It was perhaps fitting that the end of Jeremy Corbyn’s term as leader of the UK Labour Party and the suspension of Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign in the US happened just a few days apart. There have undoubtedly been numerous parallels – both positive and negative – between the progressive insurgencies they’ve led in their respective countries. While each man certainly made his fair share of unforced errors, hostility from corporate-owned media was undoubtedly the major cause behind their failure. Sanders and Corbyn weren’t only denied a fair hearing but were subjected to vicious and uncompromising attacks based on flagrantly fabricated smears and false accusations.
And what makes this outcome all the more dejecting is the fact that they not only put social democratic ideas back on the agenda, they also brought back a much-needed element of civility, decency, and dignity to public affairs – the very things that right-wing pundits at corporate media outlets have been castigating the loss of for decades.
As the dust settles and politics returns to the status quo ante, it’s time we call out the shameless double standards of these pundits. Particularly those who have spilt ink whining about a decline in public decorum, yet attacked Corbyn and Sanders while simultaneously giving a free pass to their political rivals, no matter how crude and vulgar they might have been.
