A question for International DUers

[T_i_B]

I'm just interested in who the non-US DUers would like to see as the Democrat candidate for president. Myself, I can't decide between Dean & Clark. I think they are both good. However I would be interested in what the rest of the non-US crowd think about the Democratic candidates to run for president.

[dutchdemocrat]

1. Dean

Clark says the right things, sounds good, looks good - but his ties to BFEE are glaringly obvious and his voting record doesn't shine. And do you really NEED a former BFEE-tainted master in the art of war in charge of America? America needs a doctor to heal. Not a hunter.

This would not have happened without 9-11, we all know that. Clark would not even be considered without 9-11 and Bush would have been on his merry way without it.

Now Bush is using 9-11 as a propaganda tool to barge his way into the next election. And has used it to invade Iraq for oil and subvert your constitution.

9-11 was a global tragedy and the world grieved along with the US (remember the buildings contained people from many countries).

And now everything is revolving around 9-11 just like it did around the Reichstag Fire in 1933-34 in Germany. A Dutch Communist named Marinus van der Lubbe was Germany's Osama (except they had their scapegoat and executed him). Look what they did after the fire. