Days of Revolt - The Death of Electoral Politics

In this episode of Days of Revolt, host Chris Hedges speaks with former presidential candidate Ralph Nader. Together they analyze the historic role of third parties in the US, and trace how such political alternatives have been shut out by a corporatized, dictatorial two-party system. Nader and Hedges also discuss Bernie Sanders’ campaign, and his capitulation to the Democratic establishment. teleSUR multimedia.tele...

[@winstonsmith-ministryoftru1609]

Watching this after the 2016 Presidential Elections. These two dudes NAILED it. Just NAILED it. And that was 1 year BEFORE the elections!!!

[@spencerrichards5093]

Best show EVER.

[@Serenadesong]

I've taken quite a bit of flack from Sanders' followers on You Tube, but whenever I would speak against him this was the message that I was attempting to forward. Not to be bias, not to be cruel, just to be honest - His supporters will be left in the gutter, we all will, if he does not stand up and truly fight for what he says he believes in. He is siding far too much with the Democrats. And Nader is SO right when he says that he could step up and demand that Clinton support his agenda or else he won't back her. He could do things to PUSH this country in the right direction, even if he didn't win the primary, yet he doesn't seem to be heading in that direction. Nader is also right that this seems to be shaping up to be a tragic time in American history.

[@tigerphoenix5]

+Serenadesong I think Nader fears a repeat of his own lack luster attempt at the Presidency. Bernie already has much more support than Nader did. Nader was a curiosity that many of us in Liberal California would mention off hand just to show that we'd heard of a third Party. What a novelty?! Conservatives just straight out laughed or had no idea who the hell he was. Not so with Sanders! He's at the finger tips and tongues of a majority of American's. It's a different horse race. This is the Information Age and Nader came along before it was greased. Bernie is the best candidate many of us has seen in living memory. It's up to us to vote him in and convince people of the folly of voting for Hillary. If you think Hillary would be better or another candidate? Fine. Talk about why. People should be voting with their hopes....not the fears. Shame on Nader for seeming like the beat down and chained hound dog when this country needs electricity. Nader should be doing all he can to help Bernie rather be such a damn wet blanket. That's, also, why he couldn't garner enough support in the first place. Bernie is galvanized and that resonates with those of us who aren't dragging our feet and just given in the 1%'s demand of slavery and powerlessness. Right now is no time to compromise. Bernie. For. The. Win. ;)

[@Serenadesong]

tigerphoenix5 No time to compromise? But Bernie is doing just that by playing along with the bought and sold Democratic party. I don't believe that Hillary is a better choice, I can't stand her, but I don't think that Sanders is anywhere near being strong enough. They're just stating the obvious here, not being a wet blanket as you put it. Bernie's only goal is to attempt to make the Democratic party a bit more left. He has no intention of living up to the political revolution that he promises. But if you believe otherwise, then by all means vote for him. Best of luck, but if what they say here even has 5% legitimacy to it, then there is a good chance that Sanders won't be able to live up to any promises, even if he wanted to. And if that happens I just don't want to see the support that he has received from so many people wither and be killed.

[@tigerphoenix5]

+Serenadesong Support for the truth will never wither away and die. That's Bernie's whole campaign and why he resonates. Watch Bernie go after Alan Greenspan (on KZbin, where else?) and most people will have no doubt about his intentions. Who else has told Greenspan he's out of touch....to his face? But as you say....Bernie can't over turn the will of an entire bought out Congress. I'm open to supporting any other candidate who can do better than Bernie. Any suggestions? To me it's pretty simple. It's up to us. Do you want Bernie or Hillyweed? ;) If the game is rigged, anyway, then violent revolution seems unavoidable.....even if it takes another ten years before enough people get angry enough. Even other billionaires are concerned about what happens when people realize they don't have to buy into this system, anymore. This might be our last attempt at a peaceful resolution.

[@Serenadesong]

tigerphoenix5 I have been looking into a few other candidates, like Jill Stein, but if the system is really rigged like Nader suggests then a third party will never see office. I cannot stand Hillar-beast and while I do like and agree with "some" of Bernie Sanders' platform, I still think that he seems to be gearing up for an alliance with the bought and sold Democrats. Perhaps a revolution cannot be avoided at this point, but after so many years of propaganda, in-fighting, and people going against their own best interest, I don't even know if the general public is capable of having one! But I guess we will see.

[@ridingravity]

+Serenadesong 40 years of We The People speeches...the man is a legend already. Once the American people are behind Bernie, even 70%, having him "lose" a rigged election would erupt into something that no one wants to see. Washington is actually powerless against his will, otherwise they would have gotten rid of him years ago somehow. Their bosses aren't though. They are only driven by (the power of the dark side.. sry) money, which is where we come in. The only way they can own this country's interests, is if we submit willingly, which we still currently are, being so divided. So it's really simple, if we stand together as a nation we win, if they keep us divided we lose. This is a people's movement. Bernie has been here all along, it is the people that are just showing up to the front-line.

[@GatelliteSimp]

2 human treasures.

[@danthemansmail]

It is hard to hear the underlying message from Ralph, that while they didn't break him, they did worse and made sure he was ignored. For someone like him, that must be hard, Another hero, shunned by those he sought to defend.

[@viralnews5282]

Nader: What an amazing phenomenon!

[@danthemansmail]

Ralph is right, Bernie is holding back....and it will be his and our downfall.

[@tigerphoenix5]

+Dan Harris I don't think he's holding back. He just refuses go the low road. Nader sees the problem from a pessimistic point of view.....and who can blame him considering his own experience? If you can see that Bernie is obviously the better candidate then Bernie did his job. Now it's on us.

