Bernie Sanders on US National Security and Foreign Policy
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)
Throughout his public life, Sanders has been a democratic socialist in name only. His House and Senate voting record reveals the true measure of the man.
So does his feelthebern website on the issues. This article covers where he stands on key national security and foreign policy ones.
At a time when Washington’s only enemies are invented ones, he supports large-scale military spending on what he calls “a strong national defense infrastructure.”
Saying “(f)or most of the past decade, the United States has been engaged in two separate military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he ignored US wars in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan along the Afghan border, along with partnering in Israeli wars on defenseless Palestinians.
He failed to condemn these wars as naked aggression against nations threatening no one, or explain they’re being waged endlessly. Nor did he explain the presence of hostile US special forces in around three-fourths of world countries, very much not sent as good will ambassadors or to protect the interests of host countries.
Sanders claims the US needs “a strong defense system for our country and a robust National Guard and Reserve that can meet our domestic and foreign challenges.”
Foreign ones are invented, “challenges” of Washington’s own making, consistently meddling in the internal affairs of other countries, including their elections, opposing democratic ones, wanting puppet regimes worldwide serving US interests. Sanders failed to explain.
Post-9/11 and earlier, he voted for and against annual National Defense Authorization Acts. The measure is largely for global militarism and warmaking, no explanation from Sanders, supporting the US imperial agenda without admitting it - like the vast majority of others in Washington.
A small fraction of the Pentagon’s budget is needed to defend the homeland. Countless trillions of dollars have been poured down a black hole of waste, fraud and abuse - funds used for smashing one nation after another, an agenda demanding denunciation, not support.
If elected president in 2020, Sanders will be a reliable imperial tool. Like most others in Washington, his public remarks belie his voting record, consistently along party lines. Exceptions prove the rule
It’s clear by his views on nations the US targets for regime change, he’s largely on board with the dirty system.
Post-9/11, he voted for US naked aggression on Afghanistan. The nation and its people, including bin Ladin, had nothing to do with the CIA-staged mother of all false flag - what neither Sanders or anyone else in Washington would dare explain.
His explanation for what he supported didn’t pass the smell test, saying “(a)fter the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, (Bush/Cheney) authorized an invasion of a country presumed to be harboring the fugitive responsible for the attacks.
The “terrorist attacks” were state-sponsored, no Afghan remotely connected to them. Bin Ladin died of natural causes in December 2001 - reported by the NYT, the BBC, Fox News and other major media at the time.
Obama did not kill Osama, one of many Big Lies about post-9/11 events. War on Afghanistan was planned months before that fateful day - the same true of Iraq and all other US wars of aggression, plans drawn, on the shelf, updated as needed, ready to be implemented if and when ordered.
The US has war plans readied against Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and other sovereign states on its target list. Neither Sanders or anyone else in Washington will explain how US imperial works.
He’s hostile to China, falsely blaming its leadership for “our disastrous trade policies…which force American workers to compete against low-wage labor…”
Blame corporate America for offshoring millions of high-wage industrial and other jobs to China and other low-wage countries, not Beijing. Blame Republicans and undemocratic Dems for failing to act against what’s going on.
Sanders: “China continues to grow militarily, and we must work with the international community to deter foreign support for China’s military buildup.”
Fact: China is at war with no other countries, seeking cooperative bilateral relations worldwide. The US repeatedly attacks other nations, waging endless wars of aggression on humanity - at home and abroad. Sanders failed to explain, silence indicating support.
He criticized Beijing’s human rights record while ignoring horrific US civil and human rights abuses on a global scale - endless wars responsible for millions of casualties, vast destruction, and human misery most grievous of all, not a word Sanders denouncing what’s going on, no opposition stated against the military, industrial, security, media complex.
He pretends the US is at war to eliminate the scourge of ISIS (and likeminded terrorist groups) it created and supports, no explanation from him otherwise.
Supporting the Iran JCPOA nuclear deal, he’s hostile to the country otherwise, maintaining the myth of what he calls its “nuclear ambitions,” saying they “must be held in check,” claiming “a nuclear-armed Iran (is) a threat.”
He ignored what’s fundamental. Nuclear-armed and dangerous Israel is a regional and global threat to world peace, stability and security. Iran abhors nuclear weapons, wanting them all eliminated - the only way to assure they don’t eliminate us.
Unlike the US, NATO, Israel, and their imperial partners, Iran hasn’t attacked another country in centuries, threatening none now. It’s the region’s leading proponent of world peace. Sanders failed to explain.
A previous article said his support for Israel’s killing machine is especially troubling, backing its wars on Gaza, naked aggression by any standard.
He blames Hamas for Israeli high crimes. He supported Senate legislation, calling on the UN to rescind the Goldstone report – exposing Israel’s December 2008-January 2009 slaughter and destruction on the Strip.
He opposes Palestinian statehood based on pre-June 1967 borders – 22% of historic Palestine unless Israel willingly goes along, an impossibility.
He supports vetoing Security Council resolutions on Palestinian statehood without a settlement – based on Israeli imposed terms.
He’s militantly hostile to Russia, the world’s leading proponent of peace, stability, and security. He supports “enforcing (illegal) economic sanctions and international pressure” on the country, adding:
“To temper (nonexistent) Russian aggression, we must freeze Russian government assets all over the world, and encourage international corporations with huge investments in Russia to divest from that nation’s increasingly hostile political aims.”
“The entire world has got to stand up to Putin,” wanting him “isolat(ed) politically and economically” - sounding like Pompeo and Bolton or Hillary with a gender difference, adding:
“(O)nly after all peaceful and diplomatic efforts have been exhausted should we consider war” - a lunatic agenda if launched, jeopardizing planet earth, humanity and all other life forms.
Sanders supports the Trump regime’s plot to eliminate Bolivarian social democracy in Venezuela, the hallmark of what imperial ruthlessness is all about. He’s on board supporting it.
He lied claiming Maduro “has been waging a violent crackdown on Venezuelan civil society, violated the constitution by dissolving the National Assembly and was re-elected last year in an election that many observers said was fraudulent.”
He endorsed the Trump regime’s Trojan horse PR stunt “humanitarian aid” unrelated to helping Venezuelans, part of his regime change plot.
Short of endorsing usurper in waiting Guaido, Sanders failed to denounce his illegal power grab. Calling Venezuela’s economy “a disaster,” he’s silent about US economic, financial and sanctions war - begun by Obama, escalated by Trump.
Entertainer/anti-war activist Roger Waters blasted him, tweeting: “Bernie, are you f-ing kidding me,” adding:
“(I)f you buy the Trump, Bolton, Abrams, Rubio line, ‘humanitarian intervention’ and collude in the destruction of Venezuela, you cannot be credible candidate for president of the USA. Or, maybe you can. Maybe you’re the perfect stooge” for the 1 %.”
Throughout his career as Burlington, VT mayor in the 1980s, a House and Senate since 1991, Sanders’ soul was for sale at the right price like the vast majority of others in Washington.
I call him America’s most popular con man, fooling many people some of the time, too many all of the time.
Waters is right. He’s a perfect front man for the 1%. It was Hillary’s turn in 2016, upset by Trump’s triumph. Maybe undemocratic Dems will choose Sanders to try unseating him in 2020.
If so, it’ll be proof positive he was bought over too many times to count, sure to serve powerful interest he opposes rhetorically if inaugurated as the nation’s 46th president.
Don’t count Hillary out. The Wall Street Journal believes she’ll run again, undeterred about becoming a three-time loser.
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