Sanders’ political stunt over $2,000 stimulus checks fails

A political stunt by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is set to end in predictable futility this weekend when the Senate gives final approval to a record $741 billion military spending bill, overriding the veto issued by President Trump last week.

[wsws.org]

{In this entire process, Sanders has demonstrated the bankruptcy of his perspective that the Democratic Party can be transformed, through political pressure from below, into an instrument for progressive change. His grandiose claims of “political revolution” through the Democratic Party have been reduced to this: a failed effort to get a $1,400 increase in relief aid for working people, which a majority of Democratic senators, let alone Republicans, were unwilling to support.

Sanders spoke on the Senate floor Wednesday about the mass suffering inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic and the economic catastrophe produced by it. He pointed out to McConnell that his home state of Kentucky has 10 of the 25 poorest counties in America, where $2,000 checks might stave off evictions, foreclosures and outright hunger.

McConnell, a multimillionaire many times over, both through marriage into a wealthy family and a 36-year career in the Senate, could care less about starving and homeless people in Appalachia. But the same is true of his Democratic counterparts, like Joe Manchin in neighboring West Virginia, defender of the coal bosses, and Mark Warner of Virginia, a telecommunications mogul before entering politics.}

{The implied bargain in Sanders’ posturing is thoroughly reactionary. If the Republicans would agree to send $2,000 checks to hungry and dispossessed American workers, he would drop his obstruction of the massive military budget which arms American imperialism for war with China, Russia, Iran or any other country targeted by the military-intelligence apparatus.}

2 points to consider here. For $1400 Sanders is fine with the war budget. He knew he would lose as the 41 of the 46 democrat and 2 independents went on to support the war budget.

{His disagreements are only tactical—which countries should be targeted and when—and reflect concerns that diverting too many resources into the military could aggravate social tensions within the United States and endanger the capitalist social order, which he supports and defends.}

{In playing court jester in the latest spat between Trump, McConnell and the Democratic leadership in Congress, Sanders is only demonstrating his future role under the Biden administration. He will do everything possible to build illusions in the possibility of progressive reform by a government that will deepen the attacks on working people in America and around the world.}

Long live the Jester! Just like serf to slave to worker, that role has managed to remain valuable to the ruling class today also.