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I changed my registration from Democratic to Green Party this summer, and will vote for Jill Stein tomorrow.
In a recent article I summarized why I will vote for neither of the major party Presidential candidates. [ “I’ll Vote Niether Trump Nor Clinton – Corrupt, Dangerous.” ]
Of the two best-known minor parties, I choose the Green Party over the Libertarians.
Gary Johnson seems practically not to believe in government at all.
He made that clear while he was governor of New Mexico, and it holds up in statements by himself and his campaign. I have two major problems with that:
- It seems that seeking the most powerful government executive position in the world is a blatant contradiction for a man who doesn’t respect the idea of government. If your convictions are as radical as his seem to be, would it not be more honest to work against the idea of government without offering and promising to practice government at the highest levels? Just seems there should be a more consistent approach somehow.
- The elimination of oversight responsibilities from government has one utterly certain consequence. Those who already have power will have far greater freedom to increase their power (and fight each other for that) at terrible expense to all the rest of us. It’s a perfect recipe for the destruction of civil society.
I do like the Libertarian concern for the misuse of government power. I only wish they were a bit more concerned about the perennial abuse of private powers that government is established to help prevent.Both – government and private wealth/power – are terribly dangerous, and have proven themselves so over and over and over throughout history. To eliminate one evil (government) while giving the other evil (private wealth/power) blank checks (literally!) is not a course of wisdom in this real world. It ain’t healthy, folks!
(link to the Libertarian Party)
Jill Stein is more of what an FDR Democrat might be today.
A medical doctor who has taught at Harvard, she believes government has very serious roles to play – but must play them much more honestly and accountably than has been the case.
For example, drug companies should be held to account for how they do research, how drugs are approved and / or recommended, and how they are priced and marketed. This is just common sense responsible behavior, and the insiders and power-players who resist that general idea are not on our side.
She believes, like Bernie Sanders said, that climate change is the most dangerous issue facing the nation or the world.
She believes, and I think she’s right, that a great impetus to the economy could come through helping young adults with their college expenses and loan obligations. We should be helping the next generation, not exploiting them for today’s bankers.
“I’d say most of the important issues were completely ignored by the candidates.” – Jill Stein
Here’s a brief excerpt from a recent interview published by TIME magazine that sums things up for me (my emphases added):
I’d say most of the important issues were completely ignored by the candidates. And that’s everything from the climate crisis to the endless and expanding wars that are bankrupting us and actually having catastrophic consequences, creating failed states and worse terrorist threats. Climate, war and I think the plight of a generation of young people who are locked into student debt, those are probably the biggest issues which were completely ignored. [And] the nuclear crisis we are facing. The real issues at stake here were not even mentioned by the other two candidates.
(link to the Green Party)
“The real issues at stake here were not even mentioned by the other two candidates.” -Jill Stein
But it’s real, regardless of their Republico-Democrat media cluelessness. And we’re going to continue facing these things.
My candidate probably has zero chance of winning.
But I will for for what I want, not for what I don’t want!
And that will feel both honorable and pleasant!