Transcribing a Twitter Thread

This is me not caring about the Democratic race for the 2020 presidential nomination—not caring so hard that I'm writing about it again.

To be more precise, I am writing yet another post about Tulsi Gabbard, the candidate whose rhetoric thus far best embodies progressive ideals—yes, better than Bernie in that regard. And she delivers that rhetoric so calmly and smoothly. I'm beginning to wonder if she ever raises her voice to be heard over a cheering crowd.

This morning, inspired by the clip of Rep. Gabbard on The View, I took to Twitter and hammered out a nine-part thread. Rather than link to the tweets or embed them, I figured I should preserve them here. As of this afternoon, to my complete lack of surprise, Gabbard has yet to respond. She and her crew keep a rather busy schedule.

This was also inspired in part by a recent reminder in a secret Facebook group: The author of the post referred to Gabbard as a "tool of empire" and warned that as long as she remains a Democrat she will play a sheep-dog role in the campaign after the party nominates yet another centrist warmonger.

Figueredo has a lot to say about this View segment; Kulinski has even more. The first portion of her appearance is below the fold.

Aloha, @TulsiGabbard. A few disagreements on policy aside, I consider you the best declared presidential candidate as of now. That said, can we talk about your overuse of the phrase "regime-change wars"?

2/ It's not just wars for regime change that we need to quit, but wars for preservation of regimes, or for any reason other than thwarting a direct military threat to the United States.

3/ The Saudi war in Yemen, which the US is actively supporting, is a war to maintain the current regime there and crush a popular resistance movement. It is on track to kill millions of Yemeni civilians, whatever their political sympathies.

4/ Your anti-war positions, like the views on foreign policy that you have expressed are pragmatic. That's what makes you stand out. But as you well know, opposing wars based on pragmatism isn't what gets votes.

5/ In today's political environment, you need to build a MORAL case against US involvement in overseas military misadventures. While you're at it, you can also build a moral case against the US-led global corporate empire.

6/ The US carries on these wars mostly at the behest of that empire. Saudi Arabia and Israel are two of the main accomplices in maintaining the empire. And how do they manufacture public consent for them? "Humanitarian" reasons, i.e. "morality."

7/ Mainstream/establishment media has already put the smear machine in motion against you. You are a kook to them, fit to be either ignored or pilloried on the chat shows. You may as well go full kook & expose the empire for what it is while you have a national platform.

8/ We need regime change here in the US, and we can accomplish it peacefully. But more importantly we need systemic change. As a Green, I support your vision of a government that makes compassion for people & planet its primary motivator, not corporate profits.

9/ We need a revolution: peaceful if possible. Violent revolution has not yet proven capable of implement an agenda of compassion. But the plutocrats, who pose the biggest threat to people & planet, have to go. Challenge the Empire, Tulsi2020.