CHOOSE
BETWEEN
Shuffling Repub/Dems, sustaining corrupt system; or
Acting together, embracing very different way
─ Rocky Anderson
Excerpt, editing by
Carolyn Bennett
Carolyn Bennett
From Truthout (transcript) Ron Boyer Interview with
presidential candidate Rocky Anderson “Justice Party Presidential Candidate
Rocky Anderson Speaks Candidly on the Crumbling State of the Union”
The
parties of Republicans and Democrats in control are acting as a cabal (a
faction) against the rest of us.
All
of us need to understand how dangerous this is and what is at stake, not only
for us; but for the future of this nation.
We
must organize and take action, both within and outside the electoral system, if
we are to protect and maintain the Republic. ─ Rocky Anderson
A people under crime of war
As a nation and as a people, Anderson said, “we seem to have
completely lost sight of the illegality of aggressive war (Aggressive war is a
military attack against any nation, unless that nation has attacked or was
about to attack the aggressor nation).
“These wars have been fought in our name. They have been
financed by our nation. They have been devastating to people who have served
and to their families and other loved ones.
“They have been immensely tragic to people in the nations
against whom we have pursued this aggression. A million Iraqi people have lost
their lives directly or indirectly as a result of our invasion and occupation
of Iraq.
“I am strongly in favor of a fact-finding investigation
where the truth can finally be laid out for the American people. There must be
some kind of accountability, even if not criminal prosecutions, even if not an
international tribunal as in Nuremberg.
“The truth must come out. Not only in connection with the
commission of these wars, but also the lies that led us into the wars. It is
astounding to me that President Bush and other members of his administration
could have so blatantly lied to the American people and withheld information
that was in their possession in leading our nation to war. At least history
should hold people who blatantly lied to us accountable.”
A people under surveillance
In Draper, Utah, “the National Security Agency (NSA) is
building a 1-million-square-foot facility to store records of the
communications that our intelligence community is gathering and a lot of those
communications are those in which U.S. citizens have engaged. Not long ago, this
would have seemed absolutely impossible to the people of this country.
“It seems that so
many people in this country, over just a few years, have not only become
accustomed to but have come to accept the fact that our government can be
listening in on our conversations or mining our email communications.”
People who are given power are often inclined to abuse that
power and the complacency and seeming acceptance by the American people of
these kinds of abuses (perpetual war, extrajudicial killing, domestic surveillance)
is perhaps the most frightening aspect of all.
Contemplating the Vote: voting while scared
Lesser-of-two-evils voting strategy equals further regress
Allowing “the fear-driven argument that the lesser of two
evils (or the more effective of the two evils) may be defeated by the greater
of two evils, [is conceding] to the status quo.”
Never seeing change, “we will see things continue to get
worse: the ratcheting up of an imperial presidency, the undermining of the rule
of law and our constitutional values, continued destruction of our democracy, worsening
economic disparity” already worse than at any time since the early twentieth century
and during the Great Depression.
“We can choose:
Either
to move the players (Republicans and Democrats) around and sustain the corrupt
system in which those with the money call all the shots
Or
finally organize and take action together to choose a very different way.
Fear tactic, the “spoiler”
At some point, “Americans both as citizens and moral actors must
draw the line.”
Seeing things in proper perspective, few people “would now
consider voting for someone who promises to halt wars of aggression, then sends
in more troops; refuses to hold people accountable under the law for war crimes;
targets U.S. citizens for assassination, without any semblance of due process ─
all of which President Obama has done.…
How
can any American support the reelection of a president who asked for the power then
signed into law the NDAA [The National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 signed into U. S. law on
December 31, 2011, by President Barack Obama] providing
the President with the power to point to anyone in the world (including U.S.
citizens) and have them essentially kidnapped, disappeared, indefinitely
detained without charges, without trial, without habeas corpus, even without
legal assistance?
Probably the most subversive,
anti-American act ever undertaken by a U. S. Congress and president
The lesser-of-two-evils and “spoiler” fear-voting timidity “cannot
draw the line.” Thus Americans are rendered “a very different and dangerous
nation of people.”
If we vote to “reelect President Obama simply because of our
fear that somebody else might be elected,” then we deserve what we get.
