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 Posted by aron on February 24 2008 (Sunday) : 07:23 PMThe NY Times had a piece today, about Nader's entrance into the race and the reaction of the other presidential candidates. I found the comments section more interesting than the article itself. While I rarely comment on US politics (there are tons of blogs on that topic) this piece riled me up. A copy of my comment to the site may be found below. As a an aside, the US political system at the Federal level probably has the least representative democracy of any Western country. When I lived and voted in Israel there was always a party that supported my views (no matter how "extreme") and was represented in the Knesset. I never felt my vote was wasted and that it didn't have a voice. That is never true in the US. Why would anyone in their right mind blame Ralph Nader for the past 8 years? It was Gore's job to convince people to vote for him. If he couldn't/didn't then he has no one to blame but himself. Even if we concede that Al Gore had the election "stolen" from him, let's not forget his own contribution to that theft by his unwillingness to fight for what was supposedly his. Most importantly, the American people had a second chance, a referendum so to speak, on Bush & Co's policy. Four years in, the truth was out already about Iraq - that Bush & Co had lied about WMD, that the war is an un-winnable disaster that threatens world peace and security and only serves the interests of Bush & Co crony corporations. Yet the American people "trusted" Bush more when it came to "security" issues. Four years in, it was obvious that Bush & Co is the most spendthrift administration the US has ever seen, selling our future to foreign debt. However, instead of spending money on "welfare cheats" they spend money on corporate welfare. They are reverse Robin Hoods, squeezing hard earned tax dollar from working stiffs and giving it as a gift to the managerial elites of America. Yet the American people "trusted" Bush more to "keep taxes down" and "get government off our back." You want someone to blame? Blame the American people who voted in these charlatans twice, and are poised to do it again. Then you can blame the hacks, Republican and Democrat in Congress, who had eight years to work on electoral reform so that every vote can count and did nothing (why in the 21st century do we still have an electoral college?). Blame them too for gleefully supporting Bush & Co's agenda of corporate welfare and Big Brother government in the name of fighting "terrorism." But again, it is the American people who vote these hack Congressman in year after year with margins they would have been proud of in the Soviet Union. By contrast, people like Kucinich, Paul and Nader who speak the truth on these issues are considered "marginal" politicians, spoilers and ego maniacs. While I would prefer a Democrat over a Republican in the White House (yes, there is enough of a difference that it matters) I might just vote Nader. After all, I live in New York where my vote doesn't count. This is a "blue" state and belongs to the Democrats. So why should I care who I vote for? The Democrats obviously don't care about MY vote or they would have pushed for electoral reform for the past eight years. Even if do vote Clobama, I will hold my nose, as both of them have already bend over for corporate interests and will support none of the policies that might still save this country from ruin. P.S. Gore should be grateful he lost. Could you imagined how he would have been pilloried by the Republicans (and probably impeached) if 9/11 had happened on his watch? But of course the Democrats won't impeach Bush & Cheney despite their well known crimes and misdemeanors. "We can't be 'partisan' after all." And Clobama too will be spared untold misery if they lose, consideirng the ungodly mess they will inherit. < Lessons not Learned | Wikileaks >
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  Cost of the War in Iraq
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"Entre los individuos, como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz -- Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace" -Benito Juárez
"It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it." -Eleanor Roosevelt "Let them call me a rebel and welcome. I feel no concern from it. But should I suffer the misery of devils, were I to make a whore of my soul" -Thomas Paine | |
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Clobama vs. Nader
