Deadbeat the only one “bashing” here is you.
Max you really should learn how to form an argument.

Your posts are based not on a strategy but on some kind of triangulation, a kind of double talk support for Obama and somehow blaming the “left”. And while you don’t mention it here, you seem to say that the reason the left have nothing to offer the country is because of their weak stand on Israel….wait I think you did agaaaaaiiiiiiin.

Max, I can see you are having a difficult time make a solid rebuttal. You would rather spew a bogus label than present a valid arguments to the contrary. First and most importantly I’m not the only one critical of the Left. I can site Dr. Petras and others (with links) who have contributed articles both here and on CounterPunch and even Marxmail members that has raised similar issues and concerns. The problem that you have Max is that you want to deny the influence that Zionism has on the ENTIRE American body politics.

What you often do and it is extremely blatant and as I pointed out in every rebuttal is that you conflate American Zionism with Israel. In fact in our last encounter you chimed in with Israel while I never even made any mention of Israel. Zionism is MORE than about Israel. Even if Israel disappeared (or wiped off the map) the racism inherent in Zionism knows no boundaries. Israel is primarily the materialistic embodiment of a racist ideology.

The problem, Max, and what you and other celebrated members of the Left has been doing is denying or at best obscuring that the impetus for the current military expenditure and War on Iraq which you label as “Imperialism” is Zionism as it is constructed and practiced WITHIN the United States.

So please Max will you PLEASE state my position correctly or will you continue to prove me correct with how the Left distorts, obscure and diffuses this issue.

Your arguments appear frivelous. You connect dots like Zogby polls showing Obama behind by 2 points while poll of polls show him dead even with McCain – now there’s a difference which shows the work of a real analytical mind!!

Blum (like others on the Left) argues that Obama is trailing in the polls represents an abandonment of his commitment to his base. The argument goes that if Obama “moved to the left” he would be way ahead. Ok where is Blum proof to support this argument or should we accept this premise solely on “faith”?

It has been shown that Zogby does not poll people with cell phones only landlines. This would clearly favor older voters who as we saw in the primary are less likely to support Obama. Thus Zogby is skewed toward McCain. The poll-of-polls should the race to be even. Rather than engage in dismissive condescension Max, I’m sure you formulate a better rebuttal than what you wrote above.

In fact Max a recent poll shows McCain with a 20-point lead despite the fact that the Democrats have registered more voters and have had much higher turnout than the Republicans all year. This clearly raises question regarding the polls methodology. However ABC News today Max reported that the shift toward McCain is coming from WHITE women yet Blum doesn’t examine racism as a factor in the shift towards McCain. The fact that Blum can be so blind to the obvious racist symbolism of the McCain/Palin ticket in order to appeal to voters is also very telling. It would appear that Blum want the facts to fit is premise and to promote a narrative rather than to elucidate. This is not different than what you do Max when it comes to Zionism.

Obama has played to the AIPAC crowd in ways that no Republican or other Democrat ever has before.

You argument is laughable. What makes Obama’s suck up to AIPAC so visible/i> is that he is an African American who represents a community supportive of the Palestinian struggle and badly ridiculed whenever it have tried to raise the awareness of Zionism. Obama’s suck-up help to shine a light on how ALL Presidential candidates must make pilgrimage to AIPAC. In fact McCain’s long term policies is to stay in Iraq 100 years and kill all Muslims; Hillary spoke of annihilating the Iranians.

What you seem to lack is discernment. It’s a precious talent – and can be acquired, if you care.

No Max. I understand things all too well. What you lack Max is honesty. Your dishonest is what weakens solidarity. The Left failed to build solidarity four years ago and badly betrayed it. Like I said Max I’m not the only one to point this out. Ralph Nader himself did in the quote that I published in my previous post. YOU refuse to DISCERN that very honest critique by someone who is out there trying to change existing conditions and elucidate the public.

Rather than playing the sidelines and aggitating, Deadbeat, why not work to create a movement or progressive power base? Something tells me you’re not really interested in solutions.

Max, obviously you don’t read everything that I write here on DV. As I stated I was intimately involved in the anti-war movement in 2003 and supported Nader in 2004 and a FORMER member of the Green Party.

I experienced first hand the betrayal by the Left. Therefore Max I’m not against the Left. I am speaking out ABOUT the Left. Something Max that you cannot do because you promote what is WRONG with the Left. The fact that you criticize agitation also demonstrates how wrong you are Max. What wrong with agitation on the Left? Why should agitation be only directed at the Democrats?

I hope this kind of agitation may actually help folks see why the Left is so weak and disorganized and it is because the Left does not adhere to the very principles it claims to promote. It is the failures of the Left to build solidarity that created the void being filled by Obama.

But the main point is Max don’t accept what being expressed on the Left as a matter of faith. Provide some evidence and make cogent arguments to back up your assertions.

Your posts are based not on a strategy but on some kind of triangulation, a kind of double talk support for Obama and somehow blaming the “left”. And while you don’t mention it here, you seem to say that the reason the left have nothing to offer the country is because of their weak stand on Israel….wait I think you did agaaaaaiiiiiiin.

Your arguments appear frivelous. You connect dots like Zogby polls showing Obama behind by 2 points while poll of polls show him dead even with McCain – now there’s a difference which shows the work of a real analytical mind!!

Obama has played to the AIPAC crowd in ways that no Republican or other Democrat ever has before. The criticism has been loud and clear by what I would call true non-partisan (independent) progressives.
While I haven’t checked lately, I’m sure you’d find a piece by Blum which speaks to the impact of AIPAC on both parties as well as corporate and specifically military industrial corporate sector has played. All and all, Blum has written a thoughtful piece. Could he say more? Sure. No single post says it all. But it beats “left” bashing when the faux liberal Dems are hooting and hollering for Obama.

