The misleading and mediocre Bernie Sanders foreign policy when in Congress part 2
Part 1 is here : https://abhijitmkthoughts.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-misleading-and-mediocre-bernie.html
Let me elaborate on how Bernie is repeating propaganda on Venezuela, Kashmir/Modi and China (Hong Kong and Uighurs) among other things.
Bernie Sanders and propaganda on Venezuela :
1. "The Maduro government has waged a violent crackdown on Venezuelan civil society, violated the constitution by dissolving the National Assembly and was re-elected last year in an election many observers said was fraudulent."
https://twitter.com/sensanders/status/1088573769243914240?lang=en
Meanwhile reality ->
Is it true that Venezuela's legislative branch has been eliminated in one fell swoop? The short and long answers are: no, not quite.
The controversy is based around a ruling released by the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) this past Wednesday, announcing that, given the National Assembly’s (AN) current “contempt” and “incapacitation” to carry out its constitutional duties, the judiciary will be stepping in in the interim to take its place.
After the opposition won a parliamentary majority in the legislative elections of December 6th 2015, reports emerged surrounding allegations of vote buying in Amazonas state. The National Electoral Council (CNE) launched an investigation in response, while the TSJ made a ruling placing a bar on the four legislators from Amazonas taking office pending the results of the probe. These legislators include two lawmakers for the opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), an indigenous representative allied with the opposition, and a pro-government legislator.
While this order has been adhered to by pro-government legislators, the opposition has flouted it, not once, not twice, but over and over again.
Since July, the court has basically assumed that the AN is in contempt, and that its decisions are null, while pro-government legislators have boycotted parliamentary sessions.
https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/13018
2. "The people of Venezuela are enduring a serious humanitarian crisis. The Maduro government must put the needs of its people first, allow humanitarian aid into the country, and refrain from violence against protesters."
US put general economic sanctions on Venezuela which caused the food problems (humanitarian crisis). Instead of asking for US to lift those sanctions, Bernie asks Maduro to allow "humanitarian aid" (aka codeword for US led interference there).
About the impact of those sanctions ->
As many as 40,000 people may have died in Venezuela as a result of US sanctions that made it harder for ordinary citizens to access food, medicine and medical equipment, a new report has claimed.
The report, published by the Centre for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) a progressive, Washington DC-based think tank, says those deaths took place following the imposition of sanctions in the summer of 2017. It said the situation had probably worsened since the imposition earlier this year, of tougher sanctions targetting Venezuela’s vital oil industry, as part of the Trump administration’s effort to oust president Nicolas Maduro.
“The sanctions are depriving Venezuelans of lifesaving medicines, medical equipment, food, and other essential imports,” says the report, co-authored by Jeffrey Sachs, an award-winning economist based at Columbia University, and Mark Weisbrot. “This is illegal under US and international law, and treaties that the US has signed. Congress should move to stop it.”
The only saving grace is that Bernie has not called Juan Guiado, the US/Western puppet as the legitimate leader of Venezuela.
Bernie Sanders and and propaganda on India:
1. Bernie's statement on Kashmir in Aug 2019 end :
https://twitter.com/People4Bernie/status/1167962517630357504
The removal of most aspects of Article 370 & 35A was required for equality, development and rooting out corruption in Jammu&Kashmir, Ladakh. Not one word about that from Bernie
The temporary restrictions in some aspects of communications in some places was to maintain peace - against terrorism, violent seperatism, mobs, fake+hatred news etc. These were removed as and when possible.
The U.N part from Bernie was bad as well. This is clear undermining of Indian Parliament. He can talk about India bringing back situation to normalcy as soon as possible (without endangering lives), but not speak about autonomy, which is a clear undermining of Indian Parliament. Kashmir belonged to India after its king, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession in 1947 :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrument_of_Accession_(Jammu_and_Kashmir)
500+ kings in the area signed similar instrument of accessions to either India or Pakistan at that time.
Bernie also spread fake news about medical supplies. As far medical supplies go : J&K authorities rubbish reports of drug shortage in Kashmir, claims valley has ample stock. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/jk-drug-shortage-authorities-rubbish-reports-1591342-2019-08-25
People are allowed to move freely - just no large groups in some of the areas to prevent violence. So why would medical supplied be in shortage ?
2. Doubling down on the propaganda in this Houston chronicle op-ed during Modi's visit there :
If Bernie was genuinely concerned, why didn't he attempt to contact Modi, establish diplomacy ? This when Modi was in the US ?
