Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2000 05:52:11
From: Mitchel Cohen <mitchelcohen-AT-mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: Nader must pull out of the election!!


Dear Ms. Rosenbaum,

I have received and thought about your request that I encourage Ralph Nader
to drop out of the Presidential race and support Al Gore.

Sorry -- I refuse to vote for the evil of two lessers ever again.

Al Gore and Bill Clinton have already presided over the utter destruction
of the last remaining old growth forests in the US. In fact, during their
administration, more old growth forests have been obliterated than under
any similiar 8-year period, including Reagan/Bush!

Al Gore is a main proponent of genetic engineering, and the private,
for-profit patenting of genetic sequences. George W. Bush has made a number
of statements indicating he will take a more cautious route. I don't
believe him, but Al Gore has already DONE it.

Both of them are disgusting advocates of State-sponsored executions, known
as the death penalty -- a minor matter noticeably absent from your list of
concerns.

In Congress, Al Gore voted AGAINST a woman's right to choose abortion
repeatedly. He also voted to confirm Supreme Court Justice Anthony Scalia
-- along with Clarence Thomas the most fascistic, anti-choice member of the
Court. If he Gore has actually changed his mind on that, he should say so
and admit he had been wrong. Needless to say, he hasn't, and won't.

At the same time Gore correctly criticizes Bush for wanting to drill in the
Arctic wildlife preserve, Gore has sponsored a major oil drilling set-up
just a few miles away, which is already in effect. For more on Gore's
duplicity when it comes to oil company drilling in the Arctic and
elsewhere, let alone his investments in Occidental Petroleum which is
wiping out the U'wa people in Columbia, I urge you to read Jeffrey St.
Clair's and Alexander Cockburn's powerful new book on Gore, "Al Gore: A
User's Manual," details of which you can find in their magazine,
Counterpunch, at www.counterpunch.org.

At least George Bush Jr states that he is reluctant to send US troops to
war in foreign lands. (Yes, I know, that statement and $1.50 will get you
on the subway.) But Gore one-ups Bush, justifying some of the more
horrifying moments of US imperialism, the bombing of Yugoslavia, the
sanctions against Iraq. I don't believe Bush for a moment .... but he
hasn't had a chance, yet, to do what his father did. Gore has supported and
overseen (as Vice President) these crimes against humanity, and laughs them
off.

Neither Bush nor Gore support single-payer universal health care. Ralph
Nader does.

Both Bush and Gore are main supporters of NAFTA, GATT and the World Trade
Organization. Nader opposes these institutions, the maquilladoras they call
into being, the sweatshops, the environmental destruction they cause, the
driving down of wages, and the consequent driving of American workers' jobs
out of the country.

And neither Gore nor Bush oppose the prison-industrial complex,
3-strikes-and-you're-out, the imprisonment of drug offenders for dozens of
years -- even while BOTH of them had used drugs regularly in their younger
days.

So, to sum, I think they both are hypocrites; it is not even clear that
Gore is any lesser of an evil than Bush. Both are equally oil-men, and
beholden to the giant corporate interests. You know the saying: "Oily to
bed and oily to rise."

Strange, you make no specific arguments in your letter for your preferance
for Gore over Bush, other than saying you are filled with Fear of Bush,
which is why you ask that I should encourage Nader to drop out of this race.

Perhaps your argument would carry more weight if, in fact, you had raised
your voice and encouraged Gore to debate Nader and Bush, so the American
people could be able to make an informed choice this November. Your silence
was shocking! What is Gore afraid of? The fact is, Gore is such a coward,
he's afraid that if the public heard Ralph Nader the Green Party candidate
might actually WIN the election (a la Jesse Ventura in Minnesota), so Gore
wouldn't even meet Nader in debate. For shame!

The only possible reason I can think of for me to second-guess my revulsion
at Gore is one that you have not raised: if Bush wins, he is likely to
appoint the despicable Rudolph Guiliani as Attorney General of the United
States. But then I think -- Gore had already supported the appointment of
the vampire Madeleine Allbright as Secretary of State! Six of one,
half-a-dozen of the other.

I will not vote for syphillis for fear of getting gonnorrhea.

I am forwarding your letter and my response to various lists. If you choose
to respond, I'll be glad to forward it as well.

Sincerely,
Mitchel Cohen
Brooklyn Greens / Green Party of NY


At 07:47 PM 10/21/2000 EDT, Hinda Rosenbaum <HINDARSNBM-AT-aol.com> wrote:
>Dear Mr. Cohen,
>I am a 43-year-old wife and mother.    
>I am a strong supporter of the environment.  I am a member of the Sierra 
>Club, The Nature Conservancy, Greenpeace, and other environmental groups.  I 
>am passionate about saving our environment.
>I am pro choice and strongly, strongly believe in a woman's right to choose.
>I am for improving the schools in our country and I am against private
school 
>vouchers.
>I am for healthcare reform.
>I am for strict handgun control.
>I want social security to be there when I need it in not too many years from 
>now.
>I have always supported the causes that Mr. Nader has fought for and has 
>worked hard for all of his life.  However, Mr. Cohen, I am very disappointed 
>in you.  I am actually quite upset with you.  Our country, for reasons I do 
>not understand, is considering electing George Bush as our president.  It is 
>beyond my comprehension why Americans would vote for this man.  And if Mr. 
>Bush is elected, all of the causes that you and I both believe strongly in 
>will be gone - destroyed.  Remember the old Joni Mitchell song - "you don't 
>know what you've got til it's gone"?  Well, if George Bush is elected - he 
>will "pave paradise and put up a parking lot".  He will destroy the
country's 
>environment like he did in Texas.  He will take away all of the advances 
>women have made in our right to choose what we do with our own bodies.  He 
>will bring down the quality of public education by diverting monies to the 
>private schools.  He will destroy social security so that I will have to 
>depend on my son for help in my old age.  And those foolish Americans that 
>voted him in will not realize any of this until what they have today is gone 
>- "paved over" with concrete by Mr. Bush.
>Mr. Cohen, you can stop Mr. Bush from putting up a concrete parking lot and 
>ruining our country.  We must support Al Gore for President!! We must be 
>realistic about this.  This is not a dream and it will become a nightmare if 
>Mr. Bush is elected. The election is so close that the small percentage
Ralph 
>Nader is taking can actually give the election to George Bush! Please do not 
>let that happen!  Please urge Mr. Nader to withdraw from the presidential 
>election!   Think of those like myself who want a clean, healthy, and safe 
>place to raise our children. Think of the children and their future!!
>I ask you, Mr. Cohen, to reach deep into your heart and soul.  Do not undo 
>all that you have worked hard for all of your life! Al Gore must become our 
>president or else Mr. Bush will wipeout Mr. Nader's accomplishments, your 
>efforts, my efforts, and all of the efforts of those like myself who care
how 
>this earth is left for the next generation!
>Thank you,
>Hinda Rosenbaum
>