NADER AGAIN? …THANK YOU RALPH!
Posted in Michael O'McCarthy's Blog, Pictures, Main Blog (All Posts) on February 26th, 2008 5:30 am by Michael O'Mccarthy
Michael O’McCarthy
Michael O’McCarthy
Kucinich was progressive’s last best chance to hold the Democratic Party accountable for its collusion with Bush and the corporate tyrants who are finalizing their control over this nation and Globalizing the world. His effort failed and it matters not why. He ought now break from the party that betrayed him and belittled him and colluded in taking away his first amendment rights and support Nader!
His withdrawal left us without a candidate and with only our principles to guide us. Nader’s platform represents the only dissident challenge to the corporate clones of “change,” Obama and Clinton.
The kind of “change” Obama represents is corporate America’s newest “branding” of its “New Automobile”; its newest chain restaurant in town; a “new” way to keep your skin ageless, your hair vibrant; the fastest and easiest way to lose weight without dieting or exercising. This mixture of shoddy consumer goods and million dollar advertising gloss is the fodder for the worst kind of consumerism.
“If it’s new, its better,” is the corporate tag. And an “electable” African American is the newest product in the American political Wal Mart.
Even as the first “electable” female candidate Clinton represents the newest Cadillac Escalade SUV the Detroit can deliver; it is the Democratic Party of her former White House spouse Bill Clinton and the politics of winning at any cost.
So let’s now deal with the bogus argument that Nader cost Gore, (and the nation’s best interests,) the 2000 election and single handedly gave us George “I would be The Messiah” Bush and the war in Iraq:
Florida corruption, Florida Democrats who voted for Bush and a politically rigged Supreme Court stole the election. Nor did Gore win his own state!
In addition, the Democratic Congress with Hillary Clinton in the forefront, gave Bush what he needed to go to war and she and Obama consistently have given him the money to continue the war in the Middle East and the police state laws for him and Cheney to wage domestic war against the citizens of this country.
Next, there is the proposition that Nader’s campaign will tilt the 2008 election to McCain. Is this a joke?
If the Democrats can’t beat the Republican’s redux Bush in McCain this year, then all they have proven is that the American people understand that there’s not a dimes worth of difference between the two corporate owned parties and have told the Democrats that they are liars, hypocrites and traitors and to shove it. That’s a good thing because that’s the truth.
So what we are left with is an opportunity to force the principles of our political agenda into the public debate, on whatever scale. And this means not allowing the corporate media or the monitors of televised debates to determine the value of this effort or its results.
Perhaps it’s also an existential exercise: if you knew you were going to die right after reading this missive would you want to go to your just deserts supporting Clinton, Obama or supporting the principles of progressive politics which Nader represents?
While there are more issues that could be on the Nader platform the following are enough to start with. And he does us a favor: He delineates for us the difference between the issues he demands be debated on behalf of the American people and the positions taken by the two Democratic Party clones:
Adopt single payer national health insurance?
NADER - On the table. CLINTON/OBAMA= Off the table
Cut the huge, bloated, wasteful military budget?
NADER - On the table. CLINTON/OBAMA = Off the table
No to nuclear power, solar energy first?
NADER - On the table. CLINTON/OBAMA = Off the table
Aggressive crackdown on corporate crime and corporate welfare?
NADER - On the table. CLINTON/OBAMA = Off the table
Open up the Presidential debates?
NADER - On the table. CLINTON/OBAMA = Off the table
Adopt a carbon pollution tax?
NADER - On the table. CLINTON/OBAMA= Off the table
Reverse U.S. policy in the Middle East?
NADER - On the table. CLINTON/OBAMA = Off the table
Impeach Bush/Cheney?
NADER - On the table. CLINTON/OBAMA = Off the table
Repeal the Taft-Hartley anti-union law?
NADER - On the table. CLINTON/OBAMA = Off the table
Adopt a Wall Street securities speculation tax?
NADER - On the table. CLINTON/OBAMA = Off the table
Put an end to ballot access obstructionism?
NADER - On the table. CLINTON/OBAMA = Off the table
Work to end corporate personhood?
NADER - On the table. CLINTON/OBAMA = Off the table
Now ask yourself: if Clinton and Obama refuse to support these essential if reformist options to the rule of the corporations, why would you trust them to protect your Constitutional rights any more than McCain or Bush?
The answer is you can’t. So don’t.
February 26th, 2008 at 10:26 am
it apears that you all are grasping for straws
February 28th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Hasn’t NADER figured out that he stands about as much of a chance at winning as a snowball in hell. So people just don’t know when to quit and can’t see that they have no chance
February 29th, 2008 at 5:29 am
Mr McCarthy, Ralph Nader is intellectually stunted and has not a clue how to run a country outside of a few anti-corporate ravings which you seem to be on board with. Event if he was the only person running for President, I would vote “NO”.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:29 am
Why does everyone hate on Nader? If he is so insignificant then it should not matter if he is on the ballot anymore than Michael Badnarik or Sam Webb. People should have the right to free access ballots, no matter what the platform.
If people just continue to allow the two party system to remain unchallenged, then there will be a significant amount of capitulation while claiming that its because they need a stronger majority or the presidency while holding the nation hostage in their complicity. Its been apparent in both parties as the Clinton years failed to deliver any progressive agendas and the neo-conservatives adopted all of the fiscal policies and interventionist foreign policy they ran against the Democrats in the 2000 election. Stop blaming Ralph Nader for George Bush’s election, blame those who didn’t vote, those who did not ask to revote when their vote was miscast, Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris rigging Florida, and William Rehnquist providing the final vote. Blame Al for not contesting the decision or appealing to Tennessee. If the race was so close, as is claimed, then apparently there are a significant number of variables that could have altered the election other than Nader’s popular appeal. No one blames Pat Buchanan’s presidential run for drawing votes from Bush that could have cemented a wider margin among conservative voters. Its time to recognize the failuare of Washington and start voting for representatives who want to make a plan for a new direction in this nation, not just using change as a slogan during an election campaign.
Thank you for serving your nation, Ralph Nader.