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The US Presidential elections and the left debate..

Sun, 2008-11-02 17:04 | Various
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A debate has raged among the sections of the left in the US. Marginalised but vocal, small but intellectual; the American Left has tried to focus on the correct approach toward gaining political space during a time when America is in the midst of a financial and housing crisis. In the midst of it, there is also the matter of the US presidential elections. It is clear that the voice of the left is represented by Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney and Independent candidate, Ralph Nader. Shunned by the mainstream media, starved of electoral campaigning resources and kept away from the political discourse in a plutocracy of sorts, the Left candidates are in a losing battle for relevance. Some leftist intellectuals have therefore adopted an approach that calls for defeating the hard right and looking toward a Barack Obama victory, opening as it would newer avenues for the Left in the political discourse (as they call it), while others call this approach still-born, finding it difficult to endorse Obama as his positions offer no substantial change from McCain's.

Intellectuals Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn call for tactical voting for Obama in Real News videos; James Petras however takes a vote-Nader/McKinney line; and others weigh in their opinions through articles in Counterpunch, the Guardian etc. All of these are posted here and courtesies due to the publishers.

Twelve Reasons to Reject Obama and Support Nader/McKinney

Sun, 2008-11-02 17:21 | James Petras
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James Petras, Socialist Intellectual weighs in on the US presidential elections with his views. Article courtesy www.informationclearinghouse.com

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http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article21117.htm

The US Empire will Survive Bush

Sun, 2008-11-02 17:25 | Arno J. Mayer
Defenders of the Empire! (image courtsey: Texas on the Potomac blog)

Two Parties, One Imperial Mission; Arno J.Mayer says about the two major political parties in the United States and their agenda. Article courtesy Counterpunch

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The US Empire will survive Bush

Chomsky, Zinn and Obama

Mon, 2008-11-03 01:10 | Mickey Z.
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Another Election Day approaches and I’m reminded of something the late Pakistani dissident, Eqbal Ahmad said about Noam Chomsky in the book, Confronting Empire (2000): “He (Chomsky) has never wavered. He has never fallen into the trap of saying, ‘Clinton will do better.’ Or ‘Nixon was bad but Carter at least had a human rights presidency.’ There is a consistency of substance, of posture, of outlook in his work.”

Black America may get a president before black Americans get to vote

Mon, 2008-11-03 01:23 | Gary Younge
Martin Luther King giving his "I have a dream..." speech at Washington DC, 28 August, 1963

As the sun rose over Soweto on South Africa's first democratic election in 1994, the Mwale family were too busy with practical matters to ponder the historical resonance of the day.

Following rumours that a white supremacist group was going to poison the main water tank, they boiled the water and cooked a huge pot of mealies. The day before, during early voting, granny had waited seven hours to cast her ballot for Nelson Mandela and the kids had to bring her food. Now it would be granny's turn to come to the rescue.

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Black America gets a President before....
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