Comments on: Mary's Notes, June 4, 2007 http://www.radioopensource.org/marys-notes-june-4-2007/ Christopher Lydon in conversation on arts, ideas and politics Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:27:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Martin Brock http://www.radioopensource.org/marys-notes-june-4-2007/#comment-89973 Martin Brock Tue, 05 Jun 2007 12:52:32 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=1107#comment-89973 The U.S. has been ready for a female President for a while, but I doubt that voters are ready for Hillary Clinton. Her poll numbers are pure name recognition at this point. She's never held elective office, and aside from the national health care initiative she led in the first Clinton administration and the "me too" war vote, I have no idea where she stands on anything. Who cares? She'll only be the President? It's a fair question, but after the Bush administration, I'm firmly convinced that a President can do a lot of harm, even if s/he can't do a lot of good. For my part, if Clinton sticks to her current line, that she was hoodwinked by shoddy intelligence from the Bushniks and wouldn't vote for the war again, this vote alone doesn't disqualify her. On the other hand, this line definitely doesn't qualify her. I won't vote for any candidate without a firm commitment to withdraw from Iraq without leaving a large military presence or a disproportionate diplomatic presence. I won't vote for any candidate without a firm commitment not to attack an Iranian nuclear facility without iron-clad evidence, acknowledged by the IAEA and other international inspection agencies, that Iran is actively producing weapons grade uranium and is less than a year away from producing enough for a bomb. "We told you to stop all enrichment and you didn't" is not good enough. I also want firm statements on Social Security reform and tax reform, preferably a parental pension and a progressive consumption tax, along the lines of proposals from the New America Foundation. I want a firm commitment to shift resources from the security-industrial complex toward sustainable energy and other priorities. Otherwise, I'm not supporting anyone, and I'm staying home. I will not waste my time boosting the prospects of another political celebrity preparing the way for rich speaking fees and book deals. It's bad enough that these guys rarely say anything of substance and don't mean what they say when they do. The U.S. has been ready for a female President for a while, but I doubt that voters are ready for Hillary Clinton. Her poll numbers are pure name recognition at this point. She’s never held elective office, and aside from the national health care initiative she led in the first Clinton administration and the “me too” war vote, I have no idea where she stands on anything. Who cares? She’ll only be the President? It’s a fair question, but after the Bush administration, I’m firmly convinced that a President can do a lot of harm, even if s/he can’t do a lot of good.

For my part, if Clinton sticks to her current line, that she was hoodwinked by shoddy intelligence from the Bushniks and wouldn’t vote for the war again, this vote alone doesn’t disqualify her. On the other hand, this line definitely doesn’t qualify her.

I won’t vote for any candidate without a firm commitment to withdraw from Iraq without leaving a large military presence or a disproportionate diplomatic presence.

I won’t vote for any candidate without a firm commitment not to attack an Iranian nuclear facility without iron-clad evidence, acknowledged by the IAEA and other international inspection agencies, that Iran is actively producing weapons grade uranium and is less than a year away from producing enough for a bomb. “We told you to stop all enrichment and you didn’t” is not good enough.

I also want firm statements on Social Security reform and tax reform, preferably a parental pension and a progressive consumption tax, along the lines of proposals from the New America Foundation. I want a firm commitment to shift resources from the security-industrial complex toward sustainable energy and other priorities.

Otherwise, I’m not supporting anyone, and I’m staying home. I will not waste my time boosting the prospects of another political celebrity preparing the way for rich speaking fees and book deals. It’s bad enough that these guys rarely say anything of substance and don’t mean what they say when they do.

]]> By: allison http://www.radioopensource.org/marys-notes-june-4-2007/#comment-89972 allison Tue, 05 Jun 2007 05:06:55 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=1107#comment-89972 Mary, you're a bit less than a third of the way there! In less than two weeks. That's great. I'm sure you guys are sweating it, but June is a new month. Have people committed to donate again this summer? I could pledge a little each month. If you could track pledges, you might find that you are closer to your goal. I know this has been suggested by others than myself - pledging. Did you know that you can create "subscription" invoices on PayPal? It's on the Merchant Services page. You can set me up for $20 a month to see how it works. Then we can encourage others to sign up! On the meter, you might make funds received green, funds pledged orange and funds still sought red. (Perhaps more than this graphic can handle, but it might be helpful for people to see that even $10 or $20 per month for the next 3 months could do the trick.) Hang in there! Mary, you’re a bit less than a third of the way there! In less than two weeks. That’s great. I’m sure you guys are sweating it, but June is a new month. Have people committed to donate again this summer? I could pledge a little each month. If you could track pledges, you might find that you are closer to your goal. I know this has been suggested by others than myself – pledging. Did you know that you can create “subscription” invoices on PayPal? It’s on the Merchant Services page. You can set me up for $20 a month to see how it works. Then we can encourage others to sign up!

On the meter, you might make funds received green, funds pledged orange and funds still sought red. (Perhaps more than this graphic can handle, but it might be helpful for people to see that even $10 or $20 per month for the next 3 months could do the trick.)

Hang in there!

]]> By: thinkpeace2004 http://www.radioopensource.org/marys-notes-june-4-2007/#comment-89971 thinkpeace2004 Mon, 04 Jun 2007 23:45:21 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/?p=1107#comment-89971 The comment about the flu (plague of 1918) that started at a Kansas army base and proved so deadly put me in mind of a recent plague documented earlier this year in WIRED magazine: the super-resistant acenitobacter that's immune to antibiotics and has killed soldiers at Walter Reed and elsewhere. I believe the WIRED article mentioned that it's believed this bacterium was transported from hospitals in Europe to Iraq and thence all over the world. The comment about the flu (plague of 1918) that started at a Kansas army base and proved so deadly put me in mind of a recent plague documented earlier this year in WIRED magazine: the super-resistant acenitobacter that’s immune to antibiotics and has killed soldiers at Walter Reed and elsewhere. I believe the WIRED article mentioned that it’s believed this bacterium was transported from hospitals in Europe to Iraq and thence all over the world.

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