American Israel Political Affairs Committee meeting in Chicago, March 2007
State Senator Barack Obama with Edward Said, Chicago, 1998
It is Super Tuesday (February 5, 2008); many voters have a choice, not only between candidates but whether to participate in the current election scheme. We have a choice to act on our conscience or act strategically. I suspect many would disagree with my decision. Here’s what I wrote today to the Obama campaign:
For three reasons I’m inclined to not vote at all and thus not vote for Mr. Obama:
His unqualified support for Israel (and thus his inability or unwillingness to challenge Israeli policies that may quite likely constitute war crimes–from his campaign website: “Barack Obama has consistently supported foreign assistance to Israel. He defends and supports the annual foreign aid package that involves both military and economic assistance to Israel and has advocated increased foreign aid budgets to ensure that these funding priorities are met. He has called for continuing U.S. cooperation with Israel in the development of missile defense systems.”),
His strong support of the US military (“Expand the Military: We have learned from Iraq that our military needs more men and women in uniform to reduce the strain on our active force. Obama will increase the size of ground forces, adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines. New Capabilities: Obama will give our troops new equipment, armor, training, and skills like language training. He will also strengthen our civilian capacity, so that our civilian agencies have the critical skills and equipment they need to integrate their efforts with our military.”)
And my belief that Mr. Obama–along with all the candidates and Congress and elected white house officials–are so dominated by the flow of money in this country, largely generated and directed by the corporate monolith, that the probability of effective and humane action in the world initiated by any of our national leaders is nil.
Sorry, I wish I could be more hopeful on the national scene. I am hopeful on the grass roots level.
As someone said, when the people lead, the leaders will follow.
Barack Obama presidential campaign
How Barack Obama learned to love Israel
Ali Abunimah, The Electronic Intifada, 4 March 2007
“A top Jewish fund raiser shifts his support to Obama,” Claude R. Marx, JTA, May 22, 2007
|
|||||
Dear Skip
Thanks for sharing your letter to the Obama campaign. This morning Nancy was hopeful that Obama would score a major victory in today’s primaries. She believes he is truly an agent of change. Unfortunately, I do not. I share your view that we shouldn’t expect too much from him in the way of a more humane foreign policy. His undiminished support for Israel despite that country’s rampant violations of international law and its merciless siege against the people of Gaza, his willingness to launch missiles against Iran or Pakistan, and his refusal to commit to a full withdrawal of U.S. troops and military contractors from Iraq tell me about all I need to know about Barack Obama.
George
Dear Skip,
Thanks from me too, for sharing your letter to Obama. It surely does show me up for what I am. How can I respond in agreement to your many assessments and still harbor the Great Disconnect between my response and my vote (for Obama)? If I connected my own candidate assessments – uneducated as they are – to my vote, I wouldn’t vote either, but not voting, when so much is at stake, is not an option for me.
Except for Kucinich. But I can’t cite his policy on Israel, and didn’t vote for him as intended, at the last minute, because the US voting public doesn’t see him. Poor, numbed, blind voters! And they mean same for the nation.
I’m grateful for your speaking up, and for giving me a big tool to use in needling Obama.
Kayren
Thanks for sharing me your letter, and let us know mor than that we know.
Regrads
Ibrahem
süper blog, haber, oyun, video, fıkra, msn, okey, tavla, king, batak, scrip, webmaster, ücretsiz ürünler, http://www.yfppal.com