Gilbert Mercier Discusses the US Election Charade with Andrew Korybko on Sputnik

NEWS JUNKIE POST

Sep 12, 2015 at 11:41 am

Andrew Korybko: If Joe Biden decides to throw his hat into the ring, how could this affect the dynamic of the elections?

Gilbert Mercier: Ultimately, Joe Biden, if he runs, will serve an entertainment purpose: sort of what is going on with Donald Trump in the GOP primary. Biden might try to cater to the vote that seems to be gelling for Bernie Sanders. And he might be targeting that vote by talking about wealth inequality and social justice… all of that. But Joe Biden is nothing new. He cannot run on another ticket of “Hope and Change.” Biden has been the VP and part of the handlers of Obama for almost eight years. I don’t see the point…. He makes a lot of gaffes and can be pretty sharp, but what can he give to the show?

Overall, the US election will be like it was four years or eight years ago: sort of a political charade. If I was the editor of The Onion, a satirical newspaper in the United States, I could write something today or tomorrow like: “Breaking News: Hillary Clinton is Elected President of the US!”, and I would likely be right. Because, in a way, it is all a make believe that there is a real democracy in this country. In fact, there has not been a real democracy in the US, with someone really in charge in the White House, since the first election of Ronald Reagan in 1980.

It doesn’t matter if Biden runs. Bernie Sanders will keep the former Occupy folks, and they can vent some steam. Then maybe he will become Secretary of Labor for Hillary Clinton. Regardless, what it is going to be is the return of an old time classic: Clinton versus Bush, and Hillary Clinton will win. It is very interesting Andrew, because about six months ago, Henry Kissinger — who is a man who has been pulling the strings of US politics since Nixon — was interviewed on NPR news about what he thought of Hillary Clinton. Kissinger said to NPR:” Well I am a Republican, but I think that Hillary, who is a good friend of mine, would make a very good President.” There could be only one real contender in the Democratic primary, it is John Kerry, but I don’t think that he is going to run.

Andrew Korybko: I want to ask you about Sanders: What can Biden do to steal his thunder?

Gilbert Mercier: I do have respect for Sanders, but I think that if he had wanted to be a real contender he would have run in 2008 or 2012. At the time, I was suggesting to the people of Occupy that he should run. Now he is going to run on the Occupy themes. I am not saying he is not sincere; he is sincere. But the question is: if he really wanted to win, he should have run as an independent, he should have done a Ralph Nader, if you wish. He would have run with a solid Libertarian like Ron Paul, not the son Rand Paul. Because both of them stand for less US interventions worldwide. That said, Sanders is not doing it, which makes me think that he will, one way or another, operate as a seat warmer.

The US election is like a Hollywood script or, actually, more like a TV reality show. There is a cast, and it is scripted, it is about TV ratings. Donald Trump is perfect for that. This is what it is all about: to give people the illusion that they live in the greatest democracy in the world! Women will vote for Hillary; gays will vote for Hillary. Hillary has the support of Goldman Sachs; Hillary has the support of the military-industrial complex; they have been doing very good business…..