by Ralph Nader
The 2016 Democratic Convention
in Philadelphia was a multi-layered, raucous display of political theater. A
host of delegates loyal to Senator Bernie Sanders were inside in large numbers
exclaiming “No more war” during former Secretary of Defense Leon
Panetta’s speech and raising all kinds of progressive, rebellious signs
and banners against the Hillary crowd. Although Hillary addressed them directly
in her acceptance speech, “Your cause is my cause,” those dissatisfied
delegates in the hall saw her rhetoric for what it was: insincere and
opportunistic.
She said she’d tax the wealthy
for public necessities, but declined to mention a sales tax on Wall Street
speculation that could bring in as much as $300 billion a year to support such
initiatives. She opposed “unfair trade agreements,” but remarkably omitted
saying she was against the TPP (the notorious pending Trans Pacific Trade
Agreement backed by Obama that is receiving wide left/right opposition).
She paid lip service to a
“living wage” but avoided endorsing a $15 an hour minimum wage, which would
help single moms and their children – people she wants us to believe have been
her enduring cause. Few people know that it took until the spring of 2014
before candidate Clinton would come out for even a $10.10 minimum wage. News
reports noted that Clinton, a former member of Walmart’s board of directors and
Arkansas corporate lawyer, was wrestling with how to support $10.10 per hour
without alienating her Wall Street friends.
“Caring for kids” doesn’t
extend to encircled Gaza’s defenseless children, hundreds of whom were killed
by American-made weapons wielded by the all powerful Israeli military. Gaza is
the the world’s largest open air prison and under illegal blockade. Remember,
as Secretary of State, Hillary fully backed war crimes, condemned by almost all
countries in the world. On the stage in Philadelphia, she spoke of backing
Israel’s security without any mention of Palestinian rights or the need to end
Israel’s illegal occupation of the territories.
It is true, as numerous
speakers repeated, Clinton is “most qualified and experienced,” but her record
shows those qualities have led to belligerent, unlawful military actions that
are now boomeranging against U.S. interests. The intervention she insistently
called for in Libya, with Obama’s foolish consent, over-rode the wiser counsel
of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (and his generals), who warned of the
chaos that would follow. He was proven right, with chaotic violence now
all over Libya spilling into other African countries. This is but one example
of what Bernie Sanders meant during the debates when he referenced her “poor
judgement.”
The media coverage of
political conventions tends to sink to the level of the circus. The PBS/NPR
coverage with some half dozen reporters and two commentators proved to be thin,
light, soft and superficial. Otherwise smart media communicators were reduced
to very heavy focus on exactly what the Party’s manipulators wanted. “What is
Hillary really like?” Of course the stage was filled with frothy admiration,
awe and acclamation. But why didn’t the media point out some of the factual
omissions, the contradictions to the endless sugarcoating of the nominee?
To her credit, NPR/PBS
reporter, Susan Davis, did blurt out that the Convention program was mostly
about personality and character with little policy. Reporters did, however,
point out that unlike all other candidates, Hillary Clinton has not had a news
conference since last December to showcase her supposed experience,
qualifications and knowledge!
Why wouldn’t Hillary Clinton,
in her attack on Donald Trump, demand the release of his tax returns? Hillary
and Bill have regularly released their tax returns. Maybe because Trump would
demand Hillary release her secret Wall Street transcripts of her
$5,000-a-minute paid speeches to big bankers and other businesses.
To her verbal credit, Hillary
Clinton raised the “unpatriotic” charge against too many U.S. corporations (not
all she added) when it comes to our country. Born in the U.S.A, grown to profit
on the backs of American workers, bailed out by American taxpayers and
occasionally by the U.S. Marines overseas, these giant companies have no
allegiance to country or community. They are, with trade agreements and other
inducements, abandoning America’s workers and escaping America’s laws and
taxes.
Hearing the word “unpatriotic”
applied to those companies I could imagine these firms’ executives and P.R.
flacks shuddering for the only time during her 55-minute address. The stigma of
being “unpatriotic” to their enabling native country can have consequential
legs for turning public opinion even more deeply against these monetized
corporate Goliaths.
Stung by the consistently high
“untrustworthy” ratings since polling started asking that question (only Trump
exceeds her in most polls), she declared again that no one achieves greatness
alone, that it takes us working together, that it “Takes a Village,” alluding
to her earlier book. If that is true, then Together must have more power than
the Few. “Together” should include workers, consumers, small taxpayers, voters
and communities who are excluded from power, from the tools of democracy –
electoral reforms and clean elections, more unions and cooperatives, access to
justice for wrongful injuries and against crony capitalism and corporate crime
and greater citizen empowerment. Does she have an agenda for a devolution of
power from the few to the many so that we can be “stronger together,” (her
slogan for 2016)? No way. Mum’s the word!
This immense gap has been the
Clinton duo’s con job on America for many years. Sugarcoating phrases, populist
flattery, getting the election over with and jumping back into the fold of the
plutocracy is their customary M.O.
An anti-Hillary campaign
button sums it up. Imagine a nice picture of Hillary with the words “More Wall
Street” above her head and the words “More War” below her head.
Alert voters could see it
coming at the Convention: the militarism for Hillary the Hawk on day four in
Philadelphia and the arrival of the corporate fat cats. Or, as the New
York Times headlined: “Top Donors Leave Sidelines, Checkbooks in Hand.”
The best thing Hillary Clinton
has going for her is the self-destructive, unstable, unorganized, fact and
truth-starved, egomaniacal, cheating, plutocratic, Donald Trump (See my
column “Cheating Donald”).
That’s where our nation’s
two-party political leadership is today. When will the vast left/right majority
rise to take over and reverse the eviscerating policies and practices of this
political duopoly?
Ralph Nader is a consumer
advocate, lawyer and author of Only
the Super-Rich Can Save Us!
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