From a British perspective, the whole Hilary/Obama thing is entirely mystifying. It's as though the Democrats want to make a point of internal principle rather than actually win an election. Obviously, being British, I have to take almost as much interest in the US election as I do my own. Given that sad fact, the prospect of the Democrats throwing away their chance in this way genuinely annoys me. They don't just have a responsibilty to their own party, but to their country and the world to take this far more seriously than they appear to be.

I'll vote for whichever Democrat wins the primary as usual.

the Dems serve the same masters as the Rethugs - they are 2 different factions of the same right wing.

My two cents: we (in the UK amyway), live in a corporate state, and all the main political parties exist now purely to serve these interests. I don't see it changing anytime soon - only a total meltdown of the economy would shake things up, and as seen in the Northern Rock episode here, the UK Government will do all it can to uphold corporate interests whilst dumping on it's subjects on a daily basis. Still, it's all marvellous, innit?

Remember when they used to have enquiries into that kind of thing? Heseltine and the Westlands fiasco? Now it's just shrugged off as 'economic responsibility'.

I'd like to say the way out is to endorse minority parties but looking at them they're just as bad, only without the corporate endorsement and seem only to serve crackpot fringe-groups instead.

BNP - White rascists
Respect - Muslim fundamentalists and Students that never read their manifesto.

Despite what i said about minority parties, I'll probably be voting Green again this election. And if they got into power they'll probably be just as big corporate whores, only this time they'll be turning tricks for Ben n Jerry's and the Wild Bean Cafe. Bet your life that Paul Mccartney will do their campaign song too!

It's about picking the lesser of two evils really... I doubt any of the proposed changes to the election and political system presented here might happen anytime in this millenium. For example, Singapore, where I live has had an electoral system that is free from rampant campaigning and institutes a closely-controlled system of funding, since its inception; nevertheless, for every election since the beginning, voters have only ever chosen one single party. Obviously, economic might is a very big issue with voters, and Bush et al have the werewithal to secure huge amounts of funds that, ultimately, is the only thing voters look for... In the end, I think it's better to change the mindset of the people than regulate the elected officials. So I say, vote Green if you have to...

As a registered Green I can tell you that it's almost impossible to get on ballots, the Big Two have seen to this. Debates in which the Green candidate actually gets air time are hysterical, the others are simply befuddled by their own lack of knowledge as it relates to the issues. Bush and Kerry were like deer in the headlights last election when pitted against David Cobb (Green) and whomever the Libertarian guy was, it was eye opening and sad.

That's ridiculous, I can never undrestand how politics has became a media circus in the states...

It's simple, not all states matter. I live in New York State, a Democrat is ALWAYS elected here...my vote means nothing really...other than I feel obligated to do it out of respect for those who died so I have the opportunity. If more poepole read the Green Platform they'd like it...it's just considerd "fringe".

I seriously think that American politics needs a shake up before the whole world suffers for their sins...

It's that stupid electoral college, a mouth breather like Bush can lose a majority of the votes and still win. Americans love it though.

After Pearl Harbor lines formed around the block at recruitment centers, these men died so I can vote. The outcome of WWII was never a "slam dunk" and we (The UK included) could have easily lost. Watch the first 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan and then give me a good reason to NOT spend a few minutes voting. Vietnam, Korea, and this Iraqi mess are not to be confused with the ACTUAL THREAT of WWII. Nobody recruited those men in WWII, they responded.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Jack Aponte (jack @ srlp.org, 347-247-1526)
Naomi Clark (naomi @ srlp.org, 917-907-4870)

Police Brutality Strikes Fifth Anniversary of Sylvia Rivera Law Project


NEW YORK - On the night of Wednesday, September 26, officers from the
9th Precinct of the New York Police Department attacked without
provocation members of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project and of its
community. Two of our community members were violently arrested, and

others were pepper sprayed in the face without warning or cause.

The Sylvia Rivera Law Project (www.srlp.org) is an organization that
works on behalf of low-income people of color who are transgender,

gender non-conforming, or intersex, providing free legal services and
advocacy among many other initiatives. On Wednesday night, the Sylvia
Rivera Law Project was celebrating its fifth anniversary with a
celebration and fundraising event at a bar in the East Village.


A group of our community members, consisting largely of queer and
transgender people of color, witnessed two officers attempting to
detain a young Black man outside of the bar. Several of our community
members asked the officers why they were making the arrest and using

excessive force. Despite the fact that our community was on the
sidewalk, gathered peacefully and not obstructing foot traffic, the
NYPD chose to forcefully grab two people and arrested them. Without
warning, an officer then sprayed pepper spray across the group in a

wide arc, temporarily blinding many and causing vomiting and intense
pain.

"This is the sort of all-too-common police violence and overreaction
towards people of color that happens all the time," said Dean Spade,

founder of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project. "It's ironic that we were
celebrating the work of an organization that specifically opposes
state violence against marginalized communities, and we experienced a

police attack at our celebration."

"We are outraged, and demand that our community members be released
and the police be held accountable for unnecessary use of excessive
force and falsely arresting people," Spade continued.


Damaris Reyes is executive director of GOLES, an organization working
to preserve the Lower East Side. She commented, "I'm extremely
concerned and disappointed by the 9th Precinct's response to the

situation and how it escalated into violence. This kind of aggressive
behavior doesn't do them any good in community-police relations."

Supporters will be gathering at 100 Centre Street tomorrow, where the

two community members will be arraigned. The community calls for
charges to be dropped and to demand the immediate release of those
arrested.

*******
The Audre Lorde Project
Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit & Transgender

I am always amazed how many times police, for no apparent reason, beat the crap out of innocent people.
You would think with the amount of times it allegedly happens some bugger would have captured pictures on their mobile phone or even a bit of video footage.
Whilst I appreciate that not all police are innocent and some certainly do go over the top and deserve to be jailed, I just find, in an age where everyone from the age of 12 upwards seems to have a mobile phone with a camera on it, that there is this distinct lack of independant incontrovertible evidence

You're a paranoid fucking dumbass.

Happy now, freak?

You've strayed from the original thought just a tad. The plight of the Native Americans isn't the topic, you're mixing apples and oranges.

We don't live in a 'police state' or 'fascist state', we live in a state of domestic neglect. So long as Downing Street and The White House continues on its global odyssey applying band-aids to the world's problems, we should be demanding that our governments take a long hard look at the mess on their own doorstep.

At least I'm a man.

http://www.plentyoffish.com/member820994.htm