“First” is NOT qualification: an America that stands tall in the world must progress beyond narrow vision, incompetent leadership

COMPETENCE and Integrity COUNT: My response to today’s “Hillary” edition of Democracy Now 

By Carolyn Bennett

Tribal vision manifestly limited to superficialities of gender, party, hue, presumption and personality—enables what it claims to abhor: the status quo, simplemindedness, tyranny of oneness, regression.  

It is unfair, undemocratic and disingenuous to reduce qualification for the office of head of state to tribalism: gender, race, singular political party. In today’s discussion the Democracy Now program should not have excluded other candidates and potential candidates and political parties contending for the 2016 US presidency. Every election year, web pages are full of many different people contending for public office but who are silenced by mass media. This is undemocratic, on its face. No wonder the oblivious US public cannot see through the fog or beyond limited vision.  

 

W

hat about the Green Party, the Justice Party, the Socialist parties and their contenders?

Under the heading “Presidency 2016,” the organization Politics1, a non-partisan public service aimed at promoting fully informed decision-making by the American electorate, writes: “President [Barack] Obama is barred by constitutional term limits from seeking re-election in 2016.” And toward that election year, there is…

A large crowd of candidates likely competing for the Democratic and Republican nominations; plus LOTS of likely third party and independent P2016 hopefuls. 

So, if a person is running, or thinking of running—regardless of party, ballot status, or chances of winning”—Politics1 will list them: Incumbent party first followed by the main opposition party then third party candidates and finally independent and write-in hopefuls. http://www.politics1.com/p2016.htm

The site is worth looking into because, but not only because Hillary Clinton (P2016) is a mistake on every substantive level. She is unfit for purpose. 

• She is carelessly under-educated and ill-informed on domestic affairs. 
• She is carelessly reckless, arrogant and belligerent in international affairs. 
• She’s a war monger, a creator of international incidents and needless death, an incompetent, and a cynical opportunist. 
• 
  
• Further, she is definitely neither “feminist” nor Eleanor Roosevelt, ER having given the world the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, HRC having been associated with assassination and engaged in gross global violations of human rights.

Incompetence and lack of integrity constitute weakness, a dangerous weakness, as was with the current US president, together or separately they negate any possibility of able and courageous leadership and, as character traits, they weaken the country as a whole, domestically and internationally.  

 

Though I understand the news peg taken from Clinton’s silly, almost-childish video over the weekend, Democracy Now’s limiting today’s program to Hillary-centering discussants and excluding NON-Dem-Repub contenders disserves the U.S. public. I am a supporter of Democracy Now but the narrow angle taken today is insulting to adult human intelligence.

It reduces and negates altogether deeply critical issues surrounding this extremely powerful and influential office to superficialities of gender and race and to a singular regressive Dem/Repub Party; as well as to a fear-driving status quo whereby any old “horse” will do who gathers the most oats, attracts boat loads of big money to buy pubic office (remains forever in the stable of big  benefactors)—instead of essential, DEMONSTRATED qualifications (not ideological bent), and courage to make important progressive strides in domestic and international affairs.

I

 REPEAT: Hillary Clinton is unfit on every level. And Americans should never again seat her or anyone who fails to meet wide-ranging essential criteria, demonstrated credentials, a progressive track record and character traits signifying able service in public office—either as US head of state or member of the legislature, and therefore the judiciary.

The cycle of inferior leadership steeped in nepotism, corruption, criminality, and incompetence must be broken if the USA is to build itself, its people, into a truly great nation, earn genuine respect at home and abroad, and stand tall for good in the world.

Notes

“Debate: Hillary Clinton Sounds Populist Tone, But Are Progressives Ready to Back Her in 2016?” In today’s edition of Democracy Now were host Amy Goodman together with discussants Joe Conason of the The National Memo and The Investigative Fund; Michelle Goldberg of The Nation magazine; Robert Scheer of Truthdig dot com; and Kshama Sawant of the Socialist Alternative organization, April 13, 2015, http://www.democracynow.org/2015/4/13/debate_hillary_clinton_sounds_populist_tone

One of the first political blog sites on the Internet and published as a non-partisan public service to promote fully informed decision-making by the American electorate, Politics1 was launched online in 1997. It is “one of the pioneering political blog and news sites and has drawn a sizable and devoted audience of political professionals, journalists, educators, and activists.” http://www.politics1.com/about.htm

