Re: Nader/U.S. Election

[Dayne Goodwin <dayneg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

anti-racist Nader?

Subject: [BRC-NEWS] Ralph Nader Tells It Like It Is (fwd)

From: Michael Tanzer <mtanzer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
http://www.tbwt.com/views/specialrpt/special%20report-1_10-11-00.asp

The Black World Today
October 11, 2000

Ralph Nader Tells It Like It Is

By Michael Tanzer <mtanzer@xxxxxxxx>, Senior Editor

Some 2000 enthusiastic people packed the auditorium at
Hunter College of the City University of New York on October
7, paying $5-10 each, to hear Ralph Nader, presidential
candidate of the Green Party, give his views on a variety
of issues, and respond to questions from a media panel as
well as the audience. The event was organized as part of
a two-day conference on "independent politics in a global
world", held at the CUNY Graduate Center, where Nader
also held a press conference following his speech.
[snip]

When questioned by reporters, including this one, as to
his positions on race issues, Mr. Nader argued that opposing
as he does "discriminatory injustice" automatically means
progressive positions on issues of race. For example, if
you fight against poverty, since poverty affects minorities
disproportionately, by doing so you will improve their
situation. "If you resolve the problems of class, you
resolve a lot of the issues of race" he stated. Along
these lines, he called for free tuition for all public
universities, stating that it would cost about $32
billion per year, or less than half of what it costs
to keep U.S. troops abroad in the post-Cold War era.

Mr. Nader contrasted his positions on race with that of
Mr. Bush for example, whom he characterized as not wanting
to alienate minorities, and therefore his campaign shows,
lots of pictures of him with black and Latino children, but
there's no real substance to this. Nader felt that he has
difficulty reaching the minority community because most
minority organizations are led by people who are pro-Gore.
He commented that in 1996 he was at a luncheon with Jesse
Jackson, Jr. who told him that "he was going to run for
Congress so that the Democratic Party wouldn't be controlled
by people like Al Gore". Yet Jesse Jackson Jr. is now going
around the country actively campaigning for Gore! In response
to a question by this reporter, Nader stated that his positions
on racial issues are clearly and comprehensively laid out on
his Website (see below).

In this reporter's opinion, to the extent that Mr. Nader
has difficulties in reaching minority communities, it is not
because of lack of goodwill on his part, or lack of interest
in their problems. Rather, at least partially, it stems from
his training as a lawyer and his tendency to seek "universalistic"
solutions to problems, for example, his belief that by solving
problems of poverty you will solve most of the problems of
race. This may be partly true, but it fails to pay sufficient
attention to the deeply embedded racism in American society,
the heritage of hundreds of years of slavery and discrimination,
which will require targeted governmental and social remedies
for many years to come.
[snip]

For those who are interested in learning more about Mr.
Nader and the Green Party, much information can be obtained
at: <http://www.votenader.org>.

Copyright (c) 2000 The Black World Today. All Rights Reserved.

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