JUST A TOOL: Desperate Bernie Sanders Tries To Silence Rally Resistance To US/Israel Genocide

Time for the people to write the script and change the cast.

Apr 17, 2025

Under conditions in which fascism is being actively cultivated and promoted by large sections of the ruling class, millions of people are undergoing a profound political radicalization. During such periods, figures such as Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are brought forward by the ruling class to blunt this leftward movement and channel it back into the two-party system and electoral politics.

Cartoon By Mark Taylor / DeMOCKracy.ink

One of the hallmark characteristics of all crumbling empires and irrelevant political parties is a structural inability to read the room.

Smell the air.
Feel the vibe.
Connect to reality.

So caught up in their corruption, greed, self-interest, ego and bullshit, they are unable to see or even sense when the political landscape has shifted and the audience has changed. Instead of adapting to a new reality and need, they continue to babble and bluster from a tattered old script; resorting to shaming and threatening instead of listening and learning.

Both corrupt duopoly parties are are in such a phase now. The Democrats have their fake Bernie & AOC ‘Fight The Oligarchy’ (To Protect The Oligarchy) tour and Trump has his completely unhinged and crushing new workers Consumer Trump Tariff Tax (CTTT) and reality-free approach to China.

The Democrats could listen to the massive FTO rallies and respond and shift with meaningful reform. Trump could absorb the economic reality of trade and tariffs and engage in meaningful diplomatic dialog with the Chinese.

But neither will because their time has passed and reality doesn’t fit their limited cognitive abilities and outdated world views.

Time for the people to write a whole new script and change the cast.

Mark Taylor
DeMOCKracy,ink

HEARTLESSLY TONE DEAF: On The Road With Bernie & AOC

By Jacob Crosse
World Socialist Web Site (4/17/25)

For nearly two months, tens of thousands of people across the United States have been attending rallies held under the banner of “Fighting Oligarchy” and headlined by Bernie Sanders and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The rallies have drawn large crowds not only in major cities, but also in areas that have traditionally supported Republican candidates. After 36,000 people—the largest crowd in Sanders’ career—rallied in Los Angeles on April 12, the following night another 20,000 people gathered in Salt Lake City, Utah. On April 14, in Nampa, Idaho, 12,500 people filled the Ford Idaho Center arena to capacity. Some 9,000 turned out in Missoula, Montana, Wednesday evening.

On April 5, millions of people took part in mass protests against the Trump administration in over 1,500 cities and towns throughout the United States. The substantial attendance at these rallies and protests expresses the broad and deep opposition within the population to Trump’s fascist agenda. Millions of people are outraged over unending genocide and war, attacks on democratic rights, living standards, immigrants and students, and the efforts by the Trump administration to erect a fascist dictatorship.

The size and scope of these rallies put to rest Trump’s lie, echoed by the media, that he has a “mandate” and that his trampling of the Constitution and Bill of Rights has broad support. The democratic traditions, ideas and principles that animated and guided the Revolutions of 1776 and 1861-1865 have not been forgotten and will not be given up without a fight by the working class.

However, it is necessary to take stock of the political tendencies claiming to be “fighting oligarchy.” What role do Sanders, his protégé Ocasio-Cortez and the Democratic Party play in this struggle?

Drowning out Sanders

An episode in Nampa, Idaho helps answer this question. Two anti-genocide protesters were ejected from the event by police for unfurling a banner depicting the Palestinian flag with the phrase “Free Palestine.” As the protesters were dragged away by police, thousands in the arena erupted into cheers of “Free Palestine,” drowning out Sanders’ attempts to quell their anger.

Under conditions in which Israel is systematically exterminating, starving and ethnically cleansing the entire population of Gaza, Sanders declared at the rally that Israel “has the right to defend itself.”

This is not true. The United Nations and the International Court of Justice have repeatedly ruled that the Israeli occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, which it seized during the Six Day War of 1967, is illegal. Israel has no right of “self-defense” against a population it illegally occupies and imprisons.

As Sanders said these words, two rally attendees dropped a Palestinian flag banner over the giant American flag that was positioned behind the stage.

At the sight of the banner, the packed auditorium roared in approval, with many standing and cheering in extended applause.

Sanders looks on as police arrest the anti-genocide protesters and confiscate their flag. [Photo: Bernie Sanders]

An order was quickly given by Sanders’ campaign to have the banner removed. Local police ripped down the banner and detained those who unfurled it. Sanders did not tell the cops to leave the anti-genocide protesters alone, doing nothing to protect them even as the crowd continued to protest the police assault.

Shhhhhhut up, Bernie!

Amid growing boos and chants from the crowd, Sanders raised his hands and said, “Shhhhhh!” This had the opposite effect; thousands began chanting, “Free Palestine! Free Palestine! Free Palestine!” with many raising their fists in solidarity.

