DemocracyRising.US - calling all anti-war DU'ers - new Nader site

[housewolf]

Ralph Nader takes on the war in Iraq

This is Ralph's new site
http://democracyrising.us/

Democracy Rising seeks to Bring the Troops Home, End the Occupation by Empowering Activists across the Nation

Letter from Ralph Nader
Dear Friends: Since freedom and democracy are such a good thing, why not put it to the people of Iraq – in a national referendum – whether or not they want us to leave? Why not give the Iraqi people the right to exercise their “democracy” and vote whether or not they want “freedom” from our military and corporate occupation? Why not? Because eighty percent of Iraqis want us out. So do a majority of Americans. Why? Because the occupation of Iraq is not about freedom and democracy. It is about oil and military occupation.

More and more Americans know the nature of the disaster that the Bush government, in our name, has created in oil-rich Iraq – over 100,000 Iraqi civilian lives lost (according to the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health), over 1,400 American lives lost, and thousands more seriously wounded and sick. People see the news stories describing the U.S. corporate takeover of Iraq through insider-deal corporate contractors with Bush administration donors.

Through the Democracy Rising Peace Project we will help ignite the American people to say – Bring the troops home, it is time for a responsible and rapid withdrawal from Iraq. Enough lives lost, enough billions spent – it is time to leave Iraq to the Iraqis.

The case against the war and occupation of Iraq, and the corporate takeover of our democracy is well documented. People want to know – what are we to do?

Now is the time to act. It is time to organize to end the illegal war and occupation of Iraq.

The U.S. corporate and military forces will end up pulling out of Iraq. The question is – when? Months? Years? Decades? After how many more preventable deaths, debilitating injuries and diseases? After how much destruction?

That's up to us. Together we can end the occupation and bring the troops home safely.
Sincerely,
Ralph Nader


Thank God for Ralph, a true American hero. Thank God for his tireless work to help restore freedom, liberty and democracy to the US.

[applegrove]

1. For Pete's sake - build up the Iraqi army until they have some control

and then leave.

[sandnsea]

2. Here is Ralph's plan

From votenader.org. I am so sick of these windbags who holler "end the occupation", but have and never had any different plan than what's been offered by Democrats.

International peace-keeping force

Iraqi self rule and free and fair elections

Self-government that will be able to provide for its own security.

The US should provide humanitarian aid to Iraq to rebuild its infrastructure.

"Therefore, the US has a responsibility to the Iraqi people so Iraq can become a functioning nation again."

http://votenader.org/why_ralph/index.php?cid=55

[DerekG]

3. Hey, wait a minute

According to those mental giants who comprised the ABB coalition, Ralph Nader is the boogeyman, the false prophet, or (as one DUer put it) "the GOP's anal sex toy."

Sorry, I'm not supposed to read anything he penned, no matter how reasonable or--dare I say it--visionary, it may be. :evilgrin:

[applegrove]

4. I think you'll agree it was kinda important that Bush wouldn't win!

Somehow Nader cannot do the math.

[DerekG]

5. Hell, I voted for Kerry

However, my decision in no way dispelled the disgust I had for those who spewed their vitriol at an anti-war candidate.

[applegrove]

6. They say Nader isn't thinking right. And they got nicer when they

realized that Nader couldn't sink them this last time. They just didn't want to loose another election (or win it but not win it) because of him.

You do remember that Bush got into power in 2000 because of Nader. If Nader had not run, Gore would have and Bush & Rove would have been in the dustbin of history. You do remember that?

Nader is a Utopian and untill he gets down to earth he is just going to scare people. At times I think he may make Democrats look more moderate. But mostly he just scares people.

Surely you cannot be hoping that Nader runs again?

[DerekG]

7. Interesting...

"You do remember that Bush got into power in 2000 because of Nader. If Nader had not run, Gore would have and Bush & Rove would have been in the dustbin of history. You do remember that?"

I do recall some pesky business about voter fraud, the ignominious decision of five Supreme Court judges, and an unprincipled opposition party that would not even heed a certain Black Caucus. But I digress...it's all Nader's fault.


"Nader is a Utopian and untill he gets down to earth he is just going to scare people."

Yes, I do hope his ideals will, in time, segue with those held by the Democratic leadership: rampant militarism, corporate deregulation, the further dismantling of the social safety net. One can hope, anyway.

[applegrove]

8. Does Nader have a plan for jobs? Is he for world trade?

Also if Nader had not been in the race Gore would have won Florida clear.

Nader is a Utopian. He wants everyone to think exactly as he does. He is on Mars as politics go in the U.S. He is not interested in baby steps. The number of times he repeated that the Dems were the same as Repukes - oh it made me so mad. Perhaps it was a strategy to make more repukes go - "hey? the democrats take money from corporations? I may just vote for them". But I doubt it.

If Nader had not run in 2000 do you think Bush would be in power today? Honestly?

[Disturbed]

9. It was not Nadar's fault ...

Rethugs cheated and Gore didn't win his own state.

[pearl]

10. Fuck Nader

just fuck him and the goddamn horse he rode in on.
He is clueless and he's destroyed his own legacy
all by his stupid self.

[applegrove]

11. That is why you do not start a 2 Party on the left - in case the election

is close. I will not take Nader's previous legacy away from him. But we have new fish to fry and it doesn't help when someone who was lucky/unlucky enough to be a fighter in the 1960s tries to get us Liberals to use his old tools. It will not work. We are 40 years later and times are very different. America (the workers, businesses, government, intellectual capital, financial capital) faces 50 times more competition than we in North America did in the 1950s. The elite & corporations overreacted to try and maintain their privileged position in the world and they still overreact and will not accept the smaller shadow that America casts on the world. We have a new fight: to make sure the elites & corporations do not take too much of the pie that is left. And Nader should 'let his people go'. So they can live to fight another day. So that America in someway resembles the an amazing place well into the future.