Bernie and Hillary supporters

The presidential primaries that the Democrats in the United States held last year ended well over a year ago. Yet, despite this, hardcore and/or bitter supporters of both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders still insist on arguing about the final result of the election.

"Bernie would have won, Hillary cheated!" the hardcore Bernie supporters yell

"Bernie shouldn't have run, he made Hillary lose!" the Hillary supporters shout back.

This continued back and forth, while being spouted by a minority on either side, achieves nothing. Continuing to divide the Democratic Party as they are doing will only serve to give the current president another term in office in 2020. That must not be allowed to happen. Re-living the 2016 Democratic primaries over and over again is destructive.

The rise of the Alt-Right

(Note: I started writing this piece before Hillary Clinton's speech on 25th August 2016, in which she addressed the Alt-Right; I amended my writing accordingly.)
 
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Over the past few months, I have become increasingly aware of the presence of the Alternative Right (Alt-Right) - a sector of right-wing ideology that has an expanding voice, especially thanks to the presidential campaign of Donald Trump, whom the Alt-Right has embraced as its figurehead. The Alt-Right has gained so much attention that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently addressed it in a speech on her campaign trail, in which she tied Trump to the advancement of bigoted fringe views and white supremacy into the mainstream. Rather than being a fresh new perspective, the Alt-Right is dangerous because not only is it yet another re-run of racism, misogyny, white supremacy and other forms of hatred, this time under the guise of being "anti-establishment" and against political correctness (PC), it has become a uniting voice for said hatred and is rapidly becoming its umbrella ideology. While not every racist or sexist is de facto Alt-Right or even identifies with it (bigotry did not spring into existence when the term "Alt-Right" was coined a few years ago), for much of its current support is "young, white, and male", the movement appears to be absorbing much of those people into itself.

In addition, while from past blog posts it is clear that I am not a conservative, I have friends and relatives who are yet despite this, there are subjects on which we find common ground and even when we do disagree, I know they are good people; my problem is not a difference in politics but how hateful someone is. As such, with all its bigotry the Alt-Right is something I find myself becoming more and more alarmed by and I regard it as a threat, both to society and to other forms of conservatism; it must not be allowed to become the dominant force in right-wing ideology and have access to all that political machinery.

"The alt-right, or alternative right, rejects mainstream conservatism, promotes nationalism and views immigration and multiculturalism as threats to white identity. It is a loosely organized movement—scarcely known in the last presidential election or even one year ago—that mostly exists online."

- Beth Reinhard with contributions from Janet Hook; Wall Street Journal

Whereas the majority of ordinary conservatives and libertarians acknowledge that racism remains a problem and that it should be addressed, those who subscribe to the Alt-Right ideology appear to reject the existence of any sort of racism - unless it is something they perceive to be directed at white people, in particular at white men. Indeed, a conservative critic of the Alt-Right, columnist and former editor-at-large for Breitbart.com Ben Shapiro, refers to it as "an agglomeration of self-appointed radical culture warriors, disenchanted paleoconservatives, and open anti-Semites and white supremacists." who regard "any resistance to actual racism and anti-Semitism to be 'cuck' cowardice and social justice warrior whining.", whereas the Wikipedia article about the Alt-Right notes (with sources) the movement's links to white supremacy/nationalism and anti-Semitism. The Alt-Right condescendingly refers to people who oppose prejudice and support acceptance and equal rights by the pejorative "Social Justice Warrior" (SJW) - thereby treating the notion of speaking up for others as inherently negative. Demonising civil rights campaigners in such a manner is behaviour consistent with anyone associated with hate organisations.

