Eclipsed from the headlines by the ongoing carnage, there is an active
civil resistance in Iraq that opposes the occupation, the torture regime
it protects, and the jihadi and Ba'athist 'resistance' alike.
Submitted by JG (not verified) on Sat, 03/08/2008 - 19:44.
(with apologies to Brian Eno)
While I don't necessarily disagree with this critique of Obama I get annoyed at the rampant egomania of symbolic runs for the presidency. Besides Florida 2000 - and don't get me started on there's no difference between Bush and Gore as I'm no longer in High School - I have to ask, what's the point?
I have no problems with third parties, and generally would line up as far as I can tell with the west coast Green Parties, but before running for national office shouldn't a few questions be asked? There are 50 states, how many state Governors are Green Party? How many Senators? How many state legislatures are controlled by the Green Party? How many major cities have city councils controlled by the Greens? The last is a non-rhetorical question as, unlike the other questions, I suspect the answer may not be zero, but I'd be interested if it was into double digits even while bending the classification of 'major city'.
Is the irony of the right wing making large cash donations to Nader's campaigns lost on these candidates? My guess is they are too busy looking in the mirror. If they can't seize control of San Francisco, what makes them think they are at all relevant in New Jersey much less Ohio or Texas?
I probably wouldn't vote for Obama, but I had no problem voting against Hillary and will have no problem voting against John 'kill kill kill' McCain. Most politics is local. It's about fixing the roads and picking up the trash and financing the schools and controlling the graft. Until you have a ground organization in 50 states doing a lot of that, it's just posing. Yeah, you're against the war. So am I. If you're under the illusion that giving the election to the Republicans again is symbolically flexing your muscle or that the last eight years of the oil barons was worth a statement in 2000 then you're a selfish egotist.
Which leads to the question? Is it more responsible to make a symbolic pose and be irrelevant - or in the case of 2000 actually do damage - or does irrelevance arrive with a lack of responsibility and so the freedom to pursue your ideals without actually having to do the hard work of coalitions and governance? Hey, if you don't get elected, you can go on posing.
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Another Green Ego Trip
(with apologies to Brian Eno)
While I don't necessarily disagree with this critique of Obama I get annoyed at the rampant egomania of symbolic runs for the presidency. Besides Florida 2000 - and don't get me started on there's no difference between Bush and Gore as I'm no longer in High School - I have to ask, what's the point?
I have no problems with third parties, and generally would line up as far as I can tell with the west coast Green Parties, but before running for national office shouldn't a few questions be asked? There are 50 states, how many state Governors are Green Party? How many Senators? How many state legislatures are controlled by the Green Party? How many major cities have city councils controlled by the Greens? The last is a non-rhetorical question as, unlike the other questions, I suspect the answer may not be zero, but I'd be interested if it was into double digits even while bending the classification of 'major city'.
Is the irony of the right wing making large cash donations to Nader's campaigns lost on these candidates? My guess is they are too busy looking in the mirror. If they can't seize control of San Francisco, what makes them think they are at all relevant in New Jersey much less Ohio or Texas?
I probably wouldn't vote for Obama, but I had no problem voting against Hillary and will have no problem voting against John 'kill kill kill' McCain. Most politics is local. It's about fixing the roads and picking up the trash and financing the schools and controlling the graft. Until you have a ground organization in 50 states doing a lot of that, it's just posing. Yeah, you're against the war. So am I. If you're under the illusion that giving the election to the Republicans again is symbolically flexing your muscle or that the last eight years of the oil barons was worth a statement in 2000 then you're a selfish egotist.
Which leads to the question? Is it more responsible to make a symbolic pose and be irrelevant - or in the case of 2000 actually do damage - or does irrelevance arrive with a lack of responsibility and so the freedom to pursue your ideals without actually having to do the hard work of coalitions and governance? Hey, if you don't get elected, you can go on posing.