Bernie Sanders Populist Message Has Become A Political Tidal Wave

Bernie's Populist Message Is Striking Home With The American People

Bernie Sanders message is exploding and his recent surge in the political polling suggests that his narrative has become a political tidal wave. Sanders has an ever increasing lead in New Hampshire and has come from way back in the Iowa polls to take a four-point lead. Also, in the national polls, the Sanders campaign has caught a once thought insurmountable lead by the Clinton campaign to be within the margin of error. 

Bernie Sanders rallies have drawn record crowds even in the Red States. Bernie Sanders message is electrifying crowds and part of the reason his message is not picking a war of words with his opposition or throwing Latino's, African Americans, Muslim's, and immigrants under the bus. He is not throwing people who disagree with him out of his rallies. Bernie Sanders message is resonating because his narrative is speaking to people, not from an authoritarian or entitlement perspective he [Sanders] is speaking about issues that people genuinely care about and affect their lives.

Bernie Sanders message is one of populism. So, what is populism?

People are not only agreeing with Bernie's message how the rich have skated by and not paid their fair share of taxes they can personally relate to its truth. Young people are thrilled to hear Bernie's plan for making public college education free and reducing interest rates on student loan debt. When people become aware of Bernie Sanders long record of defending Social Security they appreciate his efforts and embrace his goal of expanding it. People who have been chastised or locked up for non-violate drug offenses support whole-heartedly Bernie's plan to decriminalize marijuana. 

Bernie Sanders message has gone from a lone cry in the wilderness to a major political tidal wave that is sweeping the nation. In this writer's view, this should not be surprising. People are becoming more and more aware that our country and government has been sold to the highest bidder and as such the political process has been rigged. When you focus on the language that the Sanders campaign is using versus the Republicans and Hillary Clinton he uses the pronoun We, not I. We not only includes himself or herself but considers all of us " We The People." 

Bernie Sanders message is not one of authoritarianism which suggest put your faith in me because I can to this and I can do that instead it's a populist one that says we can do great things if we come together to fight these plutocrats who are destroying our democracy. Bernie's message is not one of " I am the only one qualified to lead" but one of " We can bring about positive change together as " We The People." 

Bernie Sanders speaks to the people, not at them. He is not telling people what to think. His message says I understand what you think and we are all together in a common accord. This factor is what is causing the surge in the polls for Bernie Sanders and puts daylight between him and Hillary Clinton and the entire Republican presidential field. 

What's even more important to point out is these issues that Bernie Sanders is advocating in his campaigns platform are not issues on the campaign trail but issues he has worked on his entire career as a public servant. Bernie Sanders has a solid voting record to back up his rhetoric. There is no questioning his integrity of genuineness. Bernie Sanders has an 81% approval rating in Vermont Sanders home state. 

There is no mass evolving or having to admit mistakes and people don't have to worry that Bernie will not work hard to fulfill his promises. This character is one the American populist have been craving. Bernie Sanders has accountability which in turn gives him credibility. Bernie Sanders has a record that can be validated. Bernie Sanders has built and continues to build a sense of trust with the American populist. 

Unlike Hillary Clinton who has openly admitted mistakes to her credit and evolved on one issue after the other. Moreover, Bernie Sanders has a political record, unlike Republican front-runner Donald Trump. 

The political establishment of the Democratic party and their preordained choice and their authoritarian follower base can't wrap their heads around the political tidal wave that is Bernie Sanders but the American people have and it's reflecting in the polls as of the rendition of this essay.

Sen. Sanders' Consistency

Why Ending The Ills of Plutocracy Matter?

Plutocracy Has Turned Our Democracy Upside Down And Its Happen Before. 

The rising rate of inequality in America matters and there are several reasons why. Some American say it doesn't or they don't seem to care. These Americans are living in a fantasy world. History has shown us that plutocracy is bad for America and “History Does Repeat Itself in Politics."

In the real world, inequality is a thief and it is an alienating force. The rich are buying elections at every level of our democracy. Local, state, and federal levels it doesn't matter. Corporations are buying politicians to shape our laws to their advantage. Regardless of the consequences to our environment and our economy. 

The basic needs of life are affected by inequality resulting from plutocracy. For example, affordable housing. Across America, people of ordinary means cannot afford decent housing. In certain parts of the country like in New Jersey three out of five couples can't afford a two-bedroom apartment at market rates. In San Francisco, residents from an angry middle class have taken to the streets in protest to the plutocracy of Silicon Valley elites who have created a market on Real Estate that has thrown average citizens out on the streets.

These stories of unfairness could be documented city by city state by state. In the 20 largest metro areas in America, less than 50% of the homes are affordable.[See Source] This reality hit this writer dead in the face back in 2003 when I took a job working in the New York garment district. I thought the world was at my disposal an 85k salary was the most in my lifetime and I was sitting on top of the world. This euphoria quickly came to an end when I started to look for housing. It was very discouraging to say the least. 

