Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2000 19:33:09 -0500 From: Old Goat <olgoat-AT-kdsi.net> Subject: Re: Rebutting Gloria Steinem hmmmmm, does anybody know how to set up a filter on Netscape? old goat. a hungry man must wait long for a roast duck to fly into his mouth. ÐÏࡱá Mitchel Cohen wrote: > Here is an interesting rebuttal to Gloria Steinem's blast at Nader, in > support of Gore, by North Carolina Green Lisa Thurman. > > To add my own two cents: While Lisa writes that she is "a long time admirer > of Gloria Steinem" and "this is the first time I have ever disagreed with > Gloria Steinem," those of us who have been around a while know that Gloria > Steinem has been, from the start of her career, a hatchet-person for the > Democratic Party leadership. Let us not forget that Steinem used to date > Henry Kissinger, and that she was a conduit for CIA funds in the 1950s to > student gatherings in Europe. The radical feminist group, Redstockings, has > systematically exposed phony-feminist Steinem's work on behalf of the US > ruling class, and has challenged Steinem to debate its members on this and > other issues -- a challenge Steinem has assiduously avoided. > > - Mitchel Cohen > Brookyn Greens / Green Party of NY > > A Green Party member's rebuttal to Gloria Steinem's, "Top Ten Reasons > Why I'm (Gloria) Not Voting For Nader" > > 10. Gloria: He's not running for president. He's running for federal > matching funds for the Green Party! > > Lisa: Wrong, Nader is not even a Green Party member. He chose the > Green Party because of it's values. He is seeking to create awareness > and to help support the progressive green social movement. > > 9. Gloria: He was able to take all those perfect progressive positions > of the past because he never had to build an electoral coalition, earn a > majority vote, or otherwise submit to democracy. > > Lisa: Neither did you, and look what influence you had on society, > Ms. Steinem > > 8. Gloria: By condemning Gore for ever having taken a different > position - for example, for voting against access to legal abortion when > he was Congressman from Tennessee - actually dissuades others from > changing their minds and joining us. > > Lisa: So, are you saying that Gore waffles on the position of > reproductive rights? > > 7. Gloria: Nader is rightly obsessed with economic and corporate > control, yet he belittles the movements against a deeper form of control > - control of reproduction, the most intimate parts of our lives. For > example, he calls the women's movement and the gay and lesbian movements > "gondal politics, " and ridicules the use of the word "patriarchy," as > if it were somehow more less important than the World Trade > Organization. As Congressman Barney Frank wrote Nader in an open letter, > "your assertion that there are not important issue differences between > Bush and Gore is either flat inaccurate or reflects your view that... > the issues are not important... since you have generally ignored these > issues in your career. > > Lisa: One of the Green Party's ten key values is feminism. Ralph > Nader has been a powerful and influential spokesperson for the Green > Party and the ten key values. And Gloria, what have you done for the > environment? > > Mitchel: And another thing -- Gay activist leader Scott McLarty and > many others have met with Nader on these issues and have convincingly > rebutted the lies put forth by Barney Frank, the leadership of the National > Organization for Women, and other apologists for Gore. You can find some of > this at www.counterpunch.org. > > 6. Gloria: The issues of corporate control can only be addressed by > voting for candidates who will pass campaign funding restrictions, and > conducting grassroots boycotts and consumer campaigns against > sweatshops? not by voting for one man who will never become President > > Lisa: The issues of corporate control can only be addressed by > building local grassroots opposition to corporate control and to put > people in office, at the local level, who demonstrate green social > values. Nader is a powerful spokesperson for this grassroots movement. > > 7. Gloria: Toby Moffett, a longtime Nader Raider who also served in > Congress, wrote that Nader's "Tweeledum and Tweedledee assertion that > there is no important difference between the major presidential > candidates would be laughable if it weren't so unsafe". We've been > bamboozled by the media's practice of being evenhandedly negative. There > is a far greater gulf between Bush and Gore than between Nixon and > Kennedy and what they mean to history. > > Lisa: Nixon and Kennedy were both more progressive and socially > liberal then either Bush or Gore > > Mitchel: Gloria WOULD cite Toby Moffett (hey, why not Henry Kissinger > too, while yer at it, Gloria?). Moffett, a former Congressman, was a > vice-president at Monsanto, and a leading advocate for the biotechnolgy / > genetic