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WE'RE TAKING OUR PLANET BACK! |
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WE'RE TAKING OUR PLANET BACK! |
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| Democratic Primaries: About "change," or "hope," or neither? -by Rob Moir |
| John Edwards has presented a program with specifics. Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton, in their campaign speeches, have largely described their program in vague generalities: "change," or "hope" or "experience." Both Obama and Clinton have outlined some specific programs, but they are not described prominently in their stump speeches. Edwards not only has specific proposals, but he also identifies the nature of our economic and political problems. The problem is the policies of the big corporations and the political party that most clearly does the bidding of the corporations: the Republican Party. To blame the Republicans, yet let the corporations off the hook seems senseless. The corporation moguls and the Republican politicians are fraternity brothers.To run for President and fail to support a program which combats the problems and their source is irresponsible, or naive-and most politicians are anything but naive. Edwards reconizes that the yawning chasm between the haves and have nots in this country is due in large part to the triumph of the Republicans in demolishing the New Deal/Fair Deal/New Frontier/Great Society programs which helped narrow the income and living standard gap. He is proposing what in effect adds up to a new "New Deal "for the American People. I know who the enemy is when I hear Edwards. It is the same people whom Franklin Roosevelt called the "economic royalists." Before I vote, I want some clear idea of where all the candidates stand. I want to know who they think the enemy is-who did this to our country? This isn't a Miss America contest, or a student council election. The fate of the world and the welfare of the American people depend on it. We need a campaign waged on both a higher and deeper level by all the Democratic candidates, not just Edwards and Kucinich. As for "bipartisanship" and "reaching across the aisle" -that is an absurdity. Bush and his cronies have been rigidly partisan from the beginning. They and people like them will never stop scheming to rob from the poor and give to the rich. Now, with the coming election may be the time we can undo some of the damage-but not by compromising with the reactionaries, neo-cons, and right-wing fundamentalist rapture people.Never mind making nice with the Republicans-let's hear about the needs of the American people and the programs that will set things right! -Rob M. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- |