In communities all over America, the rich are driving up real estate values making it virtually impossible for the working poor to obtain good housing. The growing impressive skylines of our major cities is a constant reminder of how wealth and power have driven the everyday American into a life of having to settle for less. 

This is just one example why inequality matters? 

Not only does inequality matter but we should also reflect why the ills of plutocracy have cast a long shadow on our democracy. Rich people in America think they are the wealth creators. They feel that all us mere minion are parasites living off them. They have the gall to argue that there is too much government regulation and that's what killing the American economy. 

We are living in an age where we have wealth inequality raging down on us like a "bull in a china shop." For example, take New York City where wealth inequality rivals any third world country. According to our research of the 25 most populated cities in America New York is one the most unequal. The median income for the bottom 20% was less than $9,000 while the top 1% of New Yorkers have an income of 2.2 million. Across America, this divide between the super rich and everybody else has become as wide as the Grand Canyon. Major economic studies have indicated that this chasm has and will stifle jobs and economic growth for years. [See Source]

Never in our history as a nation has the top one hundredth of the one percent owned more of our wealth or paid as low a tax rate. Current Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is trying valiantly to make this issue a focal point of his campaign. In the view of the House of Public Discourse rightfully so. However, in the debates thus far the topic has only been skimmed over.

We here in the House of Public Discourse put this issue way up on our priority list way before Bernie Sanders announced his run for president. [ America The Land Of Inequality]

Income inequality has risen and continues to rise to its highest levels since the time of the "Great Depression." This inequality is growing daily and should be the most pressing issue in a Democratic Party presidential race. Why has it not? One reason the Democratic Party hierarchy are just as addicted to money in politics as the Republicans and talking about this issue is still taboo. It's the old " don't bite the hand that feeds you" syndrome. That big money in politics is the law of the land and no matter how wrong this is how the game is played and not to go along with the game means sure defeat for the Democratic Party.

I would like to pose a hypothetical question but one that has relevance. When you talk about poverty in America politicians run and jump for the opportunity to speak about the issue and what they would do to help the problem. However, when you ask those same politicians to talk about one of the main reason for growing poverty in America and around the world " Wealth Inequality" and the role plutocracy plays in it mums the word. Why?

When you talk about poverty in the abstract it has this feel good ring to it people love feel good stories. When I say feel good I mean that people love hearing how someone or group is going about helping the poor. But, when you ask politicians their views on wealth inequality and how the wealth has been distributed among the top 1% they become hesitate or refuse comment altogether. Could it be their wealthy donors will not  like it very much? 

The growing wealth inequality resulting from plutocracy is the biggest economic challenge we face in America today. Moreover, discussing the issue for corporate owned politicians is threatening to them. No sooner than President Obama suggested a higher tax rate for the rich in America you heard this cry of "Class Warfare" coming from the Plutocrats and their hip-pocketed politicians.

Let's be clear here no one is attacking anybody for their personal success. But, as a writer and someone who takes pride in writing about where the research takes me would be wrong not to point out that much of the blame for this inequality rest on the backs of the so-called New Democrats. After the defeat of Walter Mondale in 1984, the hierarchy corporate Democrats made a conscious decision that we're never going to lose the funding battle involved with running a political campaign again. This mindset did nothing but help the problem of wealth inequality grow. 

Yes, the Democrats continued to campaign on the social issues the same way they have before containing their liberalism in that sense. However, economically these corporate centrist Democrats began to side more and more with Wall Street and the very rich. The bottom line is that the Democrats do not represent the poor like they used too and the issue of representing the poor is being put further back on the burner in 2016. 

This issue does not affect just the people at the bottom of the economic scale it also affects the middle class as well. The middle class has been hammered by plutocracy. Their jobs have been sent overseas and the recent Obama supported TPP trade deal will only make this reality worse. We are not advocating isolationism and we embrace globalization as being a good thing for society as a collective. But, we need to address these issue in America first in the view of this writer and the one candidate we see doing this is Bernie Sanders. Not just on the campaign trail but throughout his over 25 years in public service.What is tragic is that factions from the top and the politicians they own 

are trying to slant the political process even more in their favor. 

Why Are Americans So Passive About Wealth Inequality Resulting From Plutocracy? 

For starters, the poor people in this country have been totally demoralized by the unfairness in our political process. Many have surrendered. They feel their voice is one crying in the wilderness. When you have residents from poor and minority communities being stop and frisked and shot by police without proper cause in many cases it tends to make one indifferent to politics period. It makes the rising up and voicing concerns difficult. 

There is also a relentless narrative coming from mainstream media, Christian Right fundamentalist pastors, and right wing politicians that paint this picture that being in poverty is a person fault and people who are rich deserve to be rich and that all these poor people need to go just " fend for themselves." 

