Home
Refresh   Tag(s): ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; (more...) ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;  (less...)
Add to My Group
October 6, 2008 at 21:40:55

Well Said 3   Must Read 2   Valuable 2   View Ratings | Rate It

Open the Debates! Why antiwar and anti-bailout voters should demand an invitation for Cynthia McKinney

submit to twitter
submit to reddit
submit to digg
Tell A Friend

By Scott McLarty (about the author)     Page 2 of 2 page(s)

opednews.com     Permalink

Opposing the $700 billion bailout legislation are some progressive Democrats, some traditionally conservative Republicans (those who object to taxpayer-funded corporate handouts), most of the American public, and the alternative party candidates. Neither the Obama nor the McCain campaign represent anti-bailout voters.

Cynthia McKinney and the Green Party have advanced a set of viable and genuinely progressive proposals for ending the country's economic crisis. Ms. McKinney, Mr. Nader, Mr. Barr, and Mr. Baldwin might very well reflect the opinions of the majority of the electorate on the bailout, but voters will never know it, since these candidates have been censored by the CPD and declared marginal and irrelevant by the major media.

In Canada, the TV networks initially excluded Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada, from the September 10 debate before the October 14 national election. After Greens launched a 'Reclaim Democracy' campaign and Canadians throughout the country demanded Ms. May's inclusion, Ms. May was invited to participate.

Americans who value democracy and fair elections should demand inclusive debates too. Voters who favor bringing US troops home quickly from Iraq and Afghanistan, an end to imperial foreign policies, single-payer national health care, restoration of constitutional protections and election integrity, and other progressive agenda have a special interest in seeing Green candidates in the presidential debates in 2008 and in future elections.

Whether or not one intends to vote for a Green, Libertarian, independent, or any other candidate from outside of the two dominant parties, we all benefit from hearing their arguments. Throughout US history, alternative parties introduced and fought for ideas that we now consider indispensible: abolition of slavery, women's equality and suffrage, the eight-hour work day and other workers' rights and protections, constraints on corporate power, Social Security. In every case, the two-party political establishment initially fought these goals and tried to hinder the 'third parties' that promoted them. The only real democracy -- the only hope for America at the beginning of the 21st century -- is multiparty democracy.

Next Page  1  |  2

 

http://mclarty.blogspot.com

Scott McLarty has served as media coordinator for the Green Party of the United States and for the DC Statehood Green Party. He has had articles, guest columns, and book reviews published in Roll Call, Z Magazine, Green Horizon, The Progressive (more...)
 

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.

Contact Author Contact Editor View Authors' Articles

 

Book Recommendations for "Alternative Antiwar"
Riding High
by Scott Oglesby

$24.00
Lowest New Price $21.00

Number of pages: 286
Publisher: Trafford Publishing

View All Book Recommendations

Share this page: (what's this?)                   Tell a Friend: Tell A Friend

FACEBOOK      DIGG THIS      Add This Page to Mr Wong!           NEWSVINE      DEl.ICIO.US      Looksmart Furl      NETSCAPE      My Web      Tag!RawSugar      Blink List     (More...)

Comments: Expand   Shrink   Hide  
No comments

 
Want to post your own comment on this Article? Post Comment


 

 

 

Tell a Friend: Tell A Friend

Copyright © 2002-2009, OpEdNews

Powered by Populum