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

[Neil Parthun]

Al Gore sat by and watched thousands of Iraqis die with the 'No Fly  
Zone' bombings, cruise missile attacks and sanctions that took place  
throughout the Clinton Presidency.

Al Gore watched an entire genocide take place in Rwanda without  
fighting for any intervention to stop it.

Al Gore didn't do a damn thing about global warming during his time  
as President.

And let's not forget that Gore's #2 was arch-war hawk Joe Lieberman.   
After 9/11, yes, I do believe that a Democratic president would have  
invaded Afghanistan and likely other countries that did not do as we  
said in the war on terror.  I mainly believe that because that has  
been the stated position of the Democratic party since 9/11 and  
especially with Obama.  So, yes, I believe that a Democratic/Gore  
presidency would have had more than a bit of blood on its hands.

If the Democrats wanted to stop the war, they've had numerous  
opportunities -- deny the authorization of force, refuse to fund the  
war, refuse to fund the occupation, deny the surge, demand the troops  
come home immediate, stop the "white man's burden" of imperialism  
that we need to have a continued presence in Iraq/Afghanistan because  
the native people cannot possibly put together a government by  
themselves.

As for McCain being worse than Obama, voting for the "lesser evil" is  
disingenuous.  It's a fake trap to avoid any actual, substantive  
change from coming in.  I'm getting real and not living in an  
idealistic world where Obama can be pulled left after moving to the  
right for the general election.  Wishing and hoping that Obama will  
do the right thing is an idealistic fantasy land.  Living in a world  
of reality means taking the candidates' stances on their face value  
-- and any person who considers themselves anti-war should not vote  
for an imperialist ...even a liberal one.

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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