him with communism. Then there is the matter of Denmark, not regarding itself is socialist, even though Sanders has referred to it as so... 

The heart of it is that Sanders likes some of what Denmark is doing, with regard to education and healthcare. The term is inflammatory. Perhaps listening to what Sanders means by the term democratic socialism is useful.

Coming back to my video endorsement, the f-bomb, consequently, is a testament to the versatility of words... an evolving term may trigger reactions in some... yet ultimately it has much to do with the intent in which it is used.

“In a recent interview with The New York Times, sociology professor Lane Kenworthy of University of California at San Diego said he thinks Sanders’s use of the word "socialism" is, “causing much more confusion than it is adding value.” 

Mr. Kenworthy suggested a more fitting term for Sanders would be “democratic socialist capitalist,” which essentially means “very liberal.”] -Christian Science Monitor. 

Regardless, the root word is democratic. And Sanders wants the democratic process, the restoration of the voter rights act. He wants to avoid financial collapse and the desperation that comes with it. Consider the ironic bailing out of banks and the relevant quote by MLK regarding “socialism for the rich and rugged individualism for the poor". 

Sanders wants deliberate response to crises. He wants to address dire ecological issues, and frankly he wants to avoid collapse of the (current) ecosystem.... to avoid the creation, again, of more scarcity.

This not only played a role in Hitler's rise to power but, as a friend recently reminded me, probably in the molding of Hitler... or at least in the exponentiation of his personal imbalances, by the tribe/society in which he was raised.

This refers to the feeding of insecurities and the likely aggravation of emotional imbalances by improper diet, which also comes again back to a form of scarcity (and if not that, then a lack of awareness).

Speaking of scarcity, we currently have what is called an opportunistic system... which has, arguably become an oligarchic system, allowing a radical decrease in taxes and tax loopholes at the very, very top, as well as a corrupt campaign finance system. 

Ultimately billionaires become richer, while generating scarcity at the bottom of the pyramid (which is often deflected primarily onto other people at the bottom... thus we are “climbing over one another to stay in the light”). 

This is what Pope Francis means when he says 'dictatorship without a face.'

Is this what we want? A country with one of highest rates of childhood poverty, one of the highest levels of income disparity? 

...A country where corporate influence upon law makers, has helped manifest, what studies indicate is a situation where the top 1% controls more wealth than the bottom 90%, where the top 100 people control more wealth than the entire African American population of 40 million people?

...A country where the wealth controlled by one family, the [extended] Walton family (Wal Mart), at a point, equals the wealth of the bottom 42 percent of Americans combined, 89.5 billion? (Sanders/Politifact).

This is not to say that people shouldn't embrace the fruits of their labor. This is the problem with a lot of conservative reasoning... it is true, but true in a context. We have to ask the question... whose backs was this country built upon? 

Who has held this infrastructure up? And will we learn?... or will we stratify to breaking point like so many civilizations before us? Will we actually get about the business of thinking preemptively? 

A system that feeds oligarchy is not a democracy. The goal of democracy is precisely to not be an oligarchy.

That is why Froto throws the ring of power into the fire; That is why Katiness takes on the capital. That is why Robin Hood steals from the rich to give to the poor; that is why the Lorax speaks for the trees. That is why the rebels blow up the death star. That is why George Washington refused the opportunity to be king. 

...That is why “Jesus was not talking about how to be good and how to behave within the framework of a domination system. He was a critic of the domination system itself.”  (Marchus J. Borg) 

...That is why MLK began a campaign for economic justice before being assassinated. Aren't we tired? Don't we want off of the treadmill? That is what compels Sanders to run for president. That is what compels me to support him.

“Once you realize that trickle-down economics does not work, you will see the excessive tax cuts for the rich as what they are -- a simple upward redistribution of income, rather than a way to make all of us richer, as we were told.” - Ha-Joon-Chang 

“Want to understand why we have a federal defecit? In 1952, the corporate income tax accounted for about 33% of all federal tax revenue. Today, despite record breaking profits, corporate taxes bring in less than 9%” 

Sanders talks of Eisenhower, whom he calls a good republican, noting that any taxation plan that Sanders proposed would not be a socialist as Eisenhower's. “Was Eisenhower more socialist than Sanders?”

