Green Party Candidate Jill Stein Is Sounding a Lot Like Bernie Sanders

20160810_1139 Green Party Candidate Jill Stein Is Sounding a Lot Like Bernie Sanders.jpg Green Party Candidate Jill Stein Is Sounding a Lot Like Bernie Sanders
By Michal Addady, Fortune.com

(August 10, 2016 11:39 a.m.) — Bernie Sanders’ campaign may have ended, but his platform seems to live on in Jill Stein.

The Green Party candidate outlined what she would want to accomplish as president in an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box saying, “As the only candidate that is not poisoned by corporate money, lobbyists, or Super PACs, I can actually stand up for what it is that we need.”

(Read more.)

Say Anything: Sanders and the Lesser Evil Mantra

20160809_1341 Say Anything Sanders and the Lesser Evil Mantra.jpg Say Anything: Sanders and the Lesser Evil Mantra
By Stan Malinowitz, CounterPunch.org

(August 9, 2016 1:41 p.m.) — I don’t really feel betrayed by Bernie Sanders’ endorsement of Hillary Clinton. He said he would support the Democratic nominee, whoever it turned out to be, at the start of his campaign. That opened the doors to the Democratic debates and to the amount of media coverage he got.

Even if the media clearly under-covered his campaign and over-covered Clinton`s, he got more visibility and his campaign came farther than if he had run as an independent or if he had not made the pact with the party.

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Robert Reich – Foreign Cash Is Hijacking American Democracy

20160808_  Robert Reich - Foreign Cash Is Hijacking American Democracy.jpg Robert Reich – Foreign Cash Is Hijacking American Democracy
By Robert Reich, Alternet.org

(August 8, 2016 4:00 p.m.) — The biggest threats to American sovereignty are invisible digital dollars wired into U.S. election campaigns from abroad.

“Without a border, we just don’t have a country,” Donald Trump says repeatedly. For him, the biggest threats to American sovereignty are three-dimensional items that cross our borders, such as unwanted imports and undocumented immigrants.

He’s wrong. The biggest threats to American sovereignty are invisible digital dollars wired into U.S. election campaigns from abroad.

(Read more.)

Counting the votes – How electors pick the president

20160807_1700 Counting the votes - How electors pick the president.jpg Counting the votes – How electors pick the president
By Meg Kinnard

(August 7, 2016 05:00 p.m. ) — COLUMBIA, S.C. — It’s an institution as old as the nation itself, but the Electoral College remains an enigma to many Americans. The Founding Fathers, apprehensive about the unchecked power of the popular vote, added the extra step to the process of choosing a president.

A look at the ins and outs of the Electoral College and how its role could be even more scrutinized this year.

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Rationale for Voting for the Lesser Evil Presidential Candidate

20160806_0600 Rationale for Voting for the Lesser Evil Presidential Candidate.jpg Rationale for Voting for the Lesser Evil Presidential Candidate
By John Halle, Noam Chomsky

(August 6, 2016 ) — Critics of “lesser evil voting” should consider that their footing on the high ground may not be as secure as they often take for granted.

Among the elements of the weak form of democracy enshrined in the constitution, presidential elections continue to pose a dilemma for the left in that any form of participation or non participation appears to impose a significant cost on our capacity to develop a serious opposition to the corporate agenda served by establishment politicians.

The position outlined below is that which many regard as the most effective response to this quadrennial Hobson’s choice, namely the so-called “lesser evil” voting strategy or LEV. Simply put, LEV involves, where you can, i.e. in safe states, voting for the losing third party candidate you prefer, or not voting at all. In competitive “swing” states, where you must, one votes for the “lesser evil” Democrat.

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Israeli Company That Helped Build Gaza’s Wall Is Less Sure About Donald Trump’s

20160805_1139 Israeli Company That Helped Build Gazas Wall Is Less Sure About Trumps.jpg Israeli Company That Helped Build Gaza’s Wall Is Less Sure About Donald Trump’s
By Zaid Jilani, TheIntercept.com

(August 5, 2016 11:39 a.m.) — AN ISRAEL-BASED SECURITY company that provided intrusion detection technology for the barrier between Israel and the Gaza Strip has offered to help Donald Trump secure the U.S. border — but suggests that building an actual wall along every section of the border is not the way to go.

Sa’ar Koursh, the CEO of Magal Security Systems, told Bloomberg News that he would be happy to help Trump. “We would join forces with a major U.S. defense company that has experience with such projects worldwide,” he said. “We’ve done it in the past and we would definitely want to do it.”

(Read more.)

OurRevolution.com – What is it and Where is it Going?

20160803_2000A OurRevolution - What is it and Where is it Going Home Page.jpg OurRevolution – What is it and Where is it Going?

(August 3, 2016 20:00) — There has been a lot of talk out there as to where the frieght train of Bernie Sanders supporters will be applying their progressive energy to since Sanders now endorses Hillary Clinton.

One such place in cyberspace is OurRevolution.com.

Bernie Sanders talked about the direction he will go since endorsing Hillary Clinton in an interview last month with USA Today indicating that he plans “to launch educational and political organizations within the next few weeks to keep his progressive movement alive.”

USA Today reports:

The Sanders Institute will focus on elevating issues and ideas—through media and documentaries—that Sanders said the “corporate media” fails to focus on, including the disappearing middle class, “massive” income inequality, horrific levels of poverty and problems affecting seniors and children.

As OurRevolution.com takes hold, many facebook and twitter comments have expressed concerns about contributing money to the site because they feel funds may find their way into the DNC.

