Berned!

According to this CommonDreams article, Bernie has kept his promise.  You remember, the one he made at the beginning of his so-called “revolution”, that he would endorse la Clinton if she became the Democratic nominee for the presidency.  Considering that it was probably decided before the whole spectacle began, he could hardly have done anything else.  He played his role perfectly, Judas Goating his millenials and other assorted revolutionary wannabes away from anything resembling a slight alternative to the slaughterhouse of dreams.

Triangular Bill perfected this duplicitous strategy, Obama enlarged upon it, and good old obedient Bernie gathered up the strays.  But did he?

There must be millions out there, enraged and humiliated, who just may find the courage to turn elsewhere.  Or simply give up.  It’s hard to say.  Civic and political activism, exercised only once every four years by the people who bother to vote, doesn’t presage a sustained effort.

It’s funny.  There’s a verb in French, Berner (pronounced ‘bare nay’) which means to fool or trick or make a fool of someone.  The person having been tricked is said to have been berné (same pronunciation).  I wonder how many of his useful idiots feel they were Berned.  Hmmm.  Edward Bernays comes to mind, as well.

Given the unlikely possibility that la Clinton’s criminal past somehow resurfaces to provide the necessary blowback to derail her ascension, I am not optimistic.

Steve Church is a former teacher, skipper, and sheep herder living in France. Email him at: steve.church@orange.fr. Read other articles by Steve, or visit Steve's website.