OpEdNews - Page 2 of Article: Political Roundup 2008

These two candidates--McCain and Obama--are on the wrong side of all four issues.

9/11

What's their position on 9/11? They didn't see anything suspicious? Thus far, 9/11 is the crime of the century against the American people on our soil. The perpetrators should be brought to justice. Those calling for a new investigation include the families / victims and first responders--the actually-affected Americans. Should they be chopped liver around here? Or treated as such by our establishment?

International law broken for war

What's their position on violating the UN Charter, the US Constitution, the Geneva Conventions, international law, the Law Of Armed Conflict, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? They didn't see anything? One and all are aware that the Bush administration lied us into an unnecessary war. Where's the investigation?!? Where are the impeachment proceedings?!?

This brings to mind a point. I endorse the candidacy of Cindy Sheehan, running for Congress against Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Whether you are against the Tiananmen Square massacre and so against PNTR, or whether you are against the Iraq war, Nancy Pelosi did not deliver on the promise of her speakership.

US Constitution violated

What's their position on Americans' right to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects? Warrants require probable cause, but the telecom companies didn't get warrants before participating in the Bush administration's spying on Americans. Apparently, McCain and Obama didn't see any violations of the US Constitution when they voted for the FISA immunity bill.

Lots of articles cite the fourth amendment, but for a refreshing change here is the fourth amendment itself--allowing readers to judge for themselves (and perhaps, to feel nostalgic for "old America"):

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Wall Street "bailout" giveaway

And this bailout of Wall Street's guilty? That takes from the taxpayers and gives to the rich? It was a mugging, and both candidates, having voted for it, became muggers. After a bubble has burst, the $700 billion is not going to re-inflate the bubble. Big boys are supposed to be able to pull up their own socks, and tie their own shoes. But these big boys have tried to reinflate a bubble, or put toothpaste back in a tube. They got the Treasury department to help them on a fool's errand, and it's against the principles of free-enterprise. So, it was bad (a.) to take this anti-free market path; and (b.) to require taxpayers to pay for this un-American step!

McCain and Obama didn't see anything! I have just listed four forms of evil, and they did not raise their hand in opposition. In at least half the cases, they participated in promulgating the evil. (As for promulgating evil, it would be three strikes against McCain, and two strikes against Obama.)

And, America: For these four forms of evil, what is Wolf Blitzer likely to say? "Off the reservation, off the reservation, off the reservation, and off the reservation." He does a great job of babysitting. If only he were paid ten dollars an hour, then he'd be paid what he's worth. (And likewise for his counterparts at other networks, like Brian Williams.)

Ralph Nader

Here's another matter that's off the reservation, even though the Wall Street bailout should have sent everyone moving in droves to third party alternative candidates.

The news tries not to tell you about other candidates who are in the race such as Ralph Nader. In the face of the Wall Street bailout, everyone should be herding out of the exits from the two party system.

They won't tell you that there is a candidate with zero strikes against him. On all of the above issues, Ralph Nader has been on the side of the people--We the people. This should rightly be his big year, but TV networks are still trying to herd people into the box canyon of the two party system. No less, he deserves the vote of those who go to the polls on Tuesday.

My hopes

All of the above issues deserve to be "on the reservation." I have described the sellouts of the news media as "bent, craven, and depraved," and I stand by my assessment, largely due to what they keep off the reservation. Why have reservations at all? The mere existence of a reservation is like the existence of political correctness. It's the attempt to foist one-size-fits-all politics upon a diverse, pluralistic nation. It's an attempt to flatten the two party system into an essentially one party system. It's un-American, and it's against the tenets of journalism. Journalism suggests, "tell these stories," and reservations suggest, "do not tell these stories."

But in particular, I hope that trade deficit awareness will be on the reservation. If trade deficits are exposed for the harm that they cause, then rightly the U.S. will stop the gravy train for communists, dictators, tyrants, and thugs.

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