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Independent Voters! You Have
The Power! (and they know it)

By Timothy V. Gatto

11 September, 2008
Countercurrents.org

Everyone that calls themselves an “Independent” should be pleased to know that this is now the largest sector of the voting public. We are larger than the Democrats, larger than the Republicans. Although I’m sure that some of you became Independent from one of those parties and some of you have been Independent for awhile now.

I would like every Independent that reads this to look into their heart of hearts and ask yourself why you became an Independent. I’m sure, like me, the two party system in this country was not addressing the issues you felt most strongly about and both parties came up short. That is why I became an Independent; the Democrats were in my mind, no different than the Republicans. I’ve heard it said more and more lately, “You’ve got the “evil” party and you have the “stupid” party. I happen to agree with that assessment.

The Democrats and Republicans promise us more wars. They have openly said this! The only difference between McCain and Obama is where the primary battlefield will be. They have both threatened Iran, and promised to support Israel in whatever it does. There has not been one mention about cutting the military budget or bringing any of our troops back home. Both candidates claim that Russia was the aggressor in Georgia when anyone that reads the alternative media knows that to be a lie. It was Georgia and the South Ossetia peacekeepers that stated the artillery barrage that started the war. Still no one dare call Obama or McCain misinformed in the media, we all go around playing the politically correct game.

Obama nor McCain have not talked about the Military Commissions Act of 2006, The Patriot Act, The re-vamped Insurrection Act or The Secret Evidence Act while they roll back our rights as citizens. Just like the “War on Drugs” this “Global War on Terror” will be self-sustaining and does nothing more than keep America as a police state. This isn’t being addressed! Things like NAFTA,CAFTA and the other “free trade” treaties that have wiped out America’s industry. About the only really big manufacturing jobs we have left in this country are the defense industries! Is there any wonder why we are persistently at war?

These are but a few of the reasons I can’t vote for either major party. Here are some issues that also haven’t been brought up: Workers must be free to organize unions wherever and whenever they choose. For a complete overhaul of our country's labor laws, beginning with the repeal of Taft-Hartley, to ban scabbing, to stop the unjust firing of union organizers, and to enable workers to exercise their voices at work. For equal pay for equal work, it is intolerable that women and minorities performing the same job as white men receive less pay. Free the hundreds of political activists falsely imprisoned by COINTELPRO and similar programs from the 1960s to the present. End the disparities in sentencing and in the criminal justice system as a whole. Change these policies and punish those guilty of the racial profiling that often result in disparate treatment at each step of an encounter with the criminal justice system. End the privatization of prisons and prison health services. End the racism that serves as an engine of growth for a profit-driven prison system. End the prison labor schemes that are little more than corporate subsidies that provide little training or rehabilitation for inmates. Race and class must not serve as the primary determinants of punishment. End to the death penalty. All U.S. troops stationed in more than 100 countries around the world must come home now. All homeless veterans must be off the streets and in veterans' homes. Keep the promise to veterans of free health care for a lifetime. The billions of dollars currently spent on militarizing domestic and foreign policies, and in weaponizing space must be spent on human needs and to alleviate human suffering.

The two parties of corporate rule are not offering this vision of peace and partnership. We must reject the policies of political and economic destabilization that we have witnessed played out on the African Continent, in Latin America (particularly in Venezuela and in Bolivia), in the Caribbean and the Muslim world, and in Asia is urgently needed.

End all wars and occupations by U.S. forces, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. We need an immediate cessation of funding for war.

Prosecute all individuals guilty of violating the law, including having committed or authorized crimes against humanity, crimes against the peace, torture, or war crimes. We need a complete renunciation of the pre-emptive war doctrine.
Respect the right of all peoples to self-determination. Sadly, the Bush-Pelosi war policy is a formula for endless global conflict, deterioration of the rule of law among nations, and growing impoverishment, indebtedness and evisceration of civil liberties at home. This must stop!

For a universal access, single-payer, health care system.

So, are the two “main” parties saying ANY of this? Obama’s tax plan will save each middle class worker something like $1,100.00 a Year! McCain’s $390.00 a year! Well ring my chimes! That’s a little less than $100.00 a month to buy my vote.

Most of the positions above were taken directly from Cynthia McKinney’s Website. I could have written them as they are exactly what I believe and anyone that has read my articles knows this. So if we have more Independents than any political party, why not throw our 36% behind Cynthia McKinney? Just a thought for those that lean left or those that supported Dr. Ron Paul.

[email protected]

http://liberalpro.com


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