Lots of Americans have become disillusioned about their financial situation and feel nothing can save them from their poverty. Some people who are poor actually believe they deserve to be poor.[See Source] For this reason, poor people are not motivated to get out and revolt against a system that is repressing them. 

What Happens If America Leaves This Issue Of Wealth Inequality Unchecked?

If we as a collective society do nothing wealth inequality will continue to take us to a very bad place. Our political process will be even more captured. The top 1% super rich will do whatever they can to control our political systems. More importantly, the cognitive capture by the mainstream media and the vast conspiracy theorist like Alex Jones. One of the main reason for the financial crisis in 2008 was the entire intellectual establishment not just people inside investment banks, but regulators, academic economists, and financial journalist got mesmerized by the financial sector's vision of how the economy should work.

Also, there is a broader cognitive capture perpetrated by the intellectual class that plutocracy is inevitable and that if you are poor it's your own fault and that you're part of this 47% dependent class. Unions are bad. This cognitive defect increases if wealth inequality is not addressed.

Global elites proclaim they're acting in the collective interest of society while evidence shows they're acting for their own personal vested interest. What this leads to is a continued downward spiral of social mobility. Social mobility is decreasing year by year in America.

We see powerful sectors like the Oil, Technology, and Finance industries receiving government subsides funded by the taxpayers. With less and less tax money going to the middle class and poor. That is why we see this full blown war on the first step up entitlement programs.

Why Are The Plutocrats So Eager To Cut Entitlement Sending? 

The answer is a simple one. They [Plutocrats] don't need it and they don't want their tax dollars funding it! Where was that outrage when the six trillion dollars of bailout money was coming their way? This is something in this writer's view we should all worry about. All of these factors do stifle economic growth. What America has evolved into is a Latin America type society where you have really rich people at the top and the majority of the population really struggling.

The Bottom Line.

The Plutocrats and their plutocracy in Washington are so close to monopolizing our government. For that reason, it's the view of the House of Public Discourse that the election now confronting us is truly the most important in my 55 year lifetime. Our government has been bought lock, stock, and barrel. This has made change from within impossible. Only a revolution by “We the People" can change this ominous tide of corruption and basic unfairness. Washington has become a looted city because of plutocracy and the only people benefiting from the spoils are the Plutocrats. They get the tax breaks off the backs of the middle class. They get the legislative loopholes that their money buys them through influence peddling. They are awarded government contracts from payoffs and bribes. Just like Bernie Sanders has expressed on the campaign trail they have fixed the system. These Plutocrats pay a lesser tax rate than school teachers, police, firefighters, and basic caregivers. We are giving subsidies to rich corporations and denying food stamps to poor working people, they remove oversight of the Wall Street casino speculators and bailout the crooks who drove our nation's economy into the ditch. They fight reinstatement of Glass-Steagall and are against the reforms of Dodd-Frank. They provide tax havens for multinationals and stick it to the American workers and consumers. And, the most serious ill of all the American middle class and low wage workers pay the tab that these Plutocrats write off. This is " Why the ills Of Plutocracy Matter!"

Reminds Me Of A Song

All America Has To Fear Is Fear Itself!

America Has Become A Culture Of Fear!

Franklin D. Roosevelt

On March 4,  1933, a newly elected president Franklin Roosevelt delivered a speech on the steps of our nation's capital that instructed American's not to live in fear. That by doing so fear wins. 

The Speech

The Culture Of Fear

If Franklin D. Roosevelt was right all we have to fear is fear itself. Then there should be nothing left for American's to fear. What happens frequently is when problems go away undoubtedly other problems arise to take their place. When the Cold War went away instead of people and their politicians breathing a sigh of relief other problems in the form of terrorism rose up. Certain segments of America's population seem to always be in a consent state of fear. 

Is America a safe place to live today? To look at our daily news feeds and all the mass shootings, murders suicides, and police shootings many American's would probably answer the given question with an emphatic no!  Fear in America is promoted by so many different factions. There is a culture of fear in America and the trend is getting worst. Why? Because fear is profitable and many organizations and the politicians they own have a real stake in promoting fear in this country. 

Politicians like Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Ben Carson, and Donald Trump win elections by creating the politics of fear and anger. Corporate owned media outlets like CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC to name a few profit in spreading the politics of fear and anger. These for-profit media echo chambers may be the worst of the worst in spreading fear. Their motto and business model seems to be “if it bleeds it leads."

The culture of fear in the United States is unusual. In fact, the culture of fear in America is not only at an all-time high its extreme in its nature. This fear that abounds in America is quite remarkable. Of all the countries in the world, the United States is far and away the most privileged and secure. The way we have used the news to promote fear in America and the way politicians feed off it has become a horror movie in which "We the People" can't go home or get away from. Fear mongering has become a 24/7 business in today's America. The mainstream media delivers around the clock fear. There are fears that cater to every demographic. These 24-hour news networks are always filling their news lineups with the reasons we need to be afraid. 

