Sanders A Warhawk?

According to an article from "World Socialist Web Site" https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/14/sand-f14.html , Bernie Sanders had told the New York Times in an interview that he would "consider military force to pre-empt an Iranian or North Korean nuclear or missile test." The article goes on further to say that Bernie would also be willing to use "military force for a humanitarian intervention." Sanders also told the New York Times that he would not withdraw American troops from the Korean peninsula immediately, and instead "would work closely with our South Korean partners to move toward peace on the Korean peninsula." The article also states that Sanders would be willing to consider Russia an enemy if the tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalate. "Finally, the Times asks the Sanders campaign its position on the National Security Strategy announced by the Trump administration at the beginning of 2018. The new doctrine declares that the focus of American foreign and military strategy has shifted from the 'war on terror' to the preparation for war against its major rivals, naming in particular Russia and China." The following exchange is disturbing, to say the least:

"Question: President Trump’s national security strategy calls for shifting the focus of American foreign policy away from the Middle East and Afghanistan, and back to what it refers to as the ‘revisionist’ superpowers, Russia and China. Do you agree? Why or why not?"

"Answer: Despite its stated strategy, the Trump administration has never followed a coherent national security strategy. In fact, Trump has escalated tensions in the Middle East and put us on the brink of war with Iran, refused to hold Russia accountable for its interference in our elections and human rights abuses, has done nothing to address our unfair trade agreement with China that only benefits wealthy corporations, and has ignored China’s mass internment of Uighurs and its brutal repression of protesters in Hong Kong. Clearly, Trump is not a president we should be taking notes from. ."

The WSWS article also states that "Sanders would continue provocative 'freedom of the seas' navigation operations in the Persian Gulf and the South China Sea, while committing a Sanders administration to 'maintain some presence' on the multitude of bases dotting 'allied' countries from Japan to Germany."

The article concludes with the following few paragraphs that I believe sum up how I feel about what Sanders had said to the New York Times recently:

"Millions of workers, students and young people are presently attracted to Sanders because they have come to despise and oppose the vast social inequality, brutality and militarism of American society and correctly associate these evils with capitalism. However, they will soon learn through bitter experience that Sanders’s opposition to the 'billionaire class' is no more real than his supposed opposition to war. His foreign policy is imperialist through and through, in line with the aggressive and militaristic policy of the Democratic Party and the Obama administration."

"The Democrats’ differences with Trump on foreign policy, though bitter, are tactical. Both parties share the strategic orientation of asserting US global hegemony above all through force of arms."

"No matter how much Sanders blusters about inequality, it is impossible to oppose the depredations of the ruling class at home while supporting its plunder and oppression abroad."

"Sanders is no more an apostle of peace than he is a representative of the working class. Both in foreign and domestic policy, he is an instrument of the ruling class for channeling the growing movement of the working class and opposition to capitalism back behind the Democratic Party and the two-party system of capitalist rule in America."

Sanders touts himself as "an apostle of peace" in speeches and statements, and on social media, but behind closed doors, he gives an entirely different story. He sounds just like the rest of the warhawks that he claims to oppose. He is a wolf in sheep's clothing. After seeing this article, which was written, ironically enough, on Valentine's Day, which is supposed to be a day of love (I'm aware of the capitalistic nature behind Valentine's Day. I won't get into that in this article). Instead, what I had found out, not on that day, but the day after, was that the Democratic candidate who I liked more than any of the other Democrats that were running, turned out to be a liar, a fraud, and was just like the rest of the warhawks in his party. I was really disappointed to hear about Sanders' comments, because I was willing to vote for him. Now, I don't know if I am going to vote for anyone; at least, not in the Democratic Party. I was considering Sanders because he actually seemed to be for the people. He seemed to care about the issues people actually cared about like healthcare, education, infrastructure, and reducing wealth inequality. That was what Sanders was about; at least, that's what I thought he was about. The other candidates weren't fighting for those issues. They were only fighting to maintain the status quo. Bernie Sanders made himself stand out. He made himself appear like an underdog; like an outsider. In the end, he turned out to support the things he claimed he would not support. After seeing this article, I am not sure if I am going to want to vote for him, or anyone in the Democratic party.

I will still keep a close eye on Bernie, to see if he changes his tune. After reading this WSWS article, however, I've become very skeptical of everything Bernie says. I am now starting to think he doesn't actually believe everything he is saying, and that once he gets into power, he would do all he can to maintain the status quo. That is something that I fear for the people in America, and the world, who are huge Bernie supporters. I fear that he will get everyone excited to vote for him and instill "hope and change" into them, similar to Obama back in 2008, but wind up becoming a disappointment by not living up to any of the promises he made on the campaign trail.

This post will probably get a lot of flack, so let me sign off with this: don't let your expectations cloud your judgment. Be skeptical, and be critical of everything Bernie, and any candidate, for that matter, says and does. Don't take them at their words, or policies, alone. Don't even take them at their voting records alone. Be skeptical of everything a person says and does; especially a politician. Sometimes, it's the ones we love the most that wind up hurting us the most once we realize that they may not have our best interests at heart.

Source: World Socialist Web Site, Sanders tells New York Times he would consider a preemptive strike against Iran or North Korea, written by Jacob Crosse and Barry Grey, published February 14, 2020, https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/14/sand-f14.html