This episode highlights two critically important political facts. First is the role of Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez. Sanders’ response to the censorship and arrest of anti-genocide protesters reveals a politician who is not in any genuine sense oppositional to the “oligarchy,” genocide or the Democratic Party.

He and Ocasio-Cortez, along with other so-called “progressive” elements, play a vital role in American politics. Their job is to corral and suffocate growing anti-capitalist and anti-war sentiment within the Democratic Party. Ocasio-Cortez declared last year that Vice President Kamala Harris was working “tirelessly” for a ceasefire in Gaza, as part of an effort to convince young voters to back the party which made the genocide possible, while Sanders claims the fight against “oligarchy” and war can be waged by voting for Democrats.

Sponsors of genocide

For the last 18 months, the Democratic Party, in alliance with the Republicans, has armed, funded and politically backed the genocide in Gaza. In the opening months of the genocide, both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez vocally opposed a ceasefire in Gaza, with Sanders declaring in November 2023, “I don’t know how you can have a ceasefire, [a] permanent ceasefire, with an organization like Hamas.”

Ocasio-Cortez publicly backed US arms sales to Israel, declaring, “on the sole principle of Iron Dome and defense, I absolutely think there’s an openness, for sure.” Both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Biden in 2020 and, after he had orchestrated the Gaza genocide, in 2024.

As the response of the crowd to the Palestinian banner showed, there is broad support among those attending these rallies, no matter where they are held, for a stop to the genocide and for genuine left-wing politics.

Despite what Sanders says, the defense of democratic rights and the living standards of the working class are not separate from the genocide in Gaza. They are interlinked, as the ongoing kidnapping, harassing and possible deportation of anti-genocide student protesters such as Mahmoud Khalil, Momodou Taal, Mohsen Mahdawi, and Rümeysa Öztürk demonstrate.

Missing the moment & losing the narrative

The second critical point is the enormous significance of the response of the crowd itself and how quickly Sanders found himself losing control of the situation. For several minutes, Sanders tried to talk over and quiet down the crowd, to no avail. It was only after the police had taken away both protesters and after several attempts that Sanders was able to resume his speech.

Under conditions in which fascism is being actively cultivated and promoted by large sections of the ruling class, millions of people are undergoing a profound political radicalization. During such periods, figures such as Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are brought forward by the ruling class to blunt this leftward movement and channel it back into the two-party system and electoral politics.

This takes place as Trump is openly defying the courts and disappearing immigrants without due process, while threatening to do the same to citizens.

It is within this context, when virtually all the institutions and organizations that previously held purchase in the minds of workers—such as the two big business parties, Congress, the corporate media, the Supreme Court and the trade union apparatus—are increasingly hated and discredited for their role in ushering in Trump’s attacks, that Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez are brought forward. …

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US/China Contest No Longer About Who Dominates, But Instead Who Has The Edge In Most Strategic Sectors

By Phar Kim Beng
Asia Times (4/17/25)

There is an image that likely increasingly haunts the minds of US strategists: a Chinese dragon, no longer just coiled in defense but elegantly entwined around the neck of the American bald eagle. Not to suffocate but rather to regulate the bird’s breath.

The symbolism is not hyperbole. It captures a world where China, long caricatured as the imitator, has now morphed into a systemic rival, outrunning and outgunning the United States in critical business and security sectors.

From technology to trade, currency to cyber power, the Chinese state has mastered the long game.

As Graham Allison warned in “Destined for War”, the Thucydides Trap is not only about the inevitability of conflict between rising and ruling powers. It’s also about the erosion of assumptions that the West has long taken for granted—namely, that liberal democracies will always innovate faster and govern better.

That assumption is collapsing under China’s weight. Let us now turn to the strategic sectors where China has not just caught up, but, in many instances, sprinted ahead.

1. Semiconductors: from dependency to near parity

Semiconductors, once China’s key vulnerability, are now the arena of its most dramatic gains. Despite Washington’s embargoes on Huawei and export bans on advanced lithography equipment, Beijing has poured over 1.5 trillion yuan into its domestic chip ecosystem.

China’s 14nm chips are now being produced domestically at scale, and according to Dr Dan Wang of Gavekal Dragonomics, an economic consultancy, “China is only a node or two behind global leaders, and catching up fast.”

This acceleration is powered by “dual circulation”—a policy that embeds state subsidies across the entire supply chain, from rare earth mining to chip design.

In contrast, the US remains fragmented. The CHIPS and Science Act is slow-moving and could be scrapped while American fabs are still dangerously dependent on geopolitical choke points like Taiwan.

And it’s not clear that forcing Taiwan to build fabs in the US will even remotely work due to a lack of skilled labor and relevant supply chains.

2. Electric vehicles: Tesla in the rearview mirror

China’s BYD, not Tesla, is now the world’s top EV manufacturer. In 2023, it overtook Tesla in global sales and its footprint now spans Latin America, Europe and Southeast Asia.