One of the challenges we face living in modern day America is because of the mass media, not a day goes by we are not made aware of some tragic event happening somewhere. There is always something to get depressed, upset, or angry over. There is an army of invaders coming across our borders to steal our jobs and change our culture. Apparently in the Republican Party this fear mongering works. Hence, Donald Trump being the parties current front runner. Every day on any assorted news media outlet we are inundated with news-feeds from all over the world. These mass media pundits are standing by to inform us of all the things we must be afraid of and fear. We are always made aware that there are bad people out there and they mean you harm so go buy a gun to protect yourself. 

In America today the truth is of little consequence. People are indoctrinated on a set of beliefs that no matter if they are true or false changing their belief patterns based on the real truth would derail their lives. People support their faulty indoctrination's because they are a crutch to their entire being as a human being. Mom and Dad could never be wrong! In today's world, it is often times the truth that is phony and not the lie. People are manipulated by fear and propaganda. 

Millions of American's have fallen prey to this onslaught of fear to the point of becoming helpless sheep. And it’s the politics of fear and anger and their associated media echo chambers that are the sheepdogs to keep them in line. Humans attempt to keep other humans in line and they do it by ridiculing and condemning anyone who commits the crime of being different.

There is a conscious and intelligent manipulation of people's habits enhanced by political mechanisms like the “Patriot Act" that allow corporations and other organizations privy to this information to be the real invisible ruling powers in the world today. We are governed by this information, our minds are molded, and largely by people we have never heard or seen. Propaganda has played a major role in how our present day Democratic society is organized.

People in the business of profiting from the politics of fear and anger have become masterful at finding ways to dip into people's greatest desires and fears. They use this for their own purposes and benefit. It is ludicrous to think these factions have a reliable judgment on what's best for the individual or our nation as a whole. Large segments of the American population vote against their own interest based on them being manipulated by the politics and propaganda being shoved down their throats on a daily basis. 

In closing, there becomes a time when the operation of the machine becomes so unbearable that it makes one sick to the heart that we must rise up as a group and say we are mad as hell and we will not take it anymore. We must as a collective and concerned society say enough is enough. We all must become an activist in our own special and unique ways. We must send a message to these invisible forces behind the machine that we will do whatever it takes to destroy your machines of manipulation and conquest. We must all become that man standing in front of the tanks in Tienanmen Square. Let's be afraid no more. Because just like FDR said in 1933 “All We Have To Fear Is Fear itself."

1989 Raw Video: Man vs. Chinese tank Tienanmen Square

The Politics Of Fear And Anger Have Gone Viral In America

The Politics Of Fear And Anger

The politics of fear and anger have gone viral in America. You can't turn on your television or read your newspaper today without seeing or reading something about fear. We live in a culture of fear and anger. There are SWAT teams kicking down people's doors for simple possession of Marijuana and individuals picking up assault weapons and shooting up the public square in the name of GOD and country. 

Our politicians and news media outlets are packaging fear who tell us to fear terrorist, neighbors, immigrants, refugees, and liberal social institutions established to help poor and elderly people.  There is a consistent cry by politicians proclaiming that war is the only solution. Since 9/11 we have had a government agency[NSA] monitoring our phone calls and collecting other data about our daily lives. The Dept of Defense has been selling billions of dollars of military equipment to local police forces which have turned our police forces into a military force[See Source]

Our police forces have been getting away with murder shooting and killing unarmed civilians while their departments have been receiving tanks, armor vehicles, flat jackets, helmets, and other military equipment as well. 

As we saw in the 'Occupy Movement" peaceful protesters were shot with rubber bullets and sprayed with mace. Enter the war on terror. The war on terror is the logical entry point for constructing governmental policy based on fear. How will they strike us next? The politics of fear has resulted in " We the People" losing our rights of privacy and has culminated in a mentality of fear cultivated by the political elite and the " Military Industrial Complex."

Criminal Justice Plays A Role In The Politics Of Fear And Anger

There is no denying the role judges play in our society. Having fair-minded unbiased judges is critical to a free Democratic society. Judges are tasked with protecting our most cherished right to freedom and basic values. To the point, Judges are the guardians of liberty in America. Judges are the custodians of all the things that matter in terms of evaluating civil liberties. The decisions Judges make matter most of all to people with less power or none at all. The poor. The disfavored and people who have been marginalized. Our Judges must take this role seriously. 

However, this writer fears that judicial independence in our nation is at risk. There are efforts to undermine the integrity and functions of our Judges. There is much to lose if this independence is compromised. The decisions and precedents that Judges make effect our lives in a myriad of ways. 

For example, it was judicial decisions that desegregated our schools and allowed equal voting rights to minorities. It took a political movement to persuade politicians to act on these egregious violations of our civil liberties. If the everyday person had not acted by forming groups which soon became a movement, these legislative changes would not have happened. 