engineering industry. Gore is the pre-eminent shill for genetic > engineering. To rewrite Moffet's sordid history in this manner is typical > Steinem hypocrisy. > > 4. Gloria: Nader asked Winona LaDuke, an important Native American > leader, to support and run with him, despite his possible contribution > to the victory of George W. Bush, a man who has stated that "State law > is supreme when it comes to Indians" -- a breathtaking dangerous position > that ignores hundreds of treaties with tribal governments, long standing > federal policy and federal law affirming tribal sovereignty. > > Lisa: Perhaps an excellent debate would feature Gloria Steinem and > Winona La Duke discussing fear of George Bush versus building a > progressive green social movement. > > Mitchel: Well, Gloria, didn't hear YOU out there advocating to include > Winona in the Vice Presidential debates, at letting her speak for herself! > Typical racist disempowerment, while pretending to be "concerned." > > 3. Gloria: If I were to run for President in the same symbolic way, I > hope my friends and colleagues would have the good sense to vote against > me, too, saving me from waking up to discover that I helped send George > W. Bush to the most powerful position in the world. > > Lisa: Blame it all on the evil Nader who has a whopping 5% of the > national vote. How close to blaming the victim/under dog can you get. > That's like blaming a young girl for being raped because she wore a mini > skirt. Wow, if Ralph just wouldn't wear that mini skirt, then the whole > world would be a safer place. > > 2. Gloria: There are one, two, three, even four lifetime Supreme Court > Justices who are likely to be appointed by the next President. Bush has > made clear by his record as governor and appeals to the ultra-rightwing > that his appointments would overturn Roe v. Wade and reproductive > freedom, dismantle remedies for racial discrimination, oppose equal > rights for gay and lesbians, oppose mandatory gun registration, oppose > federal protections of endangered species, public lands, and water - and > much more. Gore is opposite on every one of these issues. Gore has made > clear that his appointments would uphold our hard won progress in those > areas. > > Lisa: Nader is NOT Gore's problem. Gore is Gore's problem. > > Mitchel: Gore voted FOR Anthony Scalia. Democrats voted overwhelmingly > for Rehnquist as Supreme Court Chief Justice. And many Democrats voted for > Clarence Thomas as well. > > 1. Gloria: The art of behaving ethically is behaving as if everything we > do matters. If we want Gore and not Bush in the White House, we have to > vote for Gore and not Bush - out of respect for the vote and > self-respect. I'm not telling you how to vote by sharing these reasons. > The essence of feminism is the power to decide for ourselves. > > Lisa: You just told us how to vote. > > Mitchel: We DON'T want Gore and not Bush in the White House. We want > the Greens to begin creating a real alternative. > > Gloria: It's also taking responsibility for our actions. Let's face > it, Bush in the White House would have far more impact on the poor and > vulnerable in this country, and on the subjects of our foreign policy > and aid programs in other countries. Just as Clinton saved women's lives > by rescinding the Mexico City policy by executive order as his first act > as President - thus ending the ban against even discussing abortion if > one received U.S. aid - the next President will have enormous power > over the lives of millions abroad who can not vote plus millions too > disillusioned to vote here. > > Lisa: It's interesting that you should bring up Clinton's examples > of dedication to women and the poor. Clinton supported NAFTA which > helps eight year old Mexican girls leave their home communities to work > as slaves in foreign owned sweatshops. Clinton also provided us with a > good case study of sexual harrassments on the job. And, wasn't it Clinton > that signed that Welfare Reform bill that sent thousands of children out > into the streets and into homeless shelters? > > Gloria: Perhaps there's a reason why Nader's rallies seemed so > white, middles class, and disproportionately male; in short, so > supported by those who would be hurt if Bush were in the White House. > > Lisa: Gloria, your rallies weren't white and middle class? What > Nader rallies have you been to? There are lots of women at the social > green rallies I've been to. Perhaps more women. Our local Green Party > steering committee consists of five women and four men. > > Gloria: Think self-respect. Think about the impact of our vote on the > weakest among us. Then we can't go wrong. > > Lisa: Yes, vote Nader and LaDuke! > > Submitted by: > Lisa Thurman, organizer > Green Party of Western North Carolina > > with a few additional comments by Mitchel Cohen, Brooklyn Greens, Green > Party of NY
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