Regardless of links to hate groups, the Alt-Right does not appear to be attached to any political party; rather, they appear to back anyone who they perceive will advance their agenda, even if said person rejects their support. For example, US Senator Bernie Sanders was criticised for misogyny amongst the supporters of his campaign, which he addressed by strongly condemning said supporters; however, these people weren't supporting Sanders because they agreed with his policies (after all, Sanders has a lifetime commitment to anti-discrimination). Instead, they were more than likely followers of the Alt-Right who attached themselves to Sanders because their opposition to Hillary Clinton stemmed from her being female, not because they opposed her on ideological grounds. This can be evidenced by the fact that these people, who made up only a small portion of Sanders' base, have since shifted their support to Trump while the majority of Sanders' followers will vote for Clinton. While Trump did not create Alt-Right and while many of his supporters also aren't Alt-Right, he hasn't made the same condemnations that Sanders did, appears to have an alignment with it and the movement clearly backs him.

Trump's hateful rhetoric in conjunction with his massive prominence as currently obtained through the 2016 presidential election in the United States has given the Alt-Right a perceived anti-establishment leader in him, at least for now. From Trump's extreme comments about immigration to his slurs against Senator Elizabeth Warren, to his promotion of violence against Clinton and against protesters, he has emboldened the likes of the Ku Klux Klan to openly rear their heads and embrace his campaign, while his alliance with Breitbart.com (see the linked article) cements him as the figurehead of the Alt-Right movement. This alliance with Breitbart Media can be evidenced by Trump making Stephen Bannon - the former executive chairman of Breitbart News LLC - as the CEO of his campaign. This alliance is significant because Bannon himself has declared that the network is the Alt-Right's media platform and Southern Poverty Law Center noted in April 2016 that Breitbart Media has, over the past year, shifted towards that position, as suggested by its increase in fringe viewpoints and overt racism in its reporting. This amount of power and prominence is sure to advance white nationalism/supremacy towards the mainstream once again.

While racism and white nationalism/supremacy are core components of the Alt-Right, misogyny is also rampant among its ranks, as evidenced by its assimilation of Men's Rights Activism. Much of its opposition to Clinton's presidential campaign is because she is a woman; however, Clinton is not the sole target of this rage. Comedienne and Ghostbusters actress Leslie Jones fell victim to a misogynistic - as well as racist - harassment campaign on Twitter followed by a hack against her website, which replaced it with nude imagery, personal information and racism. This was carried out because Jones is a woman and black, as well as middle-aged. A successful black woman who is nearly 50 and works in comedy challenges both the Alt-Right ideology that only white men should be successful as well as the notion that men should dominate comedy. The harassment campaign on Twitter was incited by Breitbart.com tech editor Milo Yiannopolous, champion of the Alt-Right movement and and a Trump supporter, who was subsequently banned from Twitter. Rather than take responsibility, as the Alt-Right is often fond of expecting others to do, he blamed the "totalitarian regressive left" and claimed that his free speech was violated. That Trump has not only not condemned any of this but appears to be aligning himself with it, even if not openly, should be of deep concern; this sort of behaviour cannot be allowed to be anywhere near the American presidency. While the Alt-Right is reported in some of the aforementioned links as mostly being contained to the Internet, the issues surrounding Yiannopolous and Breitbart.com suggest otherwise.

With regards to the Internet, in my encounters with Alt-Right individuals there, I have found that debating them can be summed up with a quote from The Terminator: "[...] It [Alt-Right followers] can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear! And it absolutely will not stop, ever [...]". That quote also applies to their actions, as with what has been happening to the aforementioned Jones. During discussions, their tactics to "win" consist of deflections, insults, trivialisation of opponents, multiple verbose irrelevancies and feigned ignorance. For example, If accused of racism and given examples of their racism, they almost always reply by demanding evidence of racism and then calling opponents racist by saying that calling out racism "creates division" or that it's a form of racism in itself. Any sort of discussion about women's rights results in them explaining why women are the real sexists and why men are victims of sexism (they dismiss the gender wage gap by saying that women are lazier and/or less ambitious than men; if a man defends feminism or uses the word |"misogynist|", they throw out hate-filled terms such as "cuck" and "White Knight"). Any sort of criticism of their actions results in them screaming thin-skinned and immature rantings about censorship, oppression and political correctness (mirroring the actions of the aforementioned Yiannopolous) - while they simultaneously savagely mock trigger victims, such as those who have suffered from rape, and sarcastically ask if any critics "require a safe space". Should Trump be defeated this November, neither this behaviour nor the Alt-Right will disappear; Trump will likely be cast aside and the movement will rally behind someone else. This is good news in comparison to the powers the Alt-Right would gain were Trump to prevail in this election.