We are simply talking about practical balance.... avoiding the conditions that lead to desperation, having awareness... that is to say NOT discriminating toward particular groups of people...

...Yet at the same time directly taking on the imaginary pyramid, corporate entanglement in the political process & extreme levels of corruption--while making available an uncommon transparency--so that people may better know what is going on and have a voice... and for people to use that voice in a restored electoral process.

So, lets say you disagree with Sanders on something like education. 

Traditional schools are not the only source of learning and emphasizing them, much like emphasizing health care, has an impact.

However, looking at reality, the availability of college, tends to divide along social and ethnic lines. This, again is something most of us do not want. We don't want higher education to be the top of the imaginary pyramid...

And looking again at nature, most creatures are born with some sense of how to thrive in the system at hand... by the built in food patterns, by the built in skills, by the epigenetic aspects past down from well balanced beings come before... do we even have that?

And do we owe our children the basic skills of this crazy system, should they want them? In some tribal cultures, children--for the better--seem often left to their own exploration... again there is a natural framework there. 

We have to ask does increased opportunity in the educational realm statistically decrease prison populations? (and by the way, consider Sander's effort to end profit based private prisons).

For the person disenchanted with the system as a whole, keep in mind that the funding for Sander's college program comes from a tax on wall street speculation, so essentially, from a certain point of view. the system is funding itself. Also there are two doors out. 

One, if a person doesn't want to go to a public college, that individual does not have to, although keep in mind that trade schools are covered under Sander's plan.

Two: if the unsure person does end up going, the lack of student debt going forward, offers an open door... that is to say, a way out, from the slavery of debt. A person isn't simply placed on a way way road. Pauses can be made at intersections.

Yet, with all that said, I get how crazy our lives have become and how our culture reinforces itself... Consider this quote from the Gods Must Be Crazy...

“So now his children are sentenced to 10-15 years of school, just to learn how to survive in this complex and hazardous habitat they were born into”.

Public schools tend to be light deprived boxes, encouraging poor posture and boredom. Yes, as a relatively progressive individual, I have many concerns regarding public education, no doubt (and yet consider, for a moment, that a Bachelor's degree today is what a high school diploma used to be; Are you opposed to public high schools?). Luckily public colleges tend to be a step up from grade school--aesthetically speaking.

Maybe you disagree with regard to what the minimum wage should be (even though, inflation wise, it has fallen far below the value of what it was decades ago, while under Republican leadership--even though Sanders would likely compromise somewhere in between...)

Look, I don' t know all of the answers and what doors will open as we become more enlightened people--what new systems will be available to us...

....Such as thoughtful technology, collective intent focused & directed toward the reduction of greenhouse gasses (and the improvement of personal & global health and reduction/elimination of casualties of war)...

....Such as zoning laws that actually allow/encourage simple and sustainable housing, legal public camping / minimalist living within & adjacent to urban areas...

...Such as education rooted in mindfulness & enhanced by natural motion and natural surroundings, consideration of a 6 hour work day, heavy emphasis on sustainable energy and resource use...

...Such as collaboration with wise elders and great thinkers--some of the quiet voices at the table--to embody a best practices approach, concentration on do-no-harm health care that treats deficiency & toxicity...

...Such as an overhaul of the department of agriculture and the food and drug administration, profound regard for other creatures (all intelligent) and this alive and mysterious earth... and hopefully at some point, what we would call peace.

Yes, this all requires a change in vision. “The world will not be saved by old minds with new programs but by new minds with no programs at all”-Daniel Quinn. 

However, programs can sometimes buy time. Sometimes we take sugar out of the pantry for awhile and create a reasonable structure for ourselves, so that we may act outside of pattern to create a new pattern--this said in context. That is to say we transcend ourselves by creating environments that encourage growth rather than self destruction.

