by Charles
Monday, Feb. 23, 2004 at 11:25 PM
It's a waste of time...
Ralph Nader is running as an independent. I dismiss the charge that he is an egomaniac And, the very fact that he is alienating his progressive supporters from 2000 shows he's willing to stand up for what he believes in. However, this campaign is a waste of his time and everyone else who helps him.
I've always been wary of third parties (or elections, in general) because real change has never been brought about in the ballot box. Perhaps, following an riot or uprising, but not in and of itself. It's a waste of time and energy to put into a campaign when we could be in our communities and in the streets fighting and organizing for social change. It wasn't the Green's opposition to the WTO that created the backlash against globalized corporate trade agreements. It was the street battles in Seattle and Genoa or the armed uprising of the Zapastistas.
Nader complains that the two party system has failed us and does not represent the aspirations of ordinary people. Of course it doesn't! And, it never will by its very nature. The state is a repressive mechanism, inherently undemocratic. It represents the interests of those in power, namely in this system it's capital (in other systems it may be a "socialist" bureaucracy, etc.). It's repressive and coercive. Also, it manipulates people through schools and other institutions. He thinks he'll fight that by running for president?
Nader, don't run. Help us organize the movement of movements in the street, in our communities where it counts.