U.S. National

I must confess: I know nothing about politics.

That much is clear after I completely misread the outcome of last week’s presidential election, one that I thought for sure was going to end up in a victory for Democratic challenger John F. Kerry.

I knew it would be close, but I thought Kerry had it in the bag. I figured he would win by 2%, 3%, or maybe even 5%, thought maybe he would pull a couple of states that went for Republican George W. Bush in 2000, and had even predicted we would have a clear winner by the day after the election. I believed it would be Kerry, and the country would come to see the wisdom of their choice and revel in our return to normalcy and understanding.

But, apparently, I was wrong.

What was it that led me down this path of error and confusion? If I wanted to, I could blame the candidates for fitting into the preconceived notions I had about them. Blame Bush, perhaps, for getting my hopes up by alternately looking like a confused puppy and an annoyed teen-ager during the debates, and sticking to a set of talking points on the campaign trail that were little more than transparent lies anyone could see through.

Dear America,

I want a ride on the Elephant.

You are now Republican through and through. You are ‘God’s Country.’ In the Senate, in the House and in the Presidential offices. Your new Supreme Court nominees can overturn Roe v. Wade. You can keep fighting on in Iraq and take Iran to the brink. You can keep your deficits, your pharmacare, your tax cuts, and your big oil money flowing. And keep those Defense contracts primed up, baby. It’s going to be wild ride!

You beat the Democrats into oblivion. There’s nothing left of them. So this morning, given the immensity of the rout, we are all diminished, we are all impoverished and we are all possible recipients of your arrogance.

An election which defines a time and a generation only comes along about once every fifty years. This time the whole world was watching. This was the election where we all ended up liking John Kerry. But it wasn't good enough.

We wanted to fall in love with him.

There is one block of as yet undecided swing voters at this late date. For those of us on the left, both independent and affiliated Greens who are still thinking hard about our vote, consider these themes on why greens should support Kerry, followed by the nature of their benefit to greens:

My sister attends classes at a small Catholic school just twenty miles outside of Pittsburgh. The area is mostly white, suburban and situated in what pundits affectionately call the heartland. This time of year, towns like hers appear on television only as placard-filled auditoriums; ubiquitous stops in a “swing” state that could make or break the election for either U.S. presidential candidate. For the sake of privacy, I’ll call my sister “Kara” and keep the others details to a minimum. She’s thirteen, and as tough a cookie as she is, I think she’s taken enough grief during this especially salty campaign season. Kara’s troubles began last month, when her school announced it would be holding a mock election, to be followed several days later by a mock debate. The order of events struck me as counterintuitive, but not surprising. In today’s polarized world, partisan politics trump all. Even in eighth grade.

Columbus, Ohio- Moveonpac.org was responsible for bringing Michael Moore to the Palace Theatre this past Saturday night. When I arrived to cover the event I was unexpectedly ushered to the basement for an impromptu press conference. When I entered the press room I was shocked to find that only one of the major media outlets in the biggest city in Ohio felt the need to send anyone to cover the event. With Cleveland polling very much toward Senator John Kerry and Cincinnati going for President George W. Bush, Columbus, is believed by many to be the prize of the state. The city of Columbus may not only be the difference in the state of Ohio but also in the whole election. Certainly the current thinking is that Kerry has no shot at winning the election without winning the buckeye state and Bush has a very slight chance to win the race without tallying Ohio in his wins column. You would think these facts would lead to a mad rush of media to cover a Michael Moore speech. However, the lone major television reporter at the press conference was Carol Luper. She works as a reporter for both ABC and Fox stations which share one news team.

Remarks on the new book, American Assassination: The Strange Death of Senator Paul Wellstone On the second anniversary of his death.

Four Arrows

 Presented at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C.,

On October 25, 2004

Mitakuye pi, my chante ata wo wogala ke, na nape chiuso pelo. My relatives, I offer each of you a warm handshake. I speak from my heart today and want to begin by commending you who have come sincerely to learn what we have to say about our book, for in this city there are pressures to stay within acceptable boundaries of critical commentary that make your presence here, unfortunately, an act of some courage. In fact, the strong-arm strategies of our national leaders that frighten journalists into compliance are becoming legendary. Film documentaries and books like “Unprecedented” or “The Hammer” continue to reveal the unscrupulous tyranny of Karl Rove, Tom Delay, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and other top officials who believe emphatically that the “the end justifies the means” and that the end is all about American power and dominance.

Three quarters of Americans surveyed say they admire Laura Bush, while only one third have a favorable view of Teresa Heinz Kerry. The result is unsurprising because this is a misogynistic country that insists its First Ladies must play the role of June Cleaver, dutifully frying bacon while tastefully adorned with a string of matching pearls. The American people also exalt mediocrity, hence Miss Laura is cherished for being uninspiring just as Bob Hope was revered for being unfunny.

As viewed by Middle America, Heinz Kerry suffers greatly on a comparative basis: Laura is ingratiatingly mundane, while Teresa is disturbingly brilliant. Laura is pleasingly subservient, while Teresa is annoyingly independent. Laura is obediently traditional, while Teresa is maddeningly nonconformist. And Laura cares about her own little world, whereas Teresa cares about the whole, wide world.

Can anyone cite one instance where GW Bush voiced concern about the welfare or liberation of the Iraqi people BEFORE his war, and before he was sworn in as president?  There is no evidence that Bush has demonstrated any concern for any other person except himself through his entire life.  Bush never spoken out for the rights of the common man.  Bush never spoken out against injustice, oppression, or genocide.

Where was Bush when 500,000 Kurds were being killed in Iraq by Saddam when his father, GHW Bush was president?   Where was Bush when 500,000 Iraqi children were dying of hunger due to the allied bombings in Iraq after the Gulf War?  Where was Bush when the massive acts of genocide were occurring in Rwanda? Where is Bush now while a million Sudanese people are being killed? 

Fahrenheit 9/11 is based on facts, good journalism, and truth.   The film uses interviews with relatives of victims of 9/11, soldiers fighting in Iraq, soldiers who have returned after duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, and veterans organizations against the Iraq War.   Because President Bush stopped all attempts to form a 9/11 Commission to determine what happened that allowed the 9/11 attacks, the relatives of the victims who died on 9/11 had to sue the government and GW Bush.  Bush was able to delay the formation for almost a year and a half.   He did this because he was afraid of what a 9/11 Commission would dig up, particularly Bush's failings which allowed the attacks to occur.

The American Presidential election is always important for the rest of the world. The US is the primary sponsor and maintainer of the present global order and changes in the US can have direct impact in the economic and political structure of the world.

This time the elections are doubly important because of the enormous ideational and ideological differences between the two candidates on how the global order must be structured and serviced.

If Bush Wins

If George W. Bush wins he and his neoconservative ideologues will assume that their departure from traditional American foreign policy positions has been vindicated and they may be tempted to pursue the same course with greater arrogance, recklessness and abandon.

1. Expect more attempts at regime changes, particularly in Iran, Sudan, Syria and perhaps Saudi Arabia. It is possible that the Neocons may turn on Pakistan and its nuclear capabilities to ensure that no Muslim country has the capacity to ever balance/threaten Israel in the near or distant future.

2. There will be no progress on the Palestinian State. Israel will consolidate further in the West Bank.