In today's political climate of fear and anger, the progress of the "Civil Rights Movement" in the 1960's has come under attack by right-wing conservative politicians in the Republican Party. They wish to take us back in time when the white man was the only race entitled to these cherished civil liberties.[See Article]

The United States today is a very different place than it was 40 years ago. In the early 1970's when you think about criminal justice in America, there were 350, 000 people in our jails and prisons. Today there are over two million people locked up in our correctional system. There are another six million people on probation and parole. Mass incarceration has affected the lives of millions of Americans. What most people don't appreciate is the collateral effects this has on people’s lives.

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We Must End The Politics Of Fear And Anger

There is a board political reality in America today that suggest we are a nation of fear and anger. Over the last several decades, there have been politicians and their “Christian Right" allies preaching to us to be afraid and be angry. When people are afraid and angry they reconcile themselves to violating the basic human rights of the people whom they are afraid.

If a group or race of people is perceived to be an out-group it's okay to ignore them and their rights to basic human dignity. There are many historical examples of horrific abuse genocide, holocaust, and slavery. 

All of these institutions were created and sustained by a political vision fueled by fear and kept in place by anger. When you listen to politicians on the right today there is no real search for the truth there is only the dynamic of fear and anger. What has resulted is mass shootings on a monthly basis and innocent causalities all based on fear expressed by anger when an individual acts out. 

In 1996 the Clinton administration passed a “Welfare Reform Act" that allowed states to bar citizens from public benefits food stamps, housing, and medical services if they have a prior drug conviction. In this writer's lifetime, the politics of fear and anger has created a cast system in the United States. And, anyone with a criminal record is considered an “Untouchable."

There are scores of American citizens living beneath the public benefits system many who are homeless. There are single moms with children who cannot get public assistance because they have prior drug and other criminal offenses. It's the poor who have suffered the most from the politics of fear and anger. We have a criminal justice system that has become wealth dependent. No matter how innocent you are no matter how strong your alibi the mere fact you did nothing wrong doesn't shield you from arrest, prosecution, conviction, and long-term incarceration. 

Our present criminal justice system treats you better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent. 

Wealth, not culpability shapes the outcomes of many judicial decisions today. The poor are being destroyed by this reality. The mentality ill have been locked up in our correctional system. There is very little help for the mentality ill in poor and minority communities. We just throw them in jail or prison. We do not help children who are dealing with these developmental issues we jerk them out of schools because they can't deal with cultural norms we call them criminal we put them in juvenile detention centers they are stigmatized and put on a pipeline leading to criminal behavior. 

There is a sense of hopelessness in our minority communities today. Most African America males feel their lives will be lost due to drug violence or racist cops. Many African males believe they will be incarcerated by the age of 21.  It's high time we engage these children and communities and fight against these feelings of hopelessness. It is the duty of any conscious citizen to help empower our brothers and sisters. 

One of the biggest challenges we face as a society is that most of us have doubts as to what we as individuals can do to affect positive change in our communities. What this writer has learned from my childhood and adult years is you can't buy what you can't sale. If you as a single person have no hope you cannot give hope to others. 

We must end the war on drugs. Stop the modern day equivalent to Jim Crow which has led to mass incarceration of minorities and the poor. America is the only country in the world where a 13-year-old can be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. There is no question that large segments of our society in America have been held hostage to the politics of fear and anger. Now is the time to stop this scourge on our citizens and end the politics of fear and anger once and for all. 

Study: Conservatives have larger 'fear center' in brain

Hillary Clinton Thinks She Has It In The Bag, Hold Up Wait A Minute!

Hillary Clinton Thinks She Has It In The Bag, Hold Up Wait A Minute!

A new era in American politics began in 2008 with the election of the first person of color to the White House. Some in America are ready to vote for the first female president ever in 2016. Does Hillary Clinton have the political dash to make it so? Many have pre-ordained Hillary Clinton as the winner we here in the House of Public Discourse say " Hold Up Wait A Minute."

Hillary Clinton has been a master of the 21st-century media she is the darling of mainstream media however that can be a double edge sword. Huge new and powerful voting blocks, and scores of American citizens have had it up to their ying-yangs with mainstream media. While many older voters still struggle with the concept of social media younger voters not only except modern day politicians to understand the digital age but also they expect politicians to embrace its power. 

The news of today does not revolve around mainstream media it comes from We The People on various social media platforms like Facebook. Nowadays, it's not cool for political candidates to detach themselves and simply rely on mainstream media to deliver their message. No matter how many corporate polls say Hillary Clinton is winning social media polls say different. At this point, Hillary Clinton has failed miserably to convey any coherent message that a Hillary Clinton presidency would help young people or the everyday hard working low and middle-class American. This failure to connect with this crucial voting block could derail Hillary Clinton ambition to be the first female president. 

As a follower of politics for most of my adult life, one thing you can expect from politicians in the hip pocket of corporate donors, special interest, and now Super PACS is a rhetoric full of smoke and mirrors. 

