Foreign policy is not something that Bernie Sanders speaks of often. His focus has been primarily on domestic policy. But it is inevitable that if he wins the White House, foreign policy will come front and center. And he will have to make one of two choices: an easy one, and a hard one. The easy choice will be to allow the bombs to drop, to expand the bombing. The hard choice will be to refuse. I have a feeling that he will give in. I’d bet the farm on it, in fact. He will sign off on the bombs just like every other President has thus far. He’ll grovel before Saudi Arabia and Israel, he’ll threaten Iran, he’ll make an attempt to implement his domestic policies, most of which will have a fate similar to that of Trump’s Wall. The question is, how will his supporters react once he bloodies his hands as commander in chief of a vast and violent empire? How will they react to the varied rationales for war that he will give Congress and the country?
Sanders appears to have no solid principle regarding foreign policy. Which means that he will fold up like a wet noodle to the incessant pressure of the foreign policy Establishment that has crafted into high art the bullying of elected leaders into acquiescing to their policy demands. Unlike Tulsi Gabbard, who is immovable as a sequoia in matters of foreign policy, Sanders will compromise. In fact, “compromise” remains the only principle left among our elected officials. Compromise being the default position of those without anything unyielding within them, and it shows in their mannerisms, the sound of their voice, and their actions. It is an ugly thing to behold, but so common now that its expected. Sanders will compromise on foreign policy to get what he wants on domestic policy. He’ll sign off on the massive military budgets, sign off on the next war, sign off on surveillance, in order to have a shot at “Medicare for all”. It won’t happen, but the military-industrial-tech complex will most certainly get their check. Sad, but true.
Once it happens, once President Bernie begins giving his seal of approval to wave upon wave of bombings, what will his supporters say? They say and do the same thing that the supporters of President Trump have done: absolutely nothing. But they will vote for him again.
