open Democracy News Analysis - The choice, Sidney Blumenthal - Comments

joe_11 on "The choice"

joe_11 — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 05:01:26 +0000

I will miss Sidney's contributions to this site. His point about self defeating and hubristic demands for purity is valid. But one can be too compromising, and that is what has really snatched defeat from the jaws of victory from the democrats for the past 50+ years. Any of the Democrats would definitely be superior to any of the Republicans, but I'm not sure Hillary has really demonstrated the ability to take on the established powers. Her support for the Cheney/bush invasion of Iraq demonstrates her real style and substance.

Gaius Baltar on "The choice"

Gaius Baltar — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 09:08:51 +0000

Ha! Ron Paul is hardly a challenge to multinational corporations. He wants to practically dismantle the federal government which will mean it wont be able to regulate corporate interests.

SamEllison on "The choice"

SamEllison — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 06:07:12 +0000

Right on all counts, we must rid our country of the "Cheney Precedents" and rescue the Constitution and the rule of law. Good luck with HRC and all that goes with it. Listen for the voice from the back of the auditorium, it'll be me.

longviewhaus on "The choice"

longviewhaus — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:49:51 +0000

Comments Mr Blumenthal wants Hillary to become president. That is the subtext of this story. However thoughtful it may be, the Democrats most likely to win will, if even elected, continue the "War & Plunder" tradition of our county these past 100-plus years(only interrupted by the 1920's financial collapse). Without going into endless detail, when Democratic candidates get their majority backing from large corporations (via the DLC), the congressional-military-industrial complex, the corporate controlled media, and the permanent 'elite' political classes, what could possibly happen but perhaps the illusion of a slowdown of the "War & Plunder", not a true change of economic and political direction. A juggernaut with the magnitude of the current political momentum is unstoppable without some even greater force, perhaps a massive military and/or economic push-back from a group of major nations willing to commit themselves to confrontation with the United States. It could happen, but until it does, a change of political parties in this country will only mean more of the same. It is naive or disingenuous for Mr Blumenthal to infer otherwise. But then duplicity and deception toward its most dedicated backers has been the hallmark of the Democratic Party for decades. Don't be deceived. dci Posted by: Donald Carl Isenman | November 23, 2007 at 12:35 PM

wolf1929 on "The choice"

wolf1929 — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 19:53:12 +0000

I admit I actually stopped reading when I got to the part suggesting we have two opposing parties. This is of course completely untrue. There is only one 'party' in Washington; the 'money' party and they are having a fine time indeed. The socalled democrats are absolutely on board with the imperial presidency not to mention the fact Hillary and Bill are two of the most powerful neocons in Washington. Repubocrats are simply the minions of the multinationals performing theater-for-the-masses. The 'people' fell asleep at the wheel and the result was predictable. The Republic is no more, the 'elections' are a charade creating the illusion of 'opposing' parties. Whoever is 'nominated' (unless it is Ron Paul of Texas) will be owned lock, stock and barrel by the multinationals. When we 'vote' now, we are simply tightening the noose around our own necks. Open democracy my foot...............

alfredo.bremont on "The choice"

alfredo.bremont — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 23:47:30 +0000

the choice is simple accurate rationale and wise, the third way which is in this asymmetrical world the proper one is the less unexpected but the most appropriate. Sydney Blumenthal for president. he has the character the aim, the vision and is impartial on this fratricide battle for power, America deserve new men,new blood from a younger wiser and noble generation. as estrange as it might seem defeating the prognostics of the press and the certain expectations of many this is the men for America, and America can return to his original roots by having an original men. he has the expertise and the knowledge. brave America now is your chance to return to real democracy, Sydney is the will be real president this wonderful nation needs and deserves. moreover he has keep his image his mind and his soul clean from the disrupted and very corrupt present, and his vision is Cristal clear, the fact is he deserves the post or Rather America demands a men of his integrity to guide it and sail it out of the current turmoils the nation has being on the past decade.

boyte on "The choice"

boyte — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:49:12 +0000

Harry Boyte Peter Levine, director of the CIRCLE -- the main US center of research on young people's civic and political involvements, and also the source of the annual Civic Health of the nation index for the congressionally mandated National Conference on Citizenship -- has important reflections on civic versus technocratic and hyperpartisan leadership styles in his recent blog posts. See http://www.peterlevine.ws/mt/

boyte on "The choice"

boyte — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:30:35 +0000

Harry Boyte There is a different way to look at the challenge of a new president -- from the vantage of the whole society, and how to tap the civic energies and agency of mulitple institutions and the general citizenry. From this vantage, Blumenthal's "choice" is a Faustian bargain -- between a state-centric, technocratic model and Bush's market-centered approach. Both depend ultimately on authoritarian leadership, cloaked in different legitimation narratives. The alternative -- appearing across multiple domains, as I describe yesterday in "Building Civic Agency" -- is a citizen driven approach to change, in which markets and states are resources, but on tap not on top. There are rich leadership traditions that support such a third way, such as the biblical tradition of Nehemiah and his parallels in US civic and political life, from Lincoln to Addams, Roosevelt to ML King come to mind, as I argued recently in the Star Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/562/story/1554072.html

The choice, Sidney Blumenthal

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:02:31 +0000

Under crisis conditions of an extraordinary magnitude political leadership of the highest level will be required in the next presidency. The damage is broad, deep and spreading, apparent not only in international disorder and violence, the unprecedented decline of United States prestige, and the flouting of our security and economic interests but also in the hollowing out of the federal government's departments and agencies, and their growing incapacity to fulfil their functions, from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) to the department of justice.

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