The crowded field has 25 Dems in it so far, maybe more to come, dropouts along the way for lack of enough support.
Tulsi Gabbard and 89-year-old former senator Mike Gravel are the only worthy candidates.
Both have genuine anti-war, progressive agendas, not progressives in name only Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, or anti-criminal justice supporter Kamala Harris.
Gabbard has been in the news but not Gravel. I wrote several times about her, largely offering praise, criticizing some of her positions, stressing her genuine attributes, making her a worthy aspirant.
From 1969 to 1981, Gravel was US Senator from Alaska, earlier serving in its house, including two years as speaker.
He calls his platform “the most progressive” in the crowded Dem field, saying:
His mission is “ending all wars—not only our murderous wars of choice abroad, but our disastrous war on drugs, the war on crime, and the everyday war on this country’s working class. Our goal is a country defined by peace and justice—not by violence, inequality, and poverty.”
Like Gabbard, he’s genuinely anti-war. He supports ending the “America alone” world vision through peace and cooperation with other nations.
Along with other notable figures for peace, equity and justice, he was a member of the Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning advisory board, campaigning for justice denied her.
He’s a 9/11 truth supporter, earlier saying:
“There’s no question in my mind that 9/11 was an inside job.”
The evidence is indisputable.
A website and Twitter account in his name explained the following. Entering the race isn’t about winning.
He and his supporters said the
“goal is to push the rest of the (Dem) field toward policies, especially on political reform, climate change, and foreign policy, that, for the first time in decades, will truly challenge the American plutocracy and military-industrial complex.”
He strongly opposes the US war OF terror, not on it. Years earlier, he said
“90% of what the government does is held secret. It’s a whole cult. And that’s the thing that is really strangling (US governance), that we just don’t know what’s going on.”
Sticking to the official narrative exclusively on issues mattering most, establishment media suppress what’s vital for everyone to know.
On his website, Gravel calls for:
“FULL RE-ENGAGEMENT WITH MULTILATERAL INSTITUTIONS
ENDING THE NUCLEAR THREAT
NON-AGGRESSION ABROAD
DEPARTMENTS OF PEACE AND WAR
BRING EVERY TROOP HOME
BIG CUTS IN MILITARY SPENDING
COMMITTING TO INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE
OPPOSING ISRAELI APARTHEID
ENDING SUPPORT FOR SAUDI ARABIA
BANNING FOREIGN ARMS SALES
MAKING WAR CONSTITUTIONAL AGAIN
A PEACEFUL SOLUTION IN THE KOREAN PENINSULA
AN AMERICAN NATIONAL FUND
BREAKING UP BIG BUSINESSES
A NATIONAL REPARATIONS TRUST FUND
FAIR EDUCATION REFORM
PROTECT OUR PARENTS,
PROTECT OUR CHILDREN
ECONOMIC SUPPORT FOR THE LEAST ADVANTAGED
REFORMING AND NATIONALIZING CORPORATE LAW
A GREEN NEW DEAL
A TRANSPORTATION POLICY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
PUBLIC BANKING FOR ALL
AUTOMATIC TAX FILING
THE RIGHT TO OWN: COOPERATIVE BUSINESSES
PROGRESSIVE TAX REFORM
HOUSING AS A HUMAN RIGHT
HEALTH AS A HUMAN RIGHT
INTERNET ACCESS AS A RIGHT
ENDING THE WAR ON DRUGS
ABOLISHING THE DEATH PENALTY
PROMOTING POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS AND BODILY AUTONOMY
FAIRNESS IN TRIALS AND SENTENCING
IMPROVING PRISONS AND COMBATING RECIDIVISM
JUST IMMIGRATION REFORM
SUPPORTING SEX WORKERS
FULL RIGHTS FOR AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
INVESTIGATING HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
SUPPORTING LGBTQIA+ INDIVIDUALS
AMNESTY AND HONOR FOR WHISTLEBLOWERS
RESTORING CIVIL LIBERTIES
ABOLISHING THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
MAKING ELECTIONS FAIR
NATIONAL RANKED-CHOICE VOTING
ADOPTING THE WYOMING RULE
ABOLISHING THE SENATE AS WE KNOW IT
12-YEAR TERMS FOR ALL FEDERAL JUDGES
SELF-DETERMINATION FOR DC, PUERTO RICO, AND OTHER TERRITORIES”
No major party presidential candidate in US history had an agenda remotely this progressive — for peace, equity and justice.
None ever challenged the military, industrial, military, media complex this way — calling for big cuts in military spending, banning foreign arms sales, bringing home US forces deployed abroad, along with substituting plowshares for swords, and opposing apartheid Israel.
At age-89, Gravel’s candidacy is symbolic. He aims to challenge the dirty system and give ‘em hell.
He wants his progressive social justice, anti-war voice heard, supporters aiming to spread it.
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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
Featured image is from Flickr
