Tapsearch Com EditorTom Palaima insight about the U.S. Presidential race
September 18th 2008 03:43
Bizarre Politics Reports:
Both major Candidates are Globalist Free Traders
Thomas Palaima writes about the "clouds" over the issues in the U.S. Presidential race. He teaches at the University of Texas and provides his perceptive analysis of current events in the Austin American-Statesman, in Teaxs USA.
( Palin and McCain and their "pale" issues )
COMMENTARY
Palaima: In a democracy, we must defend freedom of thought
Thomas G. Palaima, REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR
Austin American-Statesman Thursday, September 18, 2008
After Sen. John McCain announced that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would
be his running mate, Republican presidential campaign manager Rick
Davis told us what kind of campaign they would run: "This election is
not about issues. This election is about a composite view of what
people take away from these candidates." And they are now running it
right before our eyes.
( My Comment - The Republicans are doing a number - "clouding" the issues. President Bush threw away his history books away during his time in office and it seems like the same will apply with Palin and McCain )
Tom continues -
..... Palin and McCain will not discuss issues. Palin is off-limits to the
press as she travels from heavily scripted rally to heavily scripted
rally repeating a demagogic message of change that has no meaning in
a democratic society without serious public scrutiny.
The image of reporters shouting long-distance unanswered questions
from airport tarmacs at her, even while our financial system and
stock market get hit by Katrina-like forces, is, to me, a
sacrilegious violation of a basic principle of our democracy. It is
no change at all from the imperious secrecy of the Bush
administration these last eight years.
This is all the more troubling given that Palin's track record, in a
state that has fewer people than Austin, Texas, of intense
partisanship, appointments of unqualified cronies and vindictive
firings of independent-minded public servants mirrors how our White
House has operated since the year 2000.
Davis wants us to trust his candidates when McCain mimics Herbert
Hoover's assurances that the hemorrhaging economy is "fundamentally
sound." The reality is that eight years of Republican laissez-faire
policies have brought our economy to a perilous condition.
( My comment : However, it was President Clinton who consummated free trade and Globalization and it proved to be the eye of our "economic storm". It seems the Bush family and the Clintons partnered in the process. It does not look like much will change no matter who is elected. )
Tom continues:
..... On other issues, too, Americans are asked to trust McCain's and
Palin's personalities and the unchallenged assertions they make. They
declare that victory can be achieved in Iraq, without explaining what
victory even is and with Palin, either dishonestly or ignorantly,
still linking Iraq to 9/11.
( My Comment- it is an unjust war with no real victory possible )
Tom continues,
......... Shouldn't they be explaining to Americans why they think preemptive
warfare (aka the Bush doctrine) and enhanced interrogative techniques
are viable ways to secure our way of life? Shouldn't they explain how
nearly $10 trillion dollars in national debt will go away by cutting
taxes yet again for the wealthiest Americans? Don't they need to
prove to us how off-shore drilling will solve the energy crisis?
Beware when you hear talk about "composite views" and unspecified
things that we individually should take away from candidates. Such
words tell us it is okay to neglect the common good....
( however the common good is not that common anymore. It has been fragmented into many pieces in recent years by both parties. - we write about this at The Rationale Quest - see link below. )
Tom continues...
......as we t and the basic
principles that made our country, until the last eight years, a world
model of tolerance, personal freedom and respect for reason and law.
McCain and Palin are turning a critical election into a reality show.
( We currently are doing a series about Liberalism at our The Rationale Quest site - noting Liberalism is not that Liberal. )
( Palin and McCain and their "pale" issues )
COMMENTARY
Palaima: In a democracy, we must defend freedom of thought
Thomas G. Palaima, REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR
Austin American-Statesman Thursday, September 18, 2008
After Sen. John McCain announced that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would
be his running mate, Republican presidential campaign manager Rick
Davis told us what kind of campaign they would run: "This election is
not about issues. This election is about a composite view of what
people take away from these candidates." And they are now running it
right before our eyes.
( My Comment - The Republicans are doing a number - "clouding" the issues. President Bush threw away his history books away during his time in office and it seems like the same will apply with Palin and McCain )
Tom continues -
..... Palin and McCain will not discuss issues. Palin is off-limits to the
press as she travels from heavily scripted rally to heavily scripted
rally repeating a demagogic message of change that has no meaning in
a democratic society without serious public scrutiny.
The image of reporters shouting long-distance unanswered questions
from airport tarmacs at her, even while our financial system and
stock market get hit by Katrina-like forces, is, to me, a
sacrilegious violation of a basic principle of our democracy. It is
no change at all from the imperious secrecy of the Bush
administration these last eight years.
This is all the more troubling given that Palin's track record, in a
state that has fewer people than Austin, Texas, of intense
partisanship, appointments of unqualified cronies and vindictive
firings of independent-minded public servants mirrors how our White
House has operated since the year 2000.
Davis wants us to trust his candidates when McCain mimics Herbert
Hoover's assurances that the hemorrhaging economy is "fundamentally
sound." The reality is that eight years of Republican laissez-faire
policies have brought our economy to a perilous condition.
( My comment : However, it was President Clinton who consummated free trade and Globalization and it proved to be the eye of our "economic storm". It seems the Bush family and the Clintons partnered in the process. It does not look like much will change no matter who is elected. )
Tom continues:
..... On other issues, too, Americans are asked to trust McCain's and
Palin's personalities and the unchallenged assertions they make. They
declare that victory can be achieved in Iraq, without explaining what
victory even is and with Palin, either dishonestly or ignorantly,
still linking Iraq to 9/11.
( My Comment- it is an unjust war with no real victory possible )
Tom continues,
......... Shouldn't they be explaining to Americans why they think preemptive
warfare (aka the Bush doctrine) and enhanced interrogative techniques
are viable ways to secure our way of life? Shouldn't they explain how
nearly $10 trillion dollars in national debt will go away by cutting
taxes yet again for the wealthiest Americans? Don't they need to
prove to us how off-shore drilling will solve the energy crisis?
Beware when you hear talk about "composite views" and unspecified
things that we individually should take away from candidates. Such
words tell us it is okay to neglect the common good....
( however the common good is not that common anymore. It has been fragmented into many pieces in recent years by both parties. - we write about this at The Rationale Quest - see link below. )
Tom continues...
......as we t and the basic
principles that made our country, until the last eight years, a world
model of tolerance, personal freedom and respect for reason and law.
McCain and Palin are turning a critical election into a reality show.
( We currently are doing a series about Liberalism at our The Rationale Quest site - noting Liberalism is not that Liberal. )
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Basically, how can anyone vote for major candidates who partner in the greatest betrayal of workers in history. The U.S. has gone through the most massive dislocation of jobs in its history including the Great Depression. The unemployment rates are fabricated and do not match up with the past.
Millions have lost their jobs with many losing everything it tooked a lifetime to save. Many never found another job of equal value with many never finding another job of any kind and are missing in action from any kind of reporting. A new working poor class has been created. And this happened during in both the Clinton and Bush era. The elder Bush announced the New World Order. Clinton came and steered it into so called Free Trade which is not trade as historically defined and practiced. Now we have the New World of Dis-order with neither party doing much about it. Instead, we see both parties calling for more of the same.