Re: ABN, not ABB Re: Gary Trudeau, Iraq and Nader

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

> Liberals of the Anybody But Nader gang prefer Kerry to Bush, but they
> are only implacably opposed to Nader, not to Bush.  They will live
> comfortably with Bush for four more years if Bush gets elected.  What
> they can't tolerate is that anyone as well known as Nader is running
> without ruling-class permission.
> --
> Yoshie

This is a crucial point. The kind of Orwellian hate campaign that was
unleashed against Howard Dean last year has now been refocused on Nader.
They simply won't permit an antiwar voice on the ballot that can command
the allegiance of a large number of voters. How dare he exercise his right
to run for office without permission from George Soros and Goldman-Sachs.
They are desperate to keep the choice limited to Bush and Kerry so as to
maintain a kind of "democratic" fig leaf for continuing war. They would say
that a Bush victory mandates war. So would a Kerry victory. That is why
Tariq Ali's remarks were so pathetic. The election is about repudiating a
malapropistic frat-boy, not repudiating the war in Iraq. People like Barbra
Streisand will jump for joy once the born-again crowd is sent on its way,
but the occupation will continue. The US has entered into the same kind of
relationship to Iraq that Israel has to the occupied categories, so it
makes no difference on the big questions of empire and war whether Likud or
Labor is elected. Same thing with Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Ooops, I meant
Democrats and Republicans.