As evidence, concerned Bernie Sanders supporters point to the fact that the OurRevolution.com website contribution facilitator is the same used during Bernie Sanders’ campaign, ActBlue.com.

20160803_2000C OurRevolution - What is it and Where is it Going Privacy Policy.jpgIn any case, the site is very sparse and has limited links which include: 1) Contribute to the Revolution; and 2) a “Privacy Policy” page; and 3) a link which asks for the visitors’ email address and zip code so they can “Join the Fight.”

A quick look at the contributions page reveals the now famous average contribution amount button of $27.

In the “Contribution Rules” section of the contribution page, it indicates, “ActBlue Civics is a registered charitable organization formed to democratize social welfare giving.

20160803_2000B OurRevolution - What is it and Where is it Going Contribute.jpg Though the OurRevolution.com website does not explicitly indicate that any of its contributions will go to the DNC, given the recent state of affairs between the Sanders campaign and the DNC, in light of the email revelations released by WikiLeaks indicating the DNC engaged in a concerted effort to marginalize his campaign, it is not reasonable to expect any donations to OurRevolution will find its way back to the DNC.

None the less, the new “Sanders Institute” by way of OurRevolution.com is currently in development with many eyes watching what is does and where it goes to next.

Related:
Our Revolution: What’s Next on Bernie Sanders’ Horizon, by Deirdre Fulton, CommonDreams.org, July 15, 2016

Tim Canova camp says new poll shows him ‘within striking distance’ of Debbie Wasserman Schultz

20160731_1255 Time Canova Camp says he is within Striking Distance of Schultz.jpg Tim Canova camp says new poll shows him ‘within striking distance’ of Debbie Wasserman Schultz
By Mitch Perry, Florida Politics

(July 31, 2016 12:55 p.m.) — Debbie Wasserman Schultz leads her Democratic challenger Tim Canova by eight percentage points in Florida’s 23rd Congressional District, 46 percent to 38 percent, according to a new poll released Sunday by the Canova campaign. What’s more, after the pollsters provided more information about Canova to likely voters, Wasserman Schultz’ lead was reduced to just three points, 43 percent to 40 percent.

The survey, conducted by the Los Angeles-based polling group of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3), was in the field immediately after Wasserman Schultz stepped down as head of the Democratic National Committee last week.

(Read more.)

Sanders still in the race after meeting with Clinton

20160614_2113 Sanders still in the race after meeting with Clinton (Hill).jpg Sanders still in the race after meeting with Clinton
By Jonathan Easley

(June 14, 2016 09:13 p.m.) — Bernie Sanders is staying in the Democratic presidential race after meeting with rival Hillary Clinton, the party’s presumptive nominee, for nearly two hours at a Washington, D.C., hotel on Tuesday night.

Sanders and Clinton met at the Capital Hilton just blocks from the White House to plot a way forward after the Democratic primary season came to a close on Tuesday.

(Read more.)

Practice Mouse-Clicking Discipline and Liberate Yourself from the Corporate Media Game

00 Stock Image - Mouse Generic with cord m100-gallery.png Practice Mouse-Clicking Discipline and Liberate Yourself from the Corporate Media Game

By Daryl Parsons

(June 12, 2016 11:10 a.m. ET) — Many of us already realize the fact that by the time you get to an internet news article you may be interested in reading you had to wait for series of advertising images and video to play out before the information is shown. Right?

Well, there is something you can do about that that will keep you from rewarding these bait-and-switch tactics used by corporate media, and, at the same time, liberate yourself by putting you, back in control of the information you seek and receive.

So instead of just arbitrarily clicking on the on the first links in a search listing, most likely generated by search engines like Google, or Yahoo, take a second to reconsider what is really happening while you “surf” the internet.

One way to fully absorb this concept is to take into consider how your clicking practices are valuable to mainstream media sources such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and affiliated material provided by CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, New York Times, and their affiliates.

Now, tying this into this year’s election cycle, we have all grown disgusted with how bias and slanted the coverage has been for Bernie Sanders. Mostly because he doesn’t fit into the corporate media’s for profit agenda. Why, because Sanders is looking out for our, the 99%’s bottom lines.

As such, I have and will continue to practice mouse-clicking discipline.

If one of these outlet’s headlines have a subject of interest listed, I will instead conduct a secondary search with those terms. For example, take for instance last night’s mass shooting in Orlando.

A simple focused search for “Pulse Nightclub Shooting” will show a concentrated results listing. From there, I will look for a reputable alternative media source, or discover one for that matter, to find out more information on the subject.

By simply clicking on a website link, even if you don’t read the article all the way through, will permit that business (which is usually one of the above who are listed on the top of search listings) to benefit by your unique click/visit to that page.

Even if you don’t read the article all the way through, the page visit will create website statistics these outlets then use to sell advertising space.

That is why when you get to many of today’s news websites, your inundated with advertising images and auto-played videos. After that, is when you can proceed to read the content you originally were looking for. The information that drove you to their website, and whether you read it or not is not primary. The fact that you visited their page, generated a page view, is.

Lastly, do you want to use your personal resources to complete the steps in these outlet’s advertising business? That is, by using your hand, finger, internet connection, computer, monitor, desk, chair, electricity, all these resources you paid for with your own money, to subsidize a for profit industry that didn’t compensate you one penny?

Of course not. That is why by just becoming aware of this concept, and taking a millisecond to hesitate to click on the first link, but to be mindful on all the links and webpages you visit will make you a more conscientious person on the web, as well as to yourself.

Because deep down inside, as your waiting that 20 seconds for an advertiser’s video to play out, a little voice says, “your being played.”

So play back! Practice some mouse-clicking discipline which will liberate and empower you!

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