There is a game that corporate owned politicians play in today's politics. What is sad they proclaim it must be played to be successful. This game is often overlooked by voters and especially those casual observers of politics. However, the interjection of social media is helping to combat this overlook by electors, and while many Americans remain in the dark, the light is slowly beginning to shine through for more and more Americans. 

Hillary Clinton comes from a wealthy family. She is the wife of former President Bill Clinton. In the current 2016 race, Hillary Clinton is trying to portray herself as a regular American, who is in touch with the poor and middle-class. There is documented proof she tries to adapt her accent for political appeal. 

It's true that many voters will not pick up on this smoke and mirror political tactic by Hillary Clinton, but an ever increasing knowledgeable voting base will. Hillary Clinton image team needs a makeover because active voters are not buying for one second this run to the left I,m a populist candidate Clinton. In fact, it's an insult to one's intelligence.

The name Hillary Clinton in politics may hold more weight than what her actual accomplishments do. 

Hillary Clinton was the most-traveled Secretary of State in the history of the office. It has been widely acknowledged Hillary Clinton was not responsible for any significant strategies during her time holding the position. No matter the witch hunt that became known as the Benghazi Hearings were Hillary Clinton did say she was responsible for some security lapses.[See Article]

No matter how hard the Hillary Clinton handlers try to spin it, Hillary Clinton has a ton of political baggage hanging over her head. There are millions of Americans who do not see any real accomplishments from the former first lady and see this negatively and equate this negativity as inactivity. 

No matter Hillary Clinton achievements or lack thereof her high name recognition does not guarantee her a win in November 2016. In fairness, to Hillary Clinton she has made a lot of enemies in her day that has made her a target for nasty news media sound bites. However, there is an argument to be made that her evolving political image is disingenuous, deceitful, and manipulative to the lower and middle-class voter. Facts show by her record and who here donors are that Hillary Clinton is not a populist candidate she is perceived by many Democratic voters as a corporate tool and that her promises on the campaign trial are just that promises. 

There is a current change going on in the Democratic Party. There is a persistent move from the center right to the center left. There is a corporatist wing and a populist wing. Hillary Clinton has a voting record that does not sit well with the growing progressive wing in the party. Many experts say, and Barack Obama pounded it home in 2008 that Hillary Clinton voted for the war in Iraq. 

Corporate Democrats and other rank and file party members are giving Hillary Clinton a pass on this huge blunder that she has admitted. With that said, there are others in the Democratic Party who have not given Hillary Clinton that pass and have made it known to the world they will not vote for Hillary Clinton.

This issue poses a significant problem for Hillary Clinton, who already is battling a poll that suggest 60% of Americans find her untrustworthy and dishonest.[See Source] This factoid coupled by young voters who are not buying into the Hillary Clinton public relations efforts and the growing number of Democrats who don't adhere to her beliefs or excuse her voting record Hillary Clinton may be in for some surprises in her second quest for the highest office in the world.

" I was surprised because these women were pushing for Hillary until they found out about the Monsanto connection, and then they dropped her like a hot potato. " [Source: James Berg-Chairman Democratic Party Fort Worth County, Iowa]

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It's all about big businesses for Hillary Clinton. Who can refute that once you get a look at who is feeding money into her campaign? Unlike her primary opponent Bernie Sanders who refuses to take influence peddling money, Hillary Clinton has accepted it with open arms. 

Hillary Clinton may not be a new name in the political public sphere, but her bogus attempt at being a populist candidate to uninformed voters is not working. Why? Because when the rubber hits the road it's the issues that matter to her campaign donors that shine forth like a beacon of light from a seashore lighthouse. 

A growing number of Americans both young and old are sick and tired of the wealthiest Americans influencing our democracy. Like it or not Hillary Clinton has over the years gained the reputation as a Washington-Wall Street insider who does the bidding for her corporate buddies. So, when she tries to peddle back to a populist stance, those untrustworthy stats reach up and take a bite. 

Americans Proved In 2008 They Were Done With Bushes And Clinton's.

Americans in 2008 and the early polling of Jeb Bush show that We The People are suffering from dynasty fatigue. America is not a Monarchy. Before the 2008 election, there was either a Bush or Clinton in the White House. This period span was 25 years. This dynasty fatigue factor gets no mention in mainstream media, but this factor is a very real issue with millions of Americans. Americans love an underdog, and Hillary Clinton has been the pre-ordained choice of the Democratic Party hierarchy that many experts have cited as losing touch with the changing progressive tide of the party. 

The Feel The Bern Revolution Is Real

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders has captured the heart of not only Progressive Democrats, Millennial Voters, Independents, but Republican voters as well. The surge and growing popularity of Bernie Sanders is a genuine grassroots populist movement. Hillary Clinton and her corporate Democrat buddies can kiss the nomination on a silver platter idea goodbye. Bernie Sanders has done an outstanding job of messaging, and his campaign of embracing the power of social media is paying huge dividends for the growth of his name recognition and his consistent progressive record as a 25-year public servant. Sanders natural candor is ringing true with a board and diverse group of Americans. It is not only arrogant to claim Hillary Clinton has the nomination in the bag it's foolish. With Bernie Sanders, there is no question of his authenticity or his trustworthiness factors the Hillary Clinton campaign cannot rely on.