Why? Because China owns the supply chain. From lithium in Bolivia to cobalt in the Congo, Chinese firms like CATL dominate the upstream. They also control over 75% of global lithium battery production.

As Professor Tu Xinquan of the China Institute for WTO Studies notes, “Beijing treats EVs as the next strategic industry, not just a consumer product.” The result? China is setting the global terms for green mobility.

3. Artificial intelligence: authoritarian efficiency at scale

While Silicon Valley battles over ethics and data privacy, Chinese AI firms race ahead by leveraging the scale of their digital ecosystems.

With 1.4 billion citizens contributing to vast data pools, firms like SenseTime and iFlytek are training machine learning models at a rate unimaginable in the US.

Stanford’s AI Index 2024 noted that “China now publishes more peer-reviewed AI papers than the US and the EU combined.”

More importantly, the integration of AI into national surveillance systems—facial recognition, behavioral analytics and even predictive policing—is an institutional advantage in authoritarian governance.

4. Space & hypersonics: leaping over the Pentagon’s horizon

In 2021, China tested a hypersonic glide vehicle that stunned Pentagon officials. It circled the globe before hitting its target—a demonstration of capabilities that America did not anticipate and does not have.

Today, China launches more satellites than any other country, and its Tiangong space station functions independently of NASA.

This is not just about prestige. It’s about owning low-Earth orbit (LEO) infrastructure and building an integrated command architecture.

According to James Acton of the Carnegie Endowment, “China’s civil-military fusion in space tech gives it a decisive asymmetry—the ability to repurpose civilian launches into military capacity overnight.”

5. Quantum computing and cyber sovereignty

China’s quantum leap is not metaphorical. It has already built a city-level quantum communication network in Hefei and launched the Micius satellite to demonstrate secure quantum encryption.

While the US still grapples with theoretical breakthroughs, China is operationalizing quantum networks—one step closer to unhackable communication.

Simultaneously, China’s cyber units under the PLA Strategic Support Force have matured into a formidable force.

As cybersecurity expert Adam Segal warns, “Unlike the US, where cyber operations must go through inter-agency review, China’s centralized command is more agile, more ruthless and more strategic.”

6. Infrastructure diplomacy: steel, fiber and sovereignty

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was once dismissed as “debt-trap” diplomacy. Yet in 2025, it has morphed into a network of real-world influence.

Over 70 ports, 150 countries, and countless rail links are now locked into Chinese logistics systems. Malaysia’s ECRL and industrial parks under the “Two Countries, Twin Parks” initiative are cases in point.

In contrast, America’s Build Back Better World (B3W) never took off due to a lack of institutional backbone and material delivery.

7. Financial innovation: dollar dependency, yuan strategy

Though the dollar still dominates, China’s Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) now clears over US$400 billion in yuan-denominated transactions annually.

As Professor Eswar Prasad of Cornell observes, “CIPS, when coupled with the digital yuan, offers China a way to de-dollarize bilateral trade without directly challenging the dollar’s global reserve status.”

Even in ASEAN, Indonesia and Malaysia have signed local currency settlement agreements with Beijing. The implications are serious: the US no longer controls the plumbing of international finance unilaterally.

8. Pharmaceuticals and public health diplomacy

Sinopharm and Sinovac may have drawn Western skepticism during Covid-19, but they reached over 80 countries. China became the pharmacy of the Global South, capturing new health markets.

Meanwhile, China controls up to 70% of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) exports—vital for antibiotic and chronic disease drugs. Even the US Food and Drug Administration has flagged this as a national security risk.

9. Maritime dominance: steel leviathans in Asian waters

The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is now the largest navy in terms of number of vessels, with China launching new destroyers, frigates and carriers at an unmatched pace.

According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), China’s naval shipbuilding capacity exceeds the US by a ratio of 3:1 annually.

This has strategic consequences: with militarized reefs and carrier-killer missiles, Beijing is remaking the Indo-Pacific naval order—challenging the US Seventh Fleet’s dominance.

Conclusion: The end of complacency, the beginning of multipolar discipline

The Chinese dragon did not roar its way to supremacy. It studied the American system—its think tanks, capital markets, academic networks and defense-industrial base—and replicated a version of it with Chinese characteristics: centralized, agile, state-backed and global.

This is no longer a contest of ideologies. It is a contest of capacities.

For Malaysia and ASEAN, the time for strategic hedging has reached its limit. As Professor Lee Jones warns, “Neutrality in a bifurcating world must be underwritten by genuine resilience—economic, technological and political.”

China’s dragon does not need to strangle the eagle. It merely needs to squeeze at the right moments. And in that tightening grip lies the uncomfortable truth of 21st-century power: it is no longer about who dominates, but who endures.