No, reality is this was just a repeat of Islamist, pro-Pakistan army/intelligence/govt propaganda and virtue signaling.
This will be shown even further with the next point.
3. Silence on terror attack in Kashmir in Feb and ensuing tensions between India and Pakistan :
On February 14, 2019, a terror attack was carried out in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir by a suicide bomber resulting in the death of 40(+) CRPF personnel. The suicide bomber, identified as Jaish-e-Mohammad's Adil Ahmed Dar, rammed his vehicle into a bus with the CRPF convoy.
https://www.thehindu.com/topic/pulwama-attack-2019
For about 20 more days, there were tensions between the 2 nuclear powers in India and Pakistan after this, including India bombing Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camp in Pakistan , air fight between India-Pakistan etc. etc.
Not one comment from Bernie regarding any of this.
Why ? Because Pakistan was the one to blame for sheltering terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Note that Bernie did comment on the Sri Lankan bombings and Christchurch gun attack.
So why not on the Kashmir terrorist attack ? Worse, why not on the ensuing tensions between 2 nuclear powers in India-Pakistan ? That's surely a matter of worldwide concern, right ?
4. Erasing Hindu deaths and injuries in Delhi riots 2020:
"Over 200 million Muslims call India home. Widespread anti-Muslim mob violence has killed at least 27 and injured many more. Trump responds by saying, "That's up to India." This is a failure of leadership on human rights."
https://twitter.com/berniesanders/status/1232763321163579395?lang=en
Atleast 15 Hindus were known to be killed in the riots at the time Bernie sent out this tweet and more injured. Nothing about them ? Just erased ?
Calling it just anti-Muslim mob violence ? No shame whatsoever Bernie ?
Note that in reality Delhi riots was masterminded by an Islamist politician, Tahir Hussain to teach Hindus a lesson. Hindu mobs retaliated in the riots. Unfortunately many Muslims and Hindus were killed/injured in the riots.
Evidence was found soon after at his house and he confessed months later.
Bernie Sanders and propaganda on China :
Should respect for Hong Kong’s political independence, under the terms of the handover agreement with Britain, be a prerequisite for normal relations and trade with China?
Sanders's Answer
Yes.
Comment : How is China-Hong Kong relationship any of US business ?
In this clip below, Bernie says China threw a million people (Uighurs) into jail because their religion is different from the majority.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKKOj3X07p8&feature=emb_logo&ab_channel=SadiaAli
The matter is far more complex and requires a study than what Bernie makes it out to be :
1. Firstly, we know Chinese govt is an authoritian communist one. They are hardly beacons of light in this case as well and there are human rights violations in this case as well, but ...
2. The number of people in the Chinese detention camps is very much in dispute
Claims that China has detained millions of Uyghur Muslims are based largely on two studies. A closer look at these papers reveals US government backing, absurdly shoddy methodologies, and a rapture-ready evangelical researcher named Adrian Zenz.
3. More importantly the Hui Muslims in China are not facing any such measures (due to a variety of reasons). But it amply demonstrates that the Chinese action against some of those Uighurs isn't solely due to their religion.
4. A small % of Uighurs have been involved in terrorist or millitant activities in China and abroad.
Syria says up to 5,000 Chinese Uighurs fighting in militant groups
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-crisis-syria-china-idUSKBN1840UP
Chinese authorities say these camps are deradicalization camps. That is atleast partly true. There are probably other reasons and some human rights violations in these camps.
To say the millions of Uighurs (number isn't reliable) are solely in these camps because they are Muslim as Bernie is just BS propaganda.
Hawkishness vs Iran/North Korea just for a nuclear or missile test :
Question: Would you consider military force to pre-empt an Iranian or North Korean nuclear or missile test?
Answer: Yes.
A Sanders White House, according to his campaign, would be open to launching a military strike against Iran or nuclear-armed North Korea to prevent (not respond to) not even a threatened missile or nuclear strike against the United States, but a mere weapons test. This is a breathtakingly reckless position
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/02/14/sand-f14.html
Now lets go to some of the lesser known Bernie interventionist/war machine friendly moves in the 90s before :
General economic Sanctions on Iran and Libya - extension of 1996 sanctions :
https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/1954
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/bill/3089/14457/27110/iran-and-libya-sanctions
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