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Bernie Sanders Defends Democratic Socialism, Calling It Route to Economic Fairness

The Origin Of ISIS And How The United States Played A Role In Its Creation

The United States And Its Allies Created ISIS

ISIS is without question the most violent terrorist group in modern history. ISIS is not a long time established terror organization they[ISIS] are a newcomer on the terrorism scene. ISIS is newly formed, armed, and funded. Where did ISIS come from how are they sustained and after the recent terror attack in France where are they headed next? 

The origin of ISIS began in 2003 when the United States and the Bush Administration invaded Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussian. The "Shock and Aw" war. Not only was America successful in removing Saddam from power we also were successful in destroying much of Iraq infrastructure. America dismantled and tried to rebuild the Iraqi army. 

Furthermore, we installed a puppet government that proved to be unresponsive to the Iraq citizens. We imprisoned Iraqi citizens who we[America] deemed as radicals. Most importantly we left Iraq a destabilized and weak country. So, how does ISIS come into play from these facts? ISIS formed itself in 2006. It was at the time a small group of radicals. ISIS tried to create problems for the U.S. military right away but had no money or real ability to recruit. 

 Syrian President Bashir Al-Assad

In 2009, ISIS changed its focus from Iraq and turned their attention to Syria. By 2011, the Syrian Civil War was expanding rapidly. This escalation gave ISIS its opportunity. In 2013, a northern general for the "Free Syrian Army" proclaimed if international forces did not send weapons the rebel forces fighting Syrian President Bashir Al-Assad they[Free Syrian Army] would lose the war in a month.[See Source] 

Shortly after this proclamation the United States, Saudis, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey, and Israel started providing weapons, training, and money to these rebel groups. Even though these arms were not American made they were funded and organized by the CIA. Here is where the whole plan no matter how well intended fell apart. The facts clearly show that these arms ended up in the hands of Jihadist groups like ISIS. 

In fact, there was a mass exodus of fighters from this so-called " Free Syrian Army" to the terrorist group we now know as ISIS.[See Source] It was at this time that the terrorist group ISIS began to make headlines. However, President Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared that ISIS was nothing to be worried about. By 2014, it became apparent that the United States had underestimated the power and influence of ISIS. In a period of just one year, ISIS catapulted from a no-name group in Syria to one who crossed back into the Iraq. The main reason for ISIS rapid emergence was the simplicity of getting their hands on American military gear and the stunning amount of wealth they have been able to accumulate. 

Most of this wealth has been obtained by seizing oil fields in both Syria and Iraq. 

In response, the Unites States military have conducted air strikes to destroy these oil fields. In this writers view this policy does not make sense. Because we will defeat ISIS and who do you think will pick up the tab for rebuilding these destroyed oil fields the American tax payer, and you can put that in your peace pipe and smoke it. 

No matter how much we bomb or put sanctions on buying this oil in the hands of ISIS, they have been able to sell and expand their operations because countries like Syria and others need the oil and could care less about the wishes of the United States and its allies.[See Source] Just like other products there is a huge demand for oil on the " Black Market." The purchasing of petroleum on the " Black Market" is nothing new it has been going on for decades. This reality makes it almost impossible to control. The bottom line here is there's no way to effectively sanction countries who buy oil from ISIS. 

Iraqi Oil Field On Fire

The result and facts are that ISIS is the most well funded terrorist group the United States has ever had to confront. Oil is one of the most difficult commodities to track. Some of our sources here in the House of Public Discourse estimate ISIS is making as much as one million dollars a day smuggling oil on the " Black Market." ISIS now controls a vast amount of territory in both Iraq and Syria. There is a robust demand for oil in the Middle East region. There are some six million people who live in the area controlled by ISIS. These citizens require oil for their cars, generators, homes, and businesses. Much of the oil sold by ISIS is purchased by these individuals living in the ISIS occupied territory. 

ISIS sales on the oil are cash deals that make it extremely hard to track. Some sources say that the oil is being smuggled into neighboring countries like Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Jordan.  All of this begs the question what can America and its Allies do to stop this smuggling and purchasing of ISIS-controlled oil? 

There is one reality that rings true concerning the rise of ISIS. The destabilization of Middle-East governments like Iraq, Libya, and Syria have made it easy for terrorist groups like ISIS to get a foothold and to grow both in arms and people who sympathize with their extremist dogma.  The unrest in these countries has provided the perfect storm for recruiting individuals with extremist viewpoints and joining terrorist groups like ISIS gives that person a sense of solidarity with other like-minded individuals who share their views. 