The Alt-Right appears to be a movement that is anti-Left, anti-civil rights, anti-equality and even anti-Conservative in nature, while simultaneously deceiving its followers that it is merely anti-establishment and anti-PC. It supports the dominance of white men and viciously opposes the rise of anyone not included in that demographic. While the Alt-Right pre-dates the presidential campaign of Donald Trump, he appears to be working with it, as evidenced with his collaboration with Breitbart Media, and the movement has clearly embraced his candidacy, as it has given them greater prominence than any other candidate would have done. However, let's not be fooled: the Alt-Right is not a new phenomenon - it is a re-branding of the hatred of the past, only with some added flavour. As Hillary Clinton herself said, "No one should have any illusions about what’s really going on here. The names may have changed… Racists now call themselves 'racialists.' White supremacists now call themselves 'white nationalists.' The paranoid fringe now calls itself 'alt-right.' But the hate burns just as bright.". And for all its opposition to political correctness, "Alt-Right" itself is a euphemism for "white [male] supremacy".

Further reading:

1. http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/anita-sarkeesian-gamergate-interview-20141017

2. https://mic.com/articles/152659/what-is-the-alt-right-here-s-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-face-of-american-racism#.Bm1grFJTH

3. https://mic.com/articles/152233/the-disturbing-truth-about-trump-and-the-alt-right-why-white-nationalism-is-here-to-stay#.PpTjWrzev

4. http://thefederalist.com/2016/04/14/you-cant-whitewash-the-alt-rights-bigotry/ (note: This article is criticism of the Alt-Right by a conservative; it also covers the anti-Semitic side of the ideology, which I only touched on) 

5. https://www.yahoo.com/news/clinton-tries-to-stop-trump-mid-pivot-by-tying-him-to-alt-right-192803698.html

6. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/08/the-radical-anti-conservatism-of-stephen-bannon/496796/

7. http://www.wired.com/2016/08/alt-rights-dark-army-racist-trolls-just-great-day/

8. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-37021991

9. http://www.vox.com/2016/8/26/12653474/leslie-jones-hack-alt-right-culture-war

Hillary Clinton's acceptance speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention

Two days ago, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accepted her party's nomination for president. As such, she became the first female nominee for a major party in the United States. There have been female candidates for the past few elections but they've been those from minor parties or independents.

Clinton's speech followed a similar pattern to the other speeches I've watched in that she focused on her personal history, her relationship with her husband, the strength of her people, rejecting her opponent's negativity and heaping praise upon Bernie Sanders. To comment on some highlights:

"On Tuesday night, I was so happy to see that my Explainer-in-Chief is still on the job. I'm also grateful to the rest of my family and the friends of a lifetime. To all of you whose hard work brought us here tonight. And to those of you who joined our campaign this week.  And what a remarkable week it's been."

A good start, I thought; giving thanks to her supporters and campaigners, and to her family and friends. Granted, I supported Barack Obama in 2008 and Bernie Sanders this year but I do acknowledge that it has been a long road for Clinton to make it to this point.

"We heard the man from Hope, Bill Clinton. And the man of Hope, Barack Obama. America is stronger because of President Obama's leadership, and I'm better because of his friendship."

While I'm sure Clinton was being fully genuine with this, it will be important for her to win the Obama Coalition for her to secure the presidency. Noting where Obama has aided her will go a long way towards ensuring those voters are there for her on Election Day.

"And I want to thank Bernie Sanders. Bernie, your campaign inspired millions of Americans, particularly the young people who threw their hearts and souls into our primary.  You've put economic and social justice issues front and center, where they belong."

Speaking of winning over voters, a magnanimous approach towards her former primary opponent is extremely wise. Sanders' supporters should be heartened that the good Senator himself was able to have such a huge influence on the party platform, which Clinton noted they both helped to write. As Clinton will also need a high youth turnout to ensure her victory, noting their support of Sanders is a smart move.

