Letter from Milt Francis
Politics – November 2004 – Colorado Central Magazine
Editors:
The fear of terrorism and losing the war is apparently a significant factor in the decisions influencing Americans in the coming election. The spectre of another 9-11 suggests the need for continuity in the current leadership no matter its incredible incompetence in both the fight against terror and the needless war this administration is waging.
It should be plain, however, that the terrorists have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams in permanently disrupting the “American Way of Life” as we had known it before 9-11. Note the absence of any kind of terrorist attacks within the US since that day, despite our vulnerability in numerous areas. The increasing imposition on our person, privacy and rights bears little relationship to the harm that can be done to our infrastructure and economic lifeblood, but who needs it? We are doing to ourselves far more than the enemy can do to us.
I cannot believe we are a nation of cowards, voting on our fears. These fears are groundless in any assumptions about eradicating terror. It has always existed and always will. Constant personal fear of a terrorist attack is irrational in the expectation of imminent fulfillment compared to almost any other risk we face in our daily lives, thus diverting us from the real issues which could be addressed and which could help so many of our people if we voted rationally.
Kerry is boxed in a corner, partly of his own doing and mostly because of the relentless vociferous lies and coordinated attacks by the right together with the spineless mass media, which being president the incumbent virtually owns. Where is Kerry? What chance would any opponent have? It is really a miracle that the polls still show only a 10% spread in Bush’s favor. Could that be our glimmer of hope?
Otherwise, the people who are most affected by the economy and policies of this administration do not vote, or vote against their own best interests. I refer to the book What’s the Matter with Kansas by Thomas Frank, which fits Colorado just as it does many other states as well.
Anecdotally, the other day I went to the dump to dispose of our garbage and ahead of me was this forlorn old battered pickup with an equally shabby old character at the wheel. For some reason there are hardly any election bumper stickers here, but this old coot has a Bush/Cheney bumper sticker. Apparently he is ready for another taxbreak for the millionaires. Go figure.
As for Kerry, I think he has not found a way to penetrate, nor does he project a “he’s one of us” image. He is not a good ole boy; he is too smart; he is too cerebral and lacking in fire; he is not by nature an attacker and it shows when he tries. And he is an old-fashioned liberal trying for the middle of the road to reach the moderate Indies and Republicans, in the process messing up his own base, which has (or had) fire in the belly looking for a Dean.
He screwed up his position on the war, saying he would have voted for giving Bush the authority even if he knew then what he knows now; having no different exit strategy than Bush except he would be “stronger” and attract the Euros and the UN. No one in their right mind can believe they would come in with us as long as we stay in there after the morass Bush has created.
I have suggestions for Kerry. The No. 1 hate source in the arab world is Palestine/Israel. Kerry should propose to Kick Ass big time on the Palestinian problem. Get rid of both Arafat and Sharon by freezing all funding from the US including private sources (we do it all the time to little guys like Cuba) and impose an embargo on both until both warriors are gone and Israel pulls back to the 1967 line, and the state of Palestine is created under UN auspices and both recognize the legitimacy of the right of each state to exist. Israel could build its wall on the green line if it chooses, but both must agree to unfettered access by legitimate populations (students, teachers, traders, merchants, workers) across borders. (As it is now both Palestinians and Israelis rely on each other for trade and employment but you don’t read about how it is occurring in the papers.)
Second, Kerry should propose to pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan immediately after the Iraqi and Afghan elections. The US will furnish to the UN for administration and dispersal the equivalent funds that the US would have spent continuing the occupation and rebuilding already promised to both countries. This would be whatever was promised to Afghanistan, the balance of the $83 billion the idiot congress voted for the war, plus the $18 billion for rebuilding Iraq, plus the one billion being spent each month (or is it every week?) now to maintain the war effort. Say for a 3 or 5 year period. Not another life lost or wounded, American or Iraqi, by us, and not a dime more than we are spending now. We did it with the Marshall Plan after WW2 and we could readily do it again.
These are dreams.
When Bush is reinstalled, no more TV news, no more newspapers, no more Nation or Mother Jones or Progressive, no more Democracy Now, no more Al Jazeera or Guardian on the internet, no political contributions. I withdraw.
Milt Francis
Nathrop
