SocraticGadfly: An update on Bernie the Warhawk — it's getting worse, folks

June 02, 2016

An update on Bernie the Warhawk — it's getting worse, folks

We've got an update related to one of Bernie Sanders' pet pieces of federal pork-barreling.

Sadly, in his trip through New Mexico, Bernie the Warhawk touted his efforts in getting a Sandia National Laboratory extension in Vermont. Yes, it does other things besides build nukes, but ... guess Bernie the Warhawk is Bernie the Nuke Lover, too. Yes, nonproliferation is also part of its remit, but so too is cyberwar. And that's not to mention that Sandia is run by major military contractor Lockheed Martin. And that company ... ????

Is the maker of the F-35.

The F-35 for which Bernie has long lusted. The F-35 over which Bernie has long drooled, even versus a semi-sensical GOPer. The F-35 behind Bernie's refusal to explicitly call for a cut in Defense Department spending.

Made by a death merchant. No. 64 on the Fortune 500, which makes it more profitable than many of the banksters against which Bernie rails. That includes Goddam Sachs, which is 12 places lower than Lockheed.

In other words, contra the "Bernie's not a real Democrat" bullshit, which I have refudiated, he's very much a Dem, and very much a career politician in the bad sense as well as the good .. pork-barreling for Defense jobs. That said, Bernie has in general dodged questions about why he moved from Lockheed hater to Lockheed lover, but the recruitment of a Sandia extension in Vermont appeared to happen at about the same time he started loving the F-35. And, while he appears not to have gotten money from Lockheed corporate, he's gotten plenty from Lockheed employees.

Quid pro quo? From Bernie Sanders? Nooooooo.

As for his argument that the F-35 was going to be stationed somewhere, so why not Vermont? Erm, no, it would be stationed NOWHERE if you'd work to get 50 other Senators to kill it.

By now, it should be clear that my support for Sanders is directly tied to, and directly proportional to, the degree to which I see him having value in upsetting the institutional national Democratic applecart.

Leader of a revolution? Ffft.

Stay thirsty, my friends. Vote Green. Especially you Sandernista kids. Support a real revolution.

I know it's a bit strong, but the carrot has to be balanced with the stick at times. And, besides not being a real revolutionary .... Sandernistas need to accept, and sooner rather than later, that Bernie not going to be the Dem nominee.

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