"But just look at the strengths we bring as Americans to meet these challenges. We have the most dynamic and diverse people in the world. We have the most tolerant and generous young people we've ever had. We have the most powerful military. The most innovative entrepreneurs. The most enduring values."

This paragraph alone is far more positive than anything than Clinton's general election stated in his speech. Rather than talking about America as though the nation is ripped apart and under constant attack, Clinton discussed the country's strengths. This is something she'll need to emphasize in the upcoming debates nearer to Election Day.

"This is what I mean. None of us can raise a family, build a business, heal a community or lift a country totally alone."

This is kind of what Obama meant in his "You didn't build that" speech from the 2012 campaign trail. No one person can build anything alone; they might be the driving force behind a change but they need the help of others to make it work.

"My grandfather worked in the same Scranton lace mill for 50 years. Because he believed that if he gave everything he had, his children would have a better life than he did. And he was right."

Many Americans nowadays feel as though the notion of the "American Dream" is little more than that - a dream. This is a clever use of Clinton's family history to remind people that maybe - just maybe - it's more than that.

"So we gathered facts. We built a coalition. And our work helped convince Congress to ensure access to education for all students with disabilities."

I only learned this past week about the work Clinton has done for disabled students, as well as learned more about the healthcare program she acquired for the nation's children. Such accomplishments of hers are often overlooked, as many people seem to be more interested in her errors.

"Happy for boys and men, too – because when any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone.  When there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit.  So let's keep going, until every one of the 161 million women and girls across America has the opportunity she deserves."

Again, Clinton is the first female major party nominee; should she go on to win the election, she will deserve as inspiration for women across the globe, whether you like her or not. Note her hinting here that if women are allowed to flourish, men are helped, too.

"That's why we need to appoint Supreme Court justices who will get money out of politics and expand voting rights, not restrict them. And if necessary we'll pass a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United!"

Nice mention of a key Sanders point there - overturning Citizens United, as well as highlighting the need to elect Clinton so that she can appoint sensible people to the Supreme Court, which is perhaps the most important reason to elect her. Her opponent is almost certain to appoint people who will strike down crucial civil rights rulings, such as those that protect the rights of women, voters and the LGBT community.

"Now, you didn't hear any of this from Donald Trump at his convention.   He spoke for 70-odd minutes – and I do mean odd.  And he offered zero solutions.

But we already know he doesn't believe these things.  No wonder he doesn't like talking about his plans. You might have noticed, I love talking about mine."

Her opponent's speech was indeed devoid of any specific plans for how he would improve America. Much of it was fearmongering and the misguided belief that the US should adopt some sort of siege mentality.

"Bernie Sanders and I will work together to make college tuition-free for the middle class and debt-free for all!   We will also liberate millions of people who already have student debt."

Another piece of meat for Sanders' supporters but also a very important issue to address. Student debt is a serious problem in the US and in some other developed nations, such as the United Kingdom. I hope that Clinton and her administration follow through with this and are able to erase student debt.

"I'm proud that we put a lid on Iran's nuclear program without firing a single shot[...]" 

This is the Iran deal I wrote about last July, the one that has indeed scaled back Iran's nuclear program and put the country in a stronger position now that it's agreed to cooperate and because some of the sanctions placed on it have been lifted. Iran is no longer considered a "top threat" in the Middle East; in fact, Iran could now be useful at dealing with other problems in the Middle East.

"Yes, the world is watching what we do. Yes, America's destiny is ours to choose. So let's be stronger together, my fellow Americans. Let’s look to the future with courage and confidence. Let’s build a better tomorrow for our beloved children and our beloved country. And when we do, America will be greater than ever."

An overall positive note on which to end the speech but I do agree with Clinton that the world is indeed watching. Many people I've spoken to here are baffled that her opponent has made it as far as he has in the election and many fear the consequences if he wins. What happens in America affects the world as a whole, given the country's huge global influence.

