Ralph Nader

Editor MNH:  9/27/04

Whenever I tell somebody that my vote will go to Ralph Nader in the upcoming election the reply is always the same: “But Chris, you are throwing your vote away.”  I am a frugal person  who does not  throw anything away of value to myself  or others, not even my vote insignificant as it might be. Contrary to Vince Lombardi, winning is not everything, but voting your conscience is. Ralph Nader is against the Iraq war; against the Patriot Act; against a  Middle East  policy dictated to the US  by Israel; against the power of the corporations, especially the military industrial complex which siphons off money desperately needed for the welfare of the American citizens.

   Ralph Nader has  planted a mustard seed. With my vote I am bringing a thimble full of water to that seedling in this parched and desolate political landscape. Many thimbles of water would make that seedling survive and even grow and that is what the established parties and  their supportive media do not want. They want that seedling to wither. May I make so bold to say that anybody who votes for Bush or Kerry  is the one who throws his vote away.  Pat Buchanan called the Republican and the Democratic parties two wings of the same bird. In short we really have a one party system,  only different from the one party rule of the former Communist dictatorships by the pretense of  giving us a choice.

   I am especially incensed by the Wisconsin Democratic party filing a challenge, claiming Nader’s nomination papers contained  “irregularities” requiring investigation by the state Elections Board. This challenge by the Democratic  Party is not democratic, but shabby. Is that the type of  freedom and democracy which we want to bring to the Iraqis? Poor Iraqis! Poor Americans!