NP; looks like the Dem Primary is kinda like Iceland Sparring.....

[Robert Mahnke]

FWIW, I took a class from Obama and never would describe him as a centrist,
notwithstanding his voting record.  On a personal level, I have the utmost
regard for the man.

Also, since a few people mentioned Nader, I note that Matt Gonzalez, who the
wrote piece that Jill sent the link to, is Nader's running mate.  Make of
that what you will.

A couple weeks late, I know.  Just my two cents.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On Behalf
Of kelber at mindspring.com
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 9:18 PM
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: Re: NP; looks like the Dem Primary is kinda like Iceland
Sparring.....

If you're looking for an impassioned defense of US foreign policy, you won't
find it here.  Unfortunately, in the upcoming general election we'll be
choosing between one of two centrists who pay lip service to withdrawing
from Iraq and a conservative who believes more troops should be sent and
left for an indefinite period of time.  Justice and reparations for the
Iraqi people are not on the agenda of either party.  Not having a
parliamentary system, there's no voice in the US government for alternative
or opposition parties.

Laura

-----Original Message-----
>From: Thomas Eckhardt <thomas.eckhardt at uni-bonn.de>
>Sent: Mar 5, 2008 5:16 PM
>To: kelber at mindspring.com
>Cc: pynchon-l at waste.org
>Subject: Re: NP; looks like the Dem Primary is kinda like Iceland
Sparring.....
>
>Has one of the candidates announced that she/he will hold the 
>war-criminals and torturers of the current administration to account and 
>restore habeas corpus etc.? If not, I see no need to debate the relative 
>merits of Clinton and Obama. Sadly, your much touted Republic is dead 
>and everything else is Kabuki.
>
>On a different note, I also find it sad that someone who supported the 
>war crime against the Iraqi people is even considered to be worth voting 
>for around these parts. I do not confuse Hillary Clinton with her 
>husband, but in this regard it should be mentioned that Bill Clinton was 
>responsible for the death of about 500.000 Iraqis, mainly children up to 
>the age of five. Considering the standing of Hillary and Bill Clinton in 
>the liberal/progressive community, it seems obvious that the lives of 
>foreigners do not mean much to most liberals/progressives in the United 
>States. See also, amongst other things, the charge of incompetence 
>against the current administration, which boils down to accusing the 
>Bush administration of not perpetrating war crimes as they should be 
>perpetrated.
>
>Of course, Obama has an advantage as far as the supreme crime of the 
>Nuremberg trials is concerned. On the other hand, he wants to send more 
>mercenaries to Iraq.
>
>Electability seems to be the issue here. Seems that only pestilence and 
>cholera are electable in the U.S. It makes for a nice soap opera, though.
>
>Thomas
>
>P.S. Sorry, Laura. I usually enjoy your postings very much, but this is 
>a sensitive topic with me.
>
>