When Clinton ended her speech, Katy Perry's "Firework" and Sara Bareilles' "Brave" played, which seemed like appropriate songs on which to conclude. On the whole, I was pleased with Clinton's acceptance.

The transcript of Clinton's speech can be found on the Los Angeles Times.

Barack Obama at the 2016 Democratic National Convention

I watched the speech that President Barack Obama gave yesterday at the Democratic National Convention. Once again, it was a speech I was happy with but I was also pleased to see a return of the President Obama we knew and loved in 2008 and 2012 - with his no-nonsense yet unifying speeches filled with hope rather than fear.

Obama was wise to remind his audiences of the achievements he and his administration have made since taking office, such as the pursuit of greater environmental protection, marriage equality and dealing with Iran's nuclear program via the use of diplomacy. These are promises he made back in 2008 and, in one way or another he has delivered; Hillary Clinton is expected to carry on with Obama's legacy and the case is being made that if Americans are happy with such progress, they should vote for her. Like Bill Clinton in his speech, Obama was sure to note Hillary's achievements, such as the healthcare program she helped bring about for children.

His speech was a stark contrast to that made by the Republican nominee, whose speech was designed to instill fear. Obama's focus on what all Americans have in common with each other and the rest of world was a welcome change from all the hatred that's constantly in the media. Yes, people might be of different ethnicities, sexualities and religions but at the end of the day they're all still Americans and all still people;

And finally, I thought it was absolutely wonderful when Obama tied together the important of supporting downballot races in with Bernie Sanders. A brief mention of the persistence of Sanders' supporters along with telling the crowd to "feel the Bern" was an excellent way of strengthening party unity. A Hillary Clinton presidency will be trapped if she is left with a Republican-controlled House and Senate; as President Obama himself said, "Don't boo, vote."

The transcript of his speech can be found on the Los Angeles Times.

Bernie Sanders at the 2016 Democratic National Convention

This evening, I watched the speech that 2016 presidential candidate and Senator Bernie Sanders gave yesterday at the Democratic National Convention. Granted, I am a Sanders supporter and am biased in his favor but yes, I thought he gave a great speech.

Sanders received some criticism for making the initial part of his speech about him but to be honest, I think it was necessary for him to thank his supporters, both because of his genuine appreciation for them and because he needs to bring them on board to back Hillary Clinton. He was also able to tie in his campaign's achievements with what Clinton and Democratic Party itself now both support thanks to him and his supporters, such as creating a living wage, a new Glass-Steagall Act and greater healthcare for all Americans.

The most chilling part of Sanders' speech was when he mentioned the Supreme Court. As he said, Clinton nominees would protect the rights of women (especially their reproductive rights), minorities and voters, among other groups; by contrast, the nominees that Donald Trump would likely nominate would strike down rulings that protect these groups and others.

It was noted that Sanders' supporters in the audience booed every time Clinton's name was mentioned but I don't know if I was being inobservant because all I heard was them booing whenever Trump's name or the Republicans were mentioned. Clinton herself seemed to draw applause from the whole audience.

Yes, I'm happy with Sanders' speech. It was mostly positive but it also warned people about the serious dangers the nation faces if it elects Trump as its president. I now look forward to hearing the speech that Hillary Clinton herself will give on Thursday.

Donald Trump's RNC speech

I watched presidential candidate Donald Trump's speech at the Republican National Convention. Needless to say, I thought the speech was mostly fearmongering with vague statements about how he'd address crime and immigration. Even if I weren't already against his candidacy in the first place, the speech would not have convinced me to support him.

The oddest part of Trump's speech was when he mentioned about protecting - to quote him - the "LGBTQ" community from attacks (albeit from foreigners), which earned him applause as did when he noted that the crowd applauded him for his LGBTQ comments. To my knowledge, he is the first Republican candidate to mention the term "LGBTQ" at the RNC; his comment is in conflict with the current party platform, which is notoriously anti-LGBTQ, but as it's unknown what Trump's policies truly are, it's difficult to tell if he is sincere.

