Flea: Why I Support Bernie Sanders
Beyond economic issues, the thing that drives my interest the most in any presidential candidate is the one that’s least likely to go to war and least likely to start some bloodthirsty murderous war campaign in order to keep the Military Industrial Complex going and make billions for the corporations at the expense of human life. I think Bernie is the least likely to start a cockamamie war.
I just don’t care [that critics call him “unelectable”]. I think saying he’s unelectable is a silly thing. Clearly, he’s electable. He’s a guy who’s getting votes and just showed in Iowa that he’s neck-and-neck with Hillary. Consciously electing someone based on being a human being with integrity who actually speaks for the people of this country and the things that concern them — and not fear-mongering — is an amazing concept that’s really inspiring. And it gives me a little bit of faith in the political process.
The Chili Peppers are doing a show for Bernie this weekend and it’s something like $30,000 to rent the venue. We said, “Oh, we’ll pay for the cost of the venue rental.” And he wouldn’t accept it! He said, “We can’t accept you guys; you’re a group — you’re incorporated — so I can’t accept that money.” He can accept the ticket cost because each one is a small donation, but the 30 grand? “No, I don’t accept money like that.”
“The concept of politics itself is of absolutely no interest to me. The concept of human beings caring for one another holds great interest to me.”
If he’s elected, I would hope that a Sanders presidency would make it so 1) he wouldn’t go off into any wars unless if it really was to protect other human beings, 2) that he would make high-quality health care accessible to everybody regardless of how much money they have, and 3) that he would make higher education available for everybody. And that means everybody. That means people who live in very poor communities and are struggling who deserve as good as an education as people in rich communities. The playing field is rigged. And if you’re poor and a minority, you don’t have a chance, man. Or your chance is like a needle in a haystack. I want everybody to have an equal chance.
The concept of politics itself is of absolutely no interest to me. The concept of human beings caring for one another holds great interest to me. I care about the welfare of people. I care about love and kindness and empathy and reaching out to those who are less fortunate and struggling to get by in a really difficult world. The candidate who actually represents the well-being of human beings in the United States and cares about people is Bernie Sanders, and that’s why I stand by him.
As told to Jason Newman