What we have learned from 20/20 hindsight is that the Army we left in control in Iraq was powerless to stop ISIS when they reentered that country. When America left, they allocated thousands of military vehicles and other equipment to the Iraqi army. Sadly, most of this equipment has been taken over by ISIS.[See Source] 

For many Americans and other citizens around the world, this reality came as an enormous shock. How could an army trained by the United States just fold up to a terrorist group like ISIS? America spent 25 billion dollars of taxpayer money on training and arming the Iraqi Army. The answer is not a simple one, in fact, it's a complicated one. Considering that the entire Iraqi Army under Saddam Hussein was disbanded in 2003 and with this army gone there was no longer any real organization. There were no experienced leaders or soldiers to fall back on. The integrated security of Iraq had to be started from scratch. 

Nouri al-Maliki

Also, no sooner than the American overseers left Iraq there came allegations of corruption in the Nouri al-Maliki administration the puppet leader set up by the Bush administration. The Maliki government wasted no time alienating the Sunnis. This led to low morale in the Iraqi security forces that created a rotten edifice from the start. Once these Iraqi security forces started to turn tail and run, ISIS began recording one strategic victory after the other. ISIS forces took control of a major dam in that country and threaten to flood major Iraqi cities. Next, ISIS robbed an important Iraqi bank and stole 425 million dollars. And, lastly they confiscated large amount of U.S. armaments left behind by the weak Iraqi security forces. 

ISIS Must Be Stopped They Must Be Opposed But Are They A Direct Threat To The United States?

What should the role of the United States be in taking on ISIS? There are no questions that containing ISIS now will be a difficult one. In this writers view it would be wrong for America to withdraw its hand and proclaim it's no longer our problem. Especially since our foreign policy has helped to create ISIS. There is no denying the fact that America is the blame more than any other country in creating the current mess in Iraq and the Middle East in general. 

America's nation-building foreign policy led by the Republicans has left huge power vacuums in Iraq, Eygpt, and Libya. What has transpired in the present and brought to light by last week's terrorist attack in Paris is now an almost necessity for Ameican military involvement. By leaving these countries destabilized, there is no solid foundation for these countries to defend themselves. 

America is paying dearly for the war crimes of Bush and Cheney. America was in Iraq for ten years and its the view of the House of Public Discourse no matter how long we occupy these countries as soon as we pull out these extremist militant groups are going to move right back in just like we see right now in Iraq. Nobody in their right mind would say Saddam was not a monster. Maybe the Reagan administrations should have realized that before enabling Saddam to gain power in Iraq. [See Source] 

 American patriotism may not want to admit it but no matter the evil that was Saddam Hussein Iraq was a functioning society. That claim is no longer valid in present day Iraq. 

To look at the current situation in the Middle East one must ask themselves the question how did the evil dictators become evil dictators? The answer is these evil dictators were able to fend off other potential evil dictators in a region of the world that has been in turmoil since the recording of secular world history. The idea that you can implement a foreign policy of regime change and somehow put a responsible government in its place is not only irrational its dangerous for world peace in general. The history of the region tells us this type thinking just won't work there. To think that it could have ever worked is the biggest failure and blunder in the history of foreign policy in the United States. Current presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has been spot on in calling it like it is. 

The American involvement in the Middle East has been a massive failure from start to finish and a lack of understanding of how the Middle East is structured. The reality is today wars are fought much different than in the past. Imperialism no longer works. 

When you have factions in the United States and politicians like John McCain(R-AZ) and current presidential candidates like Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, who advocate war, bombs, arming rebel groups, and regime change as the answer to every problem there will never be a war that should not be fought. 

The failures in Iraq, Eygpt, and Libya should have been an education for the Warhawks in America. But, obviously not because any quick glance of the current newsreels and rhetoric coming from Washington is to attack ISIS and bomb the living hell out of them. Has this worked in the past? No! Will it work in the present? No! Will it work in the future? Absolutely not! 

With the recent terror attack in Paris fresh in our minds, we are seeing the same old debates emerging from Washington. Should we just bomb, bomb away or should we send ground troops in? The truism here whether one wants to face it or not America has had a severely flawed foreign policy in the Middle East since the end of World War II, and the current situation in the Middle East is a train wreck.[See Source] 

It's time for America to take care of our issues at home and stop trying to export our democracy to other countries. Yes, we must work with other countries especially those Muslim countries in the region to find a sustainable solution that will result in a lasting peace. But, just as Bernie Sanders has suggested its high time they[Middle-Eastern Countries] take the lead in the matter. Trying to spread American democracy to the Middle East has been a complete failure. 

America needs to tell Israel we will no longer support any preemptive strikes against Muslim nations like Palestine. The foreign policy of preemption has done nothing but cause countless death and destruction to not only military personal but to innocent civilians including women, children, and elderly. This behavior is not what America is supposed to be and nor do most Americans want it to be.

Written By: Johnny Hill