Thanks so much for writing this!

It wasn't just progressives who supported Bernie: he had considerable appeal for (true) centrists, rural folks, workers, and even for Fox network viewers!

He was the only one who presented a view of "a future to believe in." (His America ad is achingly beautiful.)

Bernie posed a real threat to psychopathic plutocrats who rule our country. He was the greatest danger they faced since Huey Long. They tried everything to stop him and did. Just as Trump constantly puts his self interests above those of the rest of the country, Democrats and their wealthy backers put their own interests ahead of those of our country.

Perhaps the most effective weapon used against Bernie was shifting the narrative from his unifying, class/economy-based criticisms to a divisive "identity"-based criticism. People misremember that BLM gained prominence because of George Floyd. In fact, it gained prominence earlier with its attacks on Bernie. And people are unaware that George Soros, the supposed "liberal" benefactor, was the one who funded BLM's attacks on Bernie.

The super-rich, regardless of their supposed civic concerns, always put self-interest and loyalty to their own first.

And they're creative. The elites have long used racism as a tool to divide ordinary Americans. If we're fighting each other, we aren't fighting them. Now they use anti-racism as well! DEI is a divisive strategy that exemplifies this dynamic. Nothing prevents a unified attack on both racial and economic injustice. That's exactly what Bernie advanced. But that's not "good enough" for DEI proponents who act as though a concern for economic justice somehow weakens the fight for racial justice.

The elites play both (all) sides. As long as we don't pay attention to what truly determines things (wealth and power) they really don't care.