And with all of the above paragraphs said, Sanders is, by tremendous leaps and bounds, the clear absolute best choice of contending candidates, not only in terms of having vision and the qualities of empathy, foresight and deliberation... and addressing extreme stratification, but in terms of bringing people together. 

As mentioned, Bernie was known to get 25% of the vote in the state of Vermont. Rolling Stone called Sanders the Amendment King, having gained a strong reputation for gaining bipartisan support of legislation.

After surfing YouTube for videos of Sanders, there are unexpected instances where Republican colleagues take an aside from heated debate to express that, even though they disagree with Sanders, they consider him honest & offered their respects.

That is an anti-inflammatory relationship and comes back to a lot of what this paper has given attention to. How Sanders can embody so much fire and speak so much truth to power & still foster that type of relationship.... that comes down to authenticity. 

Oh, and we can add that “Sanders just received an 83% job approval rating among his Vermont constituents, a ranking higher than any other senator in the country.” (HNGN) Correct me if I am wrong, but that includes a whole lot of democrats, independents and republicans. 

Sanders also won the readers poll for Time's person of the year... though he is not being considered by Time Warner, who again, is a financial backer of Clinton).

Yes, Sanders is charismatic, but there is substance to back it up. Even while the Sander's campaign is fueled by taking on certain interests, there is an understanding there. 

Sanders once equated a relentless quest for wealth (at any cost) to something akin to alcoholism or drug addiction. Thus he indicates an understanding of a person being more than his/her condition/experience. Awareness.

And importantly, Sanders is not for sale. No special interest can buy him. He is publicly funded by over 1,000,000 individual citizens, His campaign has now received more contributions than any other candidate at this point in any White House bid — consisting of more than 2.5 million individual contributions... averaging around $27.

So, to some extent, this is the rarest instance when Pinocchio becomes a real boy and walks without strings. And it is time we all did that really... 

It seems we can only walk into the complexities of the future with wisdom and deliberation... with awareness. And with a certain amount of transparency.

This means being smart consumers, negotiating our own emotions intelligently and approaching the world (and the ecosystem and its creatures) with empathy. 

While some emotions are born of that desire for fairness and do lead sometimes to appropriate action, still we have to see beyond reactivity.

It's due time that we get about the business of observing what works rather than carrying on the tradition of simply calling ourselves the best. Sanders is interested in restoring democracy and embraces a best practices approach. Like me, he isn't all about home team so much as embracing the reality that our destinies are intertwined.

Bernie is human, imperfect for sure, and people may not believe with every particular in his agenda, but he is also a rare opportunity, a rare bridge from the people to power & a powerful move toward peace. 

He is a door opener, and we are door openers when we lend him our vote. This campaign is about bringing people together (and addressing a corrupt political and economic system that undermines democracy.)

Perhaps, whether independent, democratic, republican or otherwise, we can agree on at least five key aspects of a Sander's presidency: 

1) Deliberation and empathy in times of crisis... 

2) Attention to the underlying dynamics that lead to war and suffering... 

3) Money and corruption out of the political process... 

4) Urgent emphasis on sustainability & attention to ecological issues... 

5) Authentic Leadership.

In a world of barely tangible strings, AUTHENTICIY MATTERS, both in terms of addressing complexities and in terms of easing suffering. 

We certainly may have more than one chance to make a difference, but in this lifetime, in this framework, this is our ONE CHANCE to elect Bernie Sanders as a voice, and to catalyze right now on the type of energy that has afforded us this rare opportunity. It is a chance to lend our voices to a higher game.

If this resonates with you... please register in time for the democratic primary in your state.

and vote....

BERNIE SANDERS For PRESIDENT 2016

And if you've made it this far, I don't know how you did it. Thank you so much for your time. 





























This concludes the presidential endorsement from Hell. The question is: Can you feel the Bern? :)