Politics1: P2016, http://www.politics1.com/p2016.htm

“Whatever It Takes - Hillary Clinton’s Record of Support for War and Other Depravities” posted by Robert Barsocchini, 1:46 PM Friday, June 6, 2014

http://www.whateverittakeshillary.org/2014/06/terrorism.html

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A lifelong American writer and writer/activist (former academic and staffer with the U.S. government in Washington), Dr. Carolyn LaDelle Bennett is credentialed in education and print journalism and public affairs (PhD, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; MA, The American University, Washington, DC). Her work concerns itself with news and current affairs, historical contexts, and ideas particularly related to acts and consequences of U.S. foreign relations, geopolitics, human rights, war and peace, and violence and nonviolence. Dr. Bennett is an internationalist and nonpartisan progressive personally concerned with society and the common good. An educator at heart, her career began with the U.S. Peace Corps, teaching in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Since then, she has authored several books and numerous current-affairs articles; her latest book: UNCONSCIONABLE: How The World Sees Us: World News, Alternative Views, Commentary on U.S. Foreign Relations; most thoughts, articles, edited work are posted at Bennett’s Study: http://todaysinsightnews.blogspot.com/ and on her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/carolynladelle.bennett. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/08UNCONSCIONABLE/prweb12131656.htm http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/SKU-000757788/UNCONSCIONABLE.aspx Her books are also available at independent bookstores in New York State: Lift Bridge in Brockport; Sundance in Geneseo; Dog Ears Bookstore and Literary Arts Center in Buffalo; Burlingham Books in Perry; The Bookworm in East Aurora

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Democracies should not have to struggle to achieve democracy

Green Party
Australia

Green Party of the United States fighting to provide choice, getting on ballot in 44 states of the United States
Editing by Carolyn Bennett from Green Party material

Why are we willing to accept multiple choices in every aspect of our lives except in politics?

European Greens

Green Party
Hong Kong
China

At a population of more than 300,000,000 people, five major television and hundreds more cable or satellite networks, dozens of toothpaste brands, varieties of telecommunications access, and vast varieties of bread, the people of the United States of America are thwarted in choosing varieties of leaders and ideas. Voters “are expected to be content with only two political parties representing America’s interests.”

Choice obstructed

Jill Stein
U.S.

“In a true democracy,” Baltimore City (Maryland), Green Party Chair Brian Bittner writes, “it shouldn’t be a political struggle to be on the ballot in every state, to simply give voters a choice, and to allow them to exercise their basic rights.

“But it is a struggle —and a challenge that thousands are rising to meet.”

In addition to the work of thousands of volunteers in every state of the union, court cases in New Jersey, Illinois and Maryland have challenged the unjust laws that limit political diversity and discourse. 

Bills introduced in state legislatures to change election law have been thwarted by members of the Democratic and Republican parties in order to maintain their inordinate power.

Caroline Lucas
Greens UK, EU

It shouldn’t be this way

Access required

Ballot access in all 50 U.S. states is essential for running local candidates. Eleven states are actively petitioning for ballot access and another sixteen states have deadlines this summer. Green Party access to the ballot will bring “excellent, quality candidates to challenge the establishment” Bittner says.

If all we do is come to out to vote every four years, we cannot expect entrenched government in Washington to consider the interests of ordinary citizens over the interests of corporate lobbyists. We must be willing to work together for change at local and state levels as well.

Why accept multiple choices in every aspect of our lives except in politics? This year more than ever is the time to break the two-party-no-choice option.


Green Party of the United States effort toward multiple choice

On its official website, the Green Party of the United States describes itself as “a federation of state Green Parties committed to ecology, social justice grassroots democracy and non-violence; and committed to renewing democracy in the United States through community-based organizing without the support of corporate donors.”

The Greens describe themselves as “grassroots activists, environmentalists, advocates for social justice, nonviolent resisters, and regular citizens who have had enough of corporate-dominated politics.” Their issues, concerns and solutions focus on area such as universal health care, corporate globalization, alternative energy, election reform, and decent living wages for workers.

Formed in 2001 as an outgrowth of the Association of State Green Parties (1996-2001), the Green Party of the United States has had the initial and continuing primary goals of helping existing state parties grow; and where none exist, promoting formation of Green parties in all states and territories of the United States.

The Federal Elections Commission recognizes the Green Party of the United States as the official Green Party National Committee. The highest Green Party decision making body is the Green National Committee composed of delegates from each accredited state party and caucus. The Green Party of the United States is also a member of the Federation of Green Parties of the Americas and the Global Greens.

Greens Colorado

Greens Canada

Despite Democratic and Republican partisan power and other roadblocks, Green Party candidates “are winning elections throughout the United States.” 

ANOTHER U.S. IS POSSIBLE. 

ANOTHER PARTY IS NECESSARY

Sources and notes

The Green Party nominee will be selected at the Presidential Nominating Convention to be held in Baltimore, Maryland, July 12-15, 2012. http://www.gp.org/2012/

Green Party of the United States: 7059 Blair Road NW, Suite 104, Washington, DC 20012

Green Party of the United States mailing Address: PO Box 75075, Washington, DC 20013, office@gp.org

202-319-7191

http://www.gp.org/about.shtml

www.gpconvention2012.com

Brian Bittner is Chair of the Baltimore City Green Party and Office Manager of the Green Party of the United States

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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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