I am looking forward to the speeches by Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders at the Democratic National Convention. I'm hoping that they'll primarily focus on the positives of Clinton and the party platform rather than on Trump's negatives, mainly because as we've learned, people don't always listen to warnings - they need to be told why something else is a good thing.

Presidential primaries, 2016 - conclusion

The final block of presidential primaries in the United States occurred last night. The Republican nomination has been decided ever since Indiana but the Democrats were still battling it out; however, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was defeated in four of the six states up yesterday, including in California. He is unable to win his party's nomination after those losses.

I can now reveal that I was supporting Sanders in this election. I made the decision last summer that I would be on his side. His policy positions and my political thoughts are mostly aligned and I think Sanders is a good human being in general; he would have made an excellent president and would have been transformational in a positive sense. While this only cemented my support for him rather than decided it, I have also taken the Isidewith.com presidential quiz and it informed me that I agree with him over 90% of the time (I took the test again tonight and it said 96%, which is a minor improvement from several months ago when it said 95%).

So, yes, I'm most definitely disappointed with this result. I'm also disappointed and furious about the amount of gloating I've observed over the course of the day about his defeats; I consider it to be extremely childish. As for what happens should Sanders leave the race, I'll see what course of action he takes before I support anyone else, assuming I do give any new support.

Post-Indiana 2016

I posted this to Facebook a few hours ago:

"Non-partisan (and a bit lengthy) thoughts on the post-Indiana state of the 2016 US presidential election: The surrenders of Cruz and Kasich ensure that Donald Trump is the Republican nominee. The party establishment was unwise to dismiss him as a joke and laugh him off - Trump has been successful at keeping himself relevant for years, so underestimating him was a bizarre mistake.

On the Democratic side, the establishment there has been making the same mistake of underestimating Bernie Sanders. An insurgent candidate pulling off surprise wins at this point in the race is, to my knowledge, unprecedented. Insulting/dismissing him and his supporters would be as unwise as underestimating Trump so far has been.

This is a fascinating election; Obama-Romney 2012 is increasingly looking like a sleep-a-thon by comparison."

When Donald Trump announced his campaign last year, I didn't think he was running as a joke - I thought he should be taken seriously and I was right. The Republicans who are despairing at him having defeated all of his opponents so far ought to have done more to stop him, if they were that concerned.

As for the Democrats, Bernie Sanders continues to poll well and rack up wins; in fact, many of the upcoming states are favorable to him - perhaps more so now that Trump essentially has the Republican nomination, as some people who voted Trump to keep out Ted Cruz might switch to support Sanders in primaries. Regardless, it is a mistake for anyone on the Democratic side to discredit Sanders and his supporters; if he doesn't win the nomination, it won't be helpful for the Democrats for his voters to keep out of the presidential race.

"Unrealistic" policies and defeatism

An aspect of the 2016 presidential election in the United States that has disappointed me is how proposals by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, which if implemented would massively change systems such as education and healthcare, have been dismissed and mocked as "unrealistic" and "never going to happen". It's disappointing because I want to know this: Where this defeatism in the United States come from?

Years ago, US presidents regardless of their political affiliation would make grand promises as to how they would improve life for everyday Americans. They would aim high and even if they weren't able to achieve everything, they would at least have achieved something. Even Herbert Hoover, who was defeated in a landslide by FDR in 1932 for being a highly ineffective president, once said, "A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage". He didn't campaign on, "Every American having a roof over their heads and a food on their plates? Completely unrealistic!". Voters would never have granted him a first term, let alone a chance for a second.

Whether or not you agree with Sanders' policies isn't my point; rather, it's that his proposed sweeping changes are viewed as pipe dreams and that many people seem to want to accept no change to a system that they supposedly think is severely broken and in need of fixing. People complain about the system and when someone different comes along and offers different solutions, they admit defeat by dismissing that person and voting for the very system they claim to despise. If that attitude had been more prevalent years ago, the likes of Abraham Lincoln, FDR, JFK and even Ronald Reagan would never have been elected.

American presidents used to promise everything under the Sun to the public and would at least try to deliver. Many attitudes of decades ago are better off being left in the past but perhaps that's one to bring back.