Fw: Obma v. Clinton -- Getting Silly -- request

 

The Absurd Times

soon to be

The Absurd Tribune

 

 

Sometimes a very worthwhile comment is posted, but from the mailgroup, not the Main Site itself.  I'm passing along this exchange which, as the programmers at Microsoft intend, in reverse chronological order.

 

 

 

----- Original Message -----
May I post your response on the main blog?

Thanks,
charles

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Subject: RE: Obma v. Clinton -- Getting Silly
Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2008 15:17:58 -0500

Nader understands that certain issues can't be talked about in U.S. politics and one of them is Israel-Palestine.  Even though the U.S. gives Israel -- the size of NJ -- as much money as all of African, Latin America and the Carribean combined!  And, Israel routinely violates international law with U.S. weapons -- we are not allowed to discuss it.  Nader's point it to break down those barriers and discuss issues that are not allowed.

 

Other examples include single payer health care -- all the major party candidates talk about empowering the health inusrance industry -- which makes up 30% of the cost of health care in the U.S. -- when in fact we should be dismantling the health insurance industry and replacing it with a single payer system.

Of course other issues are also off the table, e.g. complete withdrawal from Iraq (and I mean ALL TROOPS), reducing the military budget in fact, both Obama and Hillary call for a bigger military with 100,000 more troops, taking the military option off the table with Iran . . . there are so many issues not being discussed that Nader, I'm sure, felt he had no choice but to run to raise them. Thanks goodness someone is doing so.

What is sad about issues like these is Obama knows Nader is right.  In fact, he took the same positions on single payer and Israel-Palestine when he was in the Illinois Senate -- but he has censored himself and become a corporate candidate.  He needs the right wing Israeli lobby money, and the health insurance lobby money so he remains silent on what is right.  I like Obama a great deal but his voting record is the same as Clinton's.   Obama's self-censorship is not a very good sign that he will bring the kind of change he is promising.

Kevin

 

 

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Later on:  I think the comment is correct.  It is impossible for any serious candidate to take even a humane, much less even-handed, position on Israel and we saw what song and dance Obama had to do with Time Russert's cheap shots.  Actually, I'd as soon Fahrakan had just stayed out of it as he know what effect his endorsement would have. 

    Obviously, I'm all in favor of more "debate" on the issue, but does anyone seriously believe that the Republicans will work for a solution in this area?

 

Anyway, thanks for the comment.