Comments on: Chris Hedges: “Ralph Nader Was Right About Barack Obama”

By: Dawn DelMonte

Dawn DelMonte — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 18:11:53 +0000

Autumn,
So well put. Thank you for your contribution. I

By: Nina Lois Flannery

Nina Lois Flannery — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:20:10 +0000

That’s what Obama said about the public option: Not gonna happen.

By: Gary

Gary — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:16:28 +0000

In Australia I’ve voted Green in every election since I was 18, knowing that I didn’t want to vote for neither pepsi nor coke. I have also spent 20 years protesting and fighting for a more ‘just’ world. Now in middle age I’ve finally found true ‘democracy’ (for want of a better word) in my own neighbourhood, with myself taking action in creating the life I want to live with my family. My friends and I grow our own vegies in our own gardens and swap the surplus, and share common land in which to grow more, and hold gatherings there and sit/dance/huddle around a fire telling stories and singing songs. We lend a listening ear to life’s troubles, we help to keep each other ‘authentic’ and real as much as possible. In short, we have community. The children have mentors, the men have companionship, the women get support. We don’t need to call this anything except perhaps, Life!

I feel now that politics can go and do what it likes because it doesn’t have a lot of bearing on our community (even though we still vote). Strength lies in community and that’s where the strength of the ‘Left’ will be based. However, for communities like these to grow and flourish it needs political nurturing and only the Greens offer this (so far). Fears of being put in the political wilderness are unfounded when you can take refuge for a few decades in your own green community where the storm will pass over and with luck, collapse under the weight of it’s greed. Give me clean food, clean water, clean air, and a simple shelter – luxuries in a world gone mad. That’s all I wish for myself and my family and that’s all I claim the right to need. Everything else is not necessary.

To take action Google: ‘Transition Towns’ and ‘Permaculture’.

By: ev fello

ev fello — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:53:26 +0000

Aside from the above needing a real edit (ugh, not very readable), this debate has been going on for a while.

Let us start by realizing we’re on the same side, and keep the horizon in mind.

Perhaps a progressive summit is needed at this point, but we must pledge not to devolve into personal attacks and huffy storming-out tactics.

I think it may be time to let a two-pronged approach occur. Historically, third parties have been good at holding feet to the fire, and pushing mainstream parties in directions they were afraid to go.

Hedges’ appeal to emotion is flat-out wrong, and I think he’s talking about an imagined Green Party, not the real one. Revive socialism? Not gonna happen. Sorry. Aren’t we creative enough to come up with something new?

Move the Democratic Party left? Unsuccessful so far.

What next? Thinking caps, everyone.

By: Ben R. Rodriguez MS

Ben R. Rodriguez MS — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:35:30 +0000

We as extended family, have been for many years supporters of Dr. Ralph Nader, the fact that even under the Constitution, to form a Third Party is questionable, this factual rejection, makes very difficult for a clear mind such as Dr. Nader ( Dr. of Jurisprudence, but not only that Dr. For the People that we are never considered in the main stream of Washington DC or even at State Political scope) – If the majority of the citizens do not joint together, understand the real issues at risk, for us Seniors, our Son and Daughters, the Grand Sons future; we fail our duties as Citizens. When these obligations fail us all, we are at fault. What reasons have to complain among ourselves ? In German we express very well as ” Sturm und Drang ” or Storm and Stress, a period of decades of bad political policies; in the end are economic cost concerns, coming out of each other bill folds, diminishing returns for us, as Citizens because we never joint to express what we must support.

By: Jay D. Jurie

Jay D. Jurie — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:59:12 +0000

Many, unfortunately including Rabbi Lerner, have placed too much faith in Barack Obama rather than themselves. I’m not even talking about pressure to make the Democrats do the right thing. They can only be pressured to open the door to the right discussions. It’s up to the rest of us to have those discussions and push them through to fruition. The reason we don’t have single-payer is not because the Democrats didn’t live up to promises they never made in the first place, but because we haven’t fought for it.

We can’t wait for Godot.

Chris Hedges places too much confidence in Nader, and especially Cynthia McKinney, who has linked herself with Holocaust deniers and fascists.

By: Ed Stamm

Ed Stamm — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:31:26 +0000

What we need is someone like Martin Luther King, Jr. to articulate a spiritually progressive vision of where we need to go and to lead a social justice movement to challenge and change society. If you know someone who is good and brave and strong and intelligent and charismatic enough to do this, please urge them to come forward. Now is the time! They don’t need to be an American either, because this is a global problem.

By: Autumn

Autumn — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:28:51 +0000

Marco, you may be right: Americans,for whatever reason have resigned themselves to choosing A or B, Coke or Pepsi, Ford or Chevy. How pathetic that the vested interests have hijacked our nation and are in the process of cannibalizing it leaving the middle and working classes bereft. Obama walked in office with progressive support and proceeded to betray us to his corporate handlers – especially with health care, fueling the wars, pushing Every Child Left Behind, keeping the Patriot Act intact, not closing Guantanamo, FISA, etc. etc.,

If he had wanted to he could have pushed for single payer and explained it to our nation of television hypnotized- dullards who fear “guvmint healthcare” in a way that they would have ALL been behind him. Hell, right up the road from the White House we have our own version of Doctors without Borders who treat poor people in THIS, the richest country in the world! (RAM see Random Area Medical). Progressives generally don’t have the cash to run infomercials — even if they could buy a place on the corporado controlled networks!

I am not going to vote for the corrupt Democrats again. With the exception of Kucinich, Feingold and a very few others they are all on the take. And if the repugnant Repubs win again I take no responsibility because I am not going to be forced to vote for the lesser evil.

Chris Hedges is a prophet, bright, compassionate and fearless. Painful to read because the truth hurts, but necessary to maintain mental stability versus cognitive dissonance. The latter is what keeps the Obama apologists going: it’s simply too much to admit that he has yet to fulfill any promises much less offer and substantial hope.

By: Jim Wilkinson

Jim Wilkinson — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:48:56 +0000

When I read something I disagree with, I usually find somebody who articulates my position better than I could. Thank you, Linda. I’m surprised there weren’t a boatload of comments to this article. After reading Rabbi Lerner’s critique, I will refrain from responding with anger to you, Marcos. Linda and I are NOT responsible for any one who votes for Sarah Palin. We are responsible for whom WE vote for. When you choose the lesser of evils, you still choose evil. If Obama is “as good as it can get,” then the American dream is truly dead.

By: Marco

Marco — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:45:18 +0000

Dear Linda Sang: You addressed your reply to Mr Wilson above, who did NOT post his article. I did, Marco, above. So he has not read your reply here probably. Maybe you can write him directly.

One last thing, you are making a big mistake by not voting Democratic again. If many more people like you did that, you may allow Republicans to win, by splitting the vote. Is this what you want?! You want Sarah Palin as President in a close race!? Think about it hard. It would be partly your fault. And as far as your “noble” attitude of spending years in the wilderness, you will spend the rest of your life there, since nothing is going to change in the next 20 years, or even in the next 50, in my opinion ,to let a Nader-type become President. Obama is as good as it can get, despite his gross limitations thus far.

Marco