The Iranian leader who claims the election was stolen from him has pronounced himself ready for martyrdom. Would only that we had such leaders!
The Leader of the American Resistance
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
23 Comments. Leave new
Hmmmmmm….
Al gave it up when it seemed he would have to up-end a Supreme Court decision and declare that since it was a State's concern they had no jurisdiction.
You think he should have… took to the streets of DC?
(disclosure: I've always liked Al… especially after his wife shut up)
Let us not forget the vote rigging of 2004. I gave $55 to Kerry (voted for Leonard Peltier) because I thought he needed every penny to contest what everyone knew would be a stolen election.
What did Kerry do? He left it up to us Greens to buy recounts. You can read about it in Conyer's report to the Congress called, "Preserving Democracy: What Went Wrong in Ohio."
Not all of Obama's votes were counted, either.
American Democracy–do not imitate.
I think he should have taken to the streets, absolutely. This is, of course, in hindsight of one of the worst presidents in US history, someone who raped our constitution and legal foundation to it's core and set us on our path to the eventual German Solution which will see a fundamental reorganization of this country, possibly culminating in its segregation into parts.
The right wing was really bloodthirsty after the Clinton years though. Perhaps in the long run it did less damage to give them their shining moment in the sun, and let them hoist themselves by their own petard.
What cracks me up is how the right wingers wanted to indiscriminately bomb Iran last month and now the lives of said population are worth defending. "Sand Niggers" last week, "Freedom Loving People" this week. Hmmm. Dorme bene
There were voting irregularities in Mexico, too. What did Andreas Manuel Lopez Obrador do? He took to the streets. (Didn't do him much good. Both Bush and Obama are backing Calderon.)
Incidentally, will Ted do a column contrasting the US's elections to the protests in Iran with the US's reactions to the protests in Peru and Georgia?
What right wingers wanted to "bomb Iran indiscriminately" and who called the people of Iran "Sand Niggers"? Name some names, be specific or is this just another straw man?
"which will see a fundamental reorganization of this country, possibly culminating in its segregation into parts."
do you really think this political system is capable of something so bold?
In Gore's defense I will say one thing:
He played by the freaking rules. He's like the Goody Two-Shoes who won't fight back, thinking that by adhering to the rules she'll win out in the end, or just look better when the story's told.
Oh, well. Anyone who thinks the wussier half of our "two party" system is actually a "resistance" party is deluded. We have only one party: the Suck-Corporate's-Ass Party.
so that's where the u.s. population gets its indolence.
Isn't it time to put a filter on the phrase "Dorme bene" by now?
Andelo. No, I don't. I think that the United States will continue it's militant nationalistic chauvinism to it's fascist extreme, the many other empires have in the past, and will finally be conquered, from within or from without, and each time such an event has occurred, it has generally been followed by a breaking up of the geographic whole.
I think the solidarity of the US is deceptive. I think it is far more fragile than people think it is, and I think it could break apart much faster than most people think. I think that right before a massive structural change that redefines the world as we know it, almost nobody actually anticipates it.
From the initial catalyst to a dissolution of the Union, I bet less than 18 months passes. Quite possibly the collapse of the California state government…..
"What right wingers wanted to "bomb Iran indiscriminately" and who called the people of Iran "Sand Niggers"? Name some names, be specific or is this just another straw man"
They may not have used the racial epithet I used, but man that's the vibe I got. "Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran, anyone?"
After living in fear of a 3rd Bush term and the chance of being put on a watch list for posting here, I no longer wish to be Anonymous. Are you getting enough sleep??
Given the things that right wingers were saying during McPalin rallies in last year's election campaign (traitor, hang him, terrorist, socialist..etc), it is not hard to figure out what these same people would say about Iran, or any other country that they were explicitly told to hate (part of the Axis of Evil, anyone?).
Making someone list out the specific places and times they heard or saw someone say a specific thing and then document it is a typical and routine tactic meant to redirect the conversation to a normative argument about the individual making the point, rather than the issue itself -which is that who is hated or loved is a fabrication of propaganda. The KLA is wonderful, the KLA is horrible, Hussein is our guy, Hussein is a threat to the existence of humanity…etc..etc..etc.. on and on and on.
I'm not sure about the racism, but you would have a hard time finding a right-winger who did NOT want to bomb Iran indiscriminately over it's (non-existant) nuclear weapons program.
I guess Ron Paul is not a right-winger then, right anon?
Ron Paul has for the most part been a very shrewd politician who crafts his message and identity extremely well, with the knowledge that most people won't actually look at what he's done. He's extremely good at playing the inside washington game of pork barreling which he insists that he's against. When push really does come to shove, he lines up behind the Republican standardbearer. He only votes against bills on philosophical grounds when he knows they will pass anyway. He also played that impeachment game in the Clinton years, which demonstrates to me that he's NOT actually a libertarian. A true libertarian would have never wasted public funds on an adolescent game like that.
If it weren't for this record, I would believe that Ron Paul is not a right winger. But the truth is, what he says and what he's done with his position are really two entirely separate things.
And before people start playing this 'tit for tat' game saying other politicians do this. Yes, I agree in advance, that Ron Paul in not alone. But that does not change the evidence that Ron Paul himself is a stooge.
(traitor, hang him, terrorist, socialist..etc), it is not hard to figure out what these same people would say about Iran, or any other country that they were explicitly told to hate (part of the Axis of Evil, anyone?).
Dude. Seriously. Get off the internets and READ SOME HISTORY.
You're perpetuating a bunch of great snopes garbage with "the cries at the Palin rallies." And leaving out huge chunks of historical fact in regards to religious differences and global relations.
Aggie, what does "playing the Clinton impeachment game" has to do with being a libertarian? For all I know, every US president from Monroe on should have been impeached. And get the story right: he's against earmarks, he puts some up for his district and then votes against it. He just wants his constituents to get back some of the loot that the other Congressfolk piled up. Completely consistent.
What the party-liners cannot countenance is that the guy is more consistently pro-peace than Obama, Hillary, Pelosi and countless other swindlers.
Ron Paul's voting record isn't terribly libertarian, true, but his bigotry is more damning. Even if he were truly anti-imperialist, and even if his hatred of many federal administrations wasn't completely dumbfuck (it is, but let's pretend), he's still a bigot who is on record hating blacks. That presents a problem for anyone who isn't a right-winger.
He just wants his constituents to get back some of the loot that the other Congressfolk piled up. Completely consistent.
Incy, this is not about comparing him to other politicians, this is about him specifically. And what you recited was precisely what Ron Paul says about earmarks. It's a shallow game that he's playing, and if you believe him you are deluding yourself. He's a classic smooth talking Texas politicians.
The importance of the impeachment game is this: when it REALLY comes down to it, if he thinks his vote will matter, he is lock step with Republicans. The only time he actually bucks them is when he knows it will just be symbolic.
if he thinks his vote will matter, he is lock step with Republicans.
Oh, I see, his voting record is sorta like Obama's and Hillary's, then?
Aggie doesn't like when he and his fellow Statists are called out. The person who said right wingers called people were Sand Niggers admitted he/she was wrong. just like when you attributed quotes to Rush Limbaugh and were not able to back them up. Instead of admitting you were wrong, you made up some crap about how that's what Rush implied when in fact it is you who inferred what he said. you are intellectually dishonest and your 8th grade debate tactics are embarrassing.