[@danthemansmail]

tigerphoenix5 I disagree. There is a difference between going negative and being aggressive. No, I don't like the feel of it at all. Continuing in this vein is wasting everybody's time. Clinton will crush him if he doesn't take the gloves off. Simple as that.

[@warrenflood2809]

+tigerphoenix5 Bernie needs to challenge Clinton on the issues, I am afraid he is holding back and this was demonstrated clearly in the last debate. I'm glad he took the debate away from the e-mails, now he just needs to bring it on to the challenging Hillary's record. So far no one has legitimately challenged her on her involvement in a global extra-legal spying and assassination program, her role in deregulation of finance and the Wall Street crisis, and finally and most importantly, the fact she was a complicit bystander to the complete capture of our democratic system by the corporatocracy via the domination of money in politics.

[@chioma3100]

Nader also said that Nixon was our last liberal president and it is important to remember why. Citizens took to the streets and got real change. This makes me hopeful that with Trump ( or any other party with a "hyper vigilant, laser-focused" citizenry) in the White House real change is always possible. The most important part of the political machine is an actively-involved citizenry. Thanks to our multi news platforms information can be shared and we can be updated within minutes. I am aware of the downside as well, but we can and should remain critical of all that we see and hear. No matter who gets in office, I will remain actively vocalizing my concerns and working with others as closely alligned with my politics to work with polar opposites on the political spectrum to enact beneficial legislation to working class Americans.

[@KenoSNeal]

These two are prophetic legends. The foresight they had is remarkable.

[@MrBillyHounddog]

How much are could, would, should worth at this point ? Many of us realize that Bernie could let us down yet we choose to believe because he vocalizes what we want. Are you suggesting we should give up now ? Because, if we do give up now, we really do not have any hope for change or hope for the future. All we can do is try to make it happen at least through the primaries and then see where we stand. We may have our hearts broken, but better to have tried and lost, than never to have tried at all.

[@eethry]

+Melissa Crislip Oh no I'm quite sure many people are like me and are like bitter people dating expecting him to fail. Obama got me wiled up and failed miserably. There are twenty five other letters in the alphabet if A doesn't work go to plan B. Shoot I spend bitcoin to support a monetary system out the bank and give money to campaigns for clean energy. We are going to do this cause we have no choice.

[@ridingravity]

+Seth Erebos The difference is that you can watch Bernie giving speeches for 40 yrs as Mayor, in the House, and in the Senate. That's a pretty long con, when what he has been saying the whole way is exactly right. I learned about Bernie in middle school, I'm 41. I, like Vermont love Bernie, and trust Bernie because he has never let us down, from a lifetime of witness.

[@ridingravity]

+Melissa Crislip You can trust Bernie to do absolutely everything he can, for the American people. If it helps, he is a big chess player. His strategy is well thought out. When you hear that he has chosen E. Warren as his VP, that is the sound of checkmate.

[@joanofarc33]

+Seth Erebos Anyone who got wiled up about Obama didn't listen to him. They simply got caught up in ad campaigns featuring "Hope" and "Change". There is a lot of projection of what Obama said he would do as opposed to what he didn't mention at all and what everyone thought he said he would do.

[@DyaniNC]

+joanofarc33 Many people don't have enough time to really research candidates. That leaves them much more vulnerable to the corporate media propaganda.

[@syourke3]

Proportional representation is essential - without it, it is impossible to have more than two major parties - the third parties will always be marginalized and transitory under the present system, especially when we consider the domination of big of money in the political system. The American electoral system is profoundly antidemocratic - and that is not accidental.

[@NeolotusB5G]

Is there an after-election followup to this interview? I would love to hear both Hedge's and Nader's thoughts about the upset election of Trump and what they think about what Bernie has been doing since then.

[@Khaliqsim]

Coming from a "draft Berner" I'm beginning to be very weary of Sanders.

[@Ner0tika]

Hmm... start petitioning Bernie Sanders' campaign to schedule an interview with Chris Hedges?

[@ranger14809]

There are voices who, Nader, Hedges, Chomsky etal who are telling us, speaking to us but we will probably have to learn the hard way. Sad to say but having had some time to get my Sanders excitement in perspective I realize that we need more than just the oustide voice of an insider to lead us out of the woods. We need outside voices from outside the power structure. Kinda makes sense when u digest it. Those voices are there and will become more of a force when things get really tough for the majority. That has not happened yet apparently I dont wish that it does but I fear it will..

[@barbaraallen2804]

Alot of people have woken up. I Voted for Nader and am from VT. We Need Nader to step up and help. This is not about Bernie. This is about people hopefully people waking up, and looking at congree and changing the seats. Not just the federal, also the state official. Nader could be doing alot to help. Nader I am disappointed in you.I thought you were serious, about getting corruption out of Gov. You know yourself there has to some compromise to get what little done Bernie has accomplished. We the people need to make the change. Democrats and republicans are not going to.

[@GloriaCompton]

what's wrong with watching whales@malibu? i will not despair&LWV rule as far as i'm concerned. Thanks Mr.Nader for your fearlessness and determination!

[@billy-joes6851]

As long as Bernie doesn't take advice from Chris or Nader , look how far Bernie has gotten , who do you think is the more skilled politician Bernie or Nader ? Obviously Bernie . If Bernie did dumb shit like Nader or Chris are saying he'd be a failure just like them .

[@alloomis1635]

usa doesn't need a new party, it needs a new constitution. but americans have been frozen out of politics by madison, on purpose, because he thought democracy would lead to taxes being diverted from the rich to the poor. ever since, ordinary people are clients of politicians, and they will remain second class people until they demand democracy. i greatly admire hedges for his character, but i believe his inability to see the need for democracy dooms his effectiveness.