No Change in Sight

The Democratic and Republican candidates for President of the United States are an interesting pair. At the end of the day, neither represents any substantial change in policy or direction for the country. It is true that Senator Obama represents a change in style, from blatently crooked and stupid to something more subtle. Senator McCain would cruel and sadistic to the crooked and stupid.

Let’s look at policies, specifically around health care and the wars/occupations, etc. as illustrative of the kinds of approaches these clowns would take.

First health care. Senator McCain’s approach is simply cruel and sadistic. Tax the currently tax-free health insurance contributions made by employers, then give a tax credit – to be paid, not to the taxpayer, but to the taxpayer’s insurance company. He must get some pleasure out of seeing people suffer, proposing this sort of grand larceny.

Senator Obama, on the other hand, is laughing behind our backs with his proposals. He says that every American should have the same health care coverage as members of Congress. What he doesn’t say, however, is that we should pay out-of-pocket for ours, unlike members of Congress, who get it for free. Moreover, the plan rests on including current plans from insurance companies, making the big winners the insurance companies. These are the big winners also in Senator McCain’s plan. It is instructive to remember that, between them, these two have received close to $50 million in contribution from the finance, insurance, and real-estate sector over the past several years.

In both cases, discussion of taxes is made. Senator McCain would tax insurance contributions; Senator Obama talks, in ads of how a single-payer system would cause tax increases.

Tax increases, or special taxes never come up in either candidate’s message on wars and occupations, or would-be military adventures. I wonder if either would suggest a tax to cover expenses of wars, in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Iran. Taken one at a time, let’s look at the approaches suggested by the candidates to current or possible military actions.

In keeping with the theme of cruelty shown in his health-care, Senator McCain wants to stay the course in Iraq, get down in Afghanistan, and “Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran”. I guess he likes the idea of killing thousands of innocent people and destroying whole countries while killing US troops or bringing them home without limbs to languish in underfunded veterans’ facilities. Anything to keep the Endless War going. (An explanation for this level of sadism is welcome, by the way).

Senator Obama is also a proponent of the Endless War, tee shirts with the “O” in Obama replaced by a peace sign not withstanding. Obama is for a partial withdrawal from Iraq. I’m not sure why he doesn’t support a complete withdrawal. At any rate, whilst pulling troops out of Iraq, he wants to increase troop levels in Afghanistan. I wonder if either Obama or McCain has read that a senior British commander has said that the Afghan war cannot be won, and that the Taliban must be included in a solution. As well, Obama has not ruled out bombing or invading Iran. So, Obama, like Kerry and all those Democrats who won seats in the 2006 Congressional elections, is not a peace candidate. He’s a military-business-as-usual candidate.

On the environment and the need for a green economy, McCain is worse than a dinosaur, and not worth mentioning further. Obama’s so sold out now that he’s not much better. He is okay with off-shore drilling and “clean coal”, and is still at improving mileage on existing cars.

Knowing where their money comes from, it should have come as no surprise that the two of them were out there selling the “No Tycoon Left Behind” bill.

Now, the big question is why so many people and organisations characterising themselves as “progressive” are so gaga for Obama, given that he’s not very progressive on these issues. I am supporting the Green Party, whichis progressive on these issues, and others. I think it is a colosal exercise in self-deception for progressives to see the Democratic Party, or it’s nominee as progressive. Many of the organisations so behind Obama started off as anti-war organisations. Now, they have collaborated with the media in ignoring the Iraq and Afghanistan disasters, which, along with the Bailout for Bankers is bankrupting the country. Remember: no new taxes or special funding plans are in place for these adventures, not War Bonds (hard, when the war is illegal) or special Save the Banks bonds.

Until the two party duopoly is broken in this country, change by means of the ballot is going to be impossible. In more and more states, the Democrats and Republicans have conspired to keep other parties off the ballot. The media will not cover other parties except as a joke. The debates are a joke, being run by the Democrats and Republicans, through their hand-picked commission. As I said, I’m voting Green. I hope you will, too, but if you don’t, I hope you’ll vote your dreams, and not your fears. Don’t be frightened out of expressing your beliefs by the Democratic or Republican Fear Machines. Obama or McCain will win this time, it’s true. Also, don’t buy the bullshit that by supporting the Greens or Libertarians, or any other party that somehow you’ll “cut into” the Obama or McCain vote. Those votes don’t belong to them: they belong to you, until you cast them. But, the country will win if you vote your dreams and your beliefs. In that way, we can move the debate out of the exclusive hands of the duopoly, who don’t want change. Demand ballot access, open debates, and media coverage. Demand an end to the quadrennial circus which has come to replace electoral democracy in the United States.

Meanwhile, democracy is more than elections. Press elected officials; demonstrate; protest injustice; build community; be imaginative by yourselves or with your friends and neighbours. Build a new society in spite of the politicians and their backers.

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