Dear Chris Hedges

[appal_jack]

3. Nonsense.

First, let's get this necessity out of the way. I am a Democrat, and plan to vote for our President's reelection very soon.

However, an election is a time when candidates solicit support from We the People by outlining their positions (or in Romney/Ryan's case, by running from their past positions and attempting to obfuscate their present ones, apparently). From what I have read of him, Hedges is doing us (and yes, also Obama) a favor by agitating for progressive causes during an election. He is saying that fundamental issues of equality and justice cannot be ignored.

Those who choose to sweep these same issues under the rug in the name of unity and poll numbers virtually insure that important issues of equality and justice will again be ignored by whatever Democrats gain or retain power after January 2013. I don't want that; do you?

I fully believe that Obama has been a good president during his first term, but some unfortunate choices kept him from being a great president: leaving the banksters untouched following the greatest financial crime in history, appointing corporate cronies like Geithner, Summers, etc., appointing drug warriors like Holder, etc., failing to prosecute B*shco's many documented crimes and continuing some of their worst civil liberties abuses, etc. etc. etc. Am I willing to give Obama and the Democrats a second chance to achieve greatness in public works, individual freedom, economic development, and all the rest? Yes, hell yes. But they will have to answer Hedges critiques as they solicit votes. This is right & proper.

-app