What you seem to lack is discernment. It’s a precious talent – and can be acquired, if you care.

Rather than playing the sidelines and aggitating, Deadbeat, why not work to create a movement or progressive power base?

Something tells me you’re not really interested in solutions.

One of my favorites: “A person’s conscience develops from life experiences and continual reflection.”

Blum’s reports are an important part of the curriculum for developing conscience and the skills for reflection.

EXACTLY! The Liberal Left is too idealistic, too scatter-brained! All noise and wind, and of course, they don’t have the power of money behind them. The Reserve Bank does not print dollar bills for them out of thin air…..

However, he also stressed other changes in lifestyle would help to combat climate change. ‘That’s what I want to emphasise: we really have to bring about reductions in every sector of the economy.’ Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,

Dr Rajendra Pachauri would be one of my choices to help write the book of knowledge. Let’s see how about Steven Hawking who measures the age of the Earth in billions of years and James Hansen who also measures the Earth. What Pachauri said. “we really have to bring about reductions in every sector of the economy”, and yes there will be many who disagree with that and they get to be in the book too. We will file them under a chapter named Dinosaurs. Dr Rajendra Pachauri just said this let’s see if we hear anything about what he said. The darkside is strong.

A quote I heard from the news after the Republican convention: “I like McCain because he doesn’t use any of them big words.”

People look at Obama as being too cerebral – and the media says that’s bad. In contrast, the media praise McCain for using “simple language” in his speech so that the people can understand. The media ought to know – they keep producing stuff for the people, so they know what the people can handle.

But it really boils down to the “swing” states. I wonder if they use electronic-leave-no-paper-trail voting. It’s so easy to fix an election these days. We can still enjoy it for the entertainment value.

Lately Obama has been much more on the offensive against both McCain/Palin and the Palin pick only galvanized the Hillary voters to support Obama. Even Hillary is now out on the campaign trail in order to stop Palin from getting to the White House.

Also Blum doesn’t go deeper into the poll numbers. The Zogby poll for example only poll people possessing land lines. Many youthful Obama supporters carry cell phones and do not possess land lines. Therefore Blum doesn’t consider that the polls may be suspect. A better measure is the poll of polls which still has Obama ahead.

And while Blum places much of his angst on Obama/Biden he not once examines the influence that Zionism has on both the ticket of BOTH the Democrats and Republican parties.

Jeremy Wells says…
Forget voting for the “lesser evil” Obama, when you can actually cast a vote for McKinney, Clemente and the Greens that is against the war, is for national single-payer health care, that refuses corporate money, etc.

Mr. Wells forgets that Ms. McKinney voted for the invasion of Afghanistan and I find it curious that the Greens who are “anti-war” is not holding McKinney to account for that vote. I agree with him regarding Nader. Nader will not leave any organization from which to work from once the election is over. However the Green Party is not without its share of problems as Nader himself observed…

AMY GOODMAN: Last question: why not the Green Party ticket? Why didn’t you go for the nomination? Cynthia McKinney won that nomination.

RALPH NADER: Because it’s just too disorganized. They can’t—they can’t put it together. They bicker a lot, and they drive out a lot of good Greens who want to focus on agendas. I wish them well. I wish Cynthia McKinney well.

The Green Party would have been in a better position had the Left supported Nader in 2004. Unfortunately due to the David Cobb fiasco the Green Party lost ballot lines they gains from Nader’s 2000 run. Since the Green Party hasn’t dealt with their internal problem and with the Obama campaign filling the void caused by the Left it going to be difficult for the Green Party to make inroads in 2008. Perhaps in 20 years they may offer a real challenge. However I think people of color who the McKinney/Clemente ticket is trying to attract will remain pragmatic and vote Obama/Biden.

Ms. Jackowski says…
Neither of these things will happen because the US voter has been dumbed-down and hasn’t got a clue.

Bashing and condescension of the people that the Left should be attracting are counterproductive and will not attract these voters to your side. In fact looking at the troubles, doublespeak, sabotage, and disorganization coming from the Left I think many voters supporting the Democratic ticket in 2008 are quite rational.

Please note that Obama and the Democrats and the Republicans hold the SAME views on the most critical issues. (War, national health insurance, the economy, etc.)

Forget voting for the “lesser evil” Obama, when you can actually cast a vote for McKinney, Clemente and the Greens that is against the war, is for national single-payer health care, that refuses corporate money, etc.

A vote for McKinney and the Greens is better than voting for an individual like Ralph Nader, because it helps the Green party to become established. A 5% national vote means Federal fund-matching for the Greens on the next election.

If all that can be done at this time is a PROTEST VOTE, let it be to for the Green Party.

It can NEVER be an act of self-defence to invade another country and subjugate its people!!! Mr Blum is making the same suprious argument that George Bush made to justify invading Iraq and Afghanistan! And like the latter, the peoples of Eastern Europe did not greet the Soviet troops with flowers when they arrived and shed no tears when they left! Coming from a country that was under foreign domination for 750 years(and which invented the urban guerilla warfare that has brought Bush to his knees), I have some idea how “most people” feel about such things!

And if all this has to do with “Cold War atmosphere and indoctrination”, how come so many parts of the Russian Empire declared their independence in 1917, when there was neither cold war nor indoctrination? Georgia and Ukraine were independent until about 1921, the baltic republics survived until 1939 and Finland was never re-conquered, despite two wars and annexation of part of its territory.

Poetic justice: it was Eastern Europe that destroyed the Soviet Union! The communist ideology was discredited in Prague in 1968, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, and it was the Poles who set off the avalanche which definitively destroyed the Soviet Union, which was actually the last of the European communist dictatorships to be overthrown! There too, there are probably parallels with Iraq and Afghanistan.