Nader almost says "boycott"

Submitted by Ann Arquist on 27 January 2012 - 12:05am

Newslinks

http://www.commondreams.org/video/2012/01/25-0

Unfortunately, the statement is made at the very end of this clip - at 13:30.

Responding to Obama's State of the Union B.S., Nader says progressive voters should make demands & hold Obama's "feet to the fire". If he isn't going to live up to his populist rhetoric, progressives should "just stay home!"

Of course we already know he cannot possibly live up to his populist rhetoric, so it's already decided: Stay home!

"Stay home" = Boycott

Submitted by rossini on 28 January 2012 - 8:39am.

Mr. Nader all but says the word but the message was there.

The problem I have with everything he said prior to that is that it still follows the same old pattern of a fishing pole (elections making any difference), line (time), sinker (a call to duty) and hook, sharp and equiped with a wicked 180° curve in it - right there at the end of the lead that begins with Mr. Nader's reputation. Aside from finally calling for a boycott, an elections boycott in a rather indirect manner right there towards the end of the clip, this was just what we would expect from Mr. Nader. There's no notable metamorphosis in his rhetoric either. But as they say, nobody's perfect. Not even the way these guys deliver (almost) the same message : "Korn ft. Skrillex - Get Up"

Yes, that fire.

Submitted by folkie on 28 January 2012 - 8:01am.

And you did an excellent job of proving that it doesn't exist. Before you can hold somebody's feet to the fire, you have to have a fire. If there's no other fire, maybe a "Burn, baby, burn!" fire will do. But there's no fire anywhere. In fact a local San Diego firefighter was convicted a few years ago of starting fires so that his department would have some fires to put out.

Yes, we do get some huge wildfires sometimes, when conditions are right, but politically speaking, there is no fire. Immunity, impunity, and voters with cold feet but afraid to stay home because maybe their vote might be counted, maybe somebody less evil might win, maybe, maybe, maybe hell will freeze over--and if this is hell, it already done froze.

What fire?

Submitted by rossini on 28 January 2012 - 7:28am.

I don't recall having explained how the fire is out but I do recall having asked some of the most progressive writers on the midwest web how they would go about holding the pResident's feet to the fire, and I got a few nice replies. Yip. Sure did.

Looking back, there, I sure did write a lot of provocative stuff. Some of it's just as good today as it was then. And some of it has gained in value thanks to time. There's a diary on Nader in there too but looking at it now, I would say it sucks.

Rossi has already explained that the fire is out.

Submitted by folkie on 27 January 2012 - 10:15pm.

And has been out for a long time, so holding anyone's feet to it isn't going to accomplish anything. Even if there was a way to do that, which there isn't.

Nader has a strong patriotic streak, so that keeps him from seeing and saying things clearly.