“I think we are a better country than that. I think the
world deserves better than a president of the United States who cavalierly
sends unmanned drones on to other nations without any authorization by
Congress, in complete violation of the war powers clause.
 |
| Rocky Anderson Justice Party USA Candidate for U.S. Presidency |
Third parties unite
 |
| Jill Stein Green Party Candidate for U.S. Presidency |
“There are some great third parties in this country, but
none of them have a history of winning elections. They simply do not resonate
with a sufficiently broad political base, either to succeed in winning or in
helping create a long-term, sustained movement for significant change in this
country. [But] I think this is a perfect
time for third parties to come together under one unified banner, perhaps set
aside some of our differences and join in providing the kind of option the
majority of the American people want to see in the coming election. 
“I would be very pleased to work with the Greens, the Peace
and Freedom Party, the Progressive Party, with the Libertarian Party, with
Independents ─ with people of all stripes ─ in
allowing a real choice, rather than creating several different factions and
limiting the choices to small parties on either the left or the right of the
political spectrum. “Bring people together focusing on our major common concerns and common aspirations.”
Multidimensional effort (present imperative meets historic
tradition)
“In order to change the system,” Anderson says, “we need to
approach it from every direction possible.
Anti-slavery,
Woman Suffrage, civil rights, labor movements - all were successful because of
tenacious action by committed people at the grassroots willing to organize and
act, sometimes year after year, to meet their goals.
Real change also “can certainly be facilitated if we have
people in elective office that can both change public policy and urge the
American people on, [pushing for change] …; [keeping] up the fight on the
outside, never turning away from the electoral system, particularly when there
are candidates willing to fight for your compatriots.
“We need to push from every direction. Those (eligible
voters who have given up on the electoral system) who have become so cynical
and resigned that they refuse even to vote are, in a certain sense, declaring
defeat and are part of the problem.”
Seize opportunity together
“We have an opportunity to come together and overthrow the
dictatorship of corrupt money and to elect to the presidency someone who will
do everything possible to change the system and help restore the rule of law,
including compliance with the war powers and due process clauses of the Constitution
of the United States.
“Using some of the same tools and organizing strategies,” we
are sufficiently powerful “to overthrow the corrupting influence of money that
has served essentially as a dictator in this nation.
“We have the tools to resist tyranny. We have the traditions of standing up against
tyranny. We have traditions in this country of people striving to do better
when we find out that our government has abused its power, either against ‘We
the People’ or against others around the world.
“We are powerful enough” ─ if only we exert our will ─ “to
demand restoration of the rule of law and return to essential constitutional
values.
“The responsibility falls on all of our shoulders to reverse
the incredibly dangerous trend” endemic within the United States and in its
relations with foreign nations and peoples.
Sources and notes
Justice Party Presidential Candidate Rocky Anderson Speaks
Candidly on the Crumbling State of the Union” (Ron Boyer, Truthout Interview Sunday,
August 26, 2012, http://truth-out.org/news/item/10766-a-road-less-traveled-presidential-candidate-rocky-anderson-speaks-candidly-on-the-crumbling-state-of-the-union
In addition to contributing to Truthout Ron Boyer is a poet,
author and screenwriter; a former U.S. government employee and an advocate for alternatives
to incarceration for nonviolent offenders.
Ross Carl (Rocky) Anderson, Justice Party candidate for U.S.
presidency, has been profiled previously at Today’s Insight News.
“Ralph Nader and Ron Paul, two of the most outspoken
political leaders of our time, don’t agree all that often. But one thing they
both understand is that the American political system is rigged against
independent and third party candidates.” http://www.thelibertyvoice.com/ralph-nader-ron-paul-agree-ballot-access-laws-are-rigged-against-independent-third-party-candidates
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Bennett's books are available in New York State independent bookstores: Lift Bridge Bookshop: www.liftbridgebooks.com [Brockport, NY]; Sundance Books: http://www.sundancebooks.com/main.html [Geneseo, NY]; Mood Makers Books: www.moodmakersbooks.com [City of Rochester, NY]; Dog Ears Bookstore and Literary Arts Center: www.enlightenthedog.org/ [Buffalo, NY]; Burlingham Books – ‘Your Local Chapter’: http://burlinghambooks.com/ [Perry, NY 14530]; The Bookworm: http://www.eabookworm.com/ [East Aurora, NY] • See also: World Pulse: Global Issues through the eyes of Women: http://www.worldpulse.com/ http://www.worldpulse.com/pulsewire http://www.facebook.com/#!/bennetts2ndstudy
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