[Peace-discuss] Hedges: only a candidate who calls for an immediate end to the war...

[Neil Parthun]

As the late, great Eugene V. Debs stated: "I'd rather vote for  
something I want and not get it than vote for something I don't and  
get it."

McCain is open about his imperialism in the Middle East.  People  
have, and rightly so, criticized McCain's imperialist linguistics/ 
policies.  However, it is a misconception and disingenuous to state  
that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are "Republican wars" or  
"Bush's wars".

Let's not forget that Congressional Republicans and Democrats  
authorized the use of force, authorized the Nuremburg Tribunal  
violating invasion of a country that did not attack us and has  
continued to fund an illegal, immoral and imperialist occupation.   
The Democrats seized Congressional power in 2006 with the masses'  
dissatisfaction with the Iraq war.  What have they done since they've  
seized power?  A whole lot of nothing major to end the war that they  
were given the power to stop.

The idea that Nader is evil is absolutely laughable and an unfair  
characterization.  All left of center votes are not already  
prescribed to the Democratic party.  As I watch a party continue to  
fund an illegal, imperialist war...As I watch a party sell out the  
4th Amendment while accepting AT&T funding/gifts for the DNC...As I  
watch a party given the power to end the war yet do nothing...As I  
watch a party who watches flagrant high crimes and misdemeanors  
taking place on such an epic and open scale that it boggles the  
imagination and does nothing.  As I watch all of this, it is quite  
clear why people vote for 3rd party candidates.  They are tired of  
their interests being sold out after being co-opted (see the anti-war  
mandate of '06, for example).

If anybody wants to place the blame on so-called spoilers, blame it  
the Democratic party and Obama.  These candidates need to earn the  
votes of people.  Obama's candidacy should have a warning signal:  
This candidate makes wide right turns.  Obama is for a continued  
military presence in the Middle East despite the Rand Corporation  
stating that a military operation is not the optimum way to combat  
terrorism.  Obama is for the "White Man's Burden" style of  
imperialism -- the idea that we can't dare leave Afghanistan or Iraq  
because the Afghanis and the Iraqis sure as Hell don't know how or  
can't form their own government and security themselves.  I sure as  
Hell can't vote for that.

Obama has also stated that he would attack and bomb Pakistan if they  
didn't do as we said.  He's supported the apartheid regime in  
Israel.  He's for aggressive wars as well and seems to be for the  
"Bush Doctrine" of aggressive wars but in alternative forums  
(Afghanistan/Pakistan/Palestine, not Iraq).

But we're supposed to hold our nose and vote Obama?  The idea of  
lesser evilism has led to numerous problems and made the Democratic  
party the opportunist that capitalizes on outrage for their own  
electoral gain rather than fixing the problems that so many are  
concerned about.  It is the graveyard of social movements.

I agree with Hedges:  I can't vote for a candidate that doesn't call  
for an immediate end to this blatant imperialism.

There is only this moment,

      Neil

  We absolutely have to refuse to attribute any kind of permanency to  
that which is simply because it is.
[angela v. davis, 1944-]

The point is, the only real tools we have are our eyes and our heads.  
Its not the act of seeing with our own eyes alone; its correctly  
comprehending what we see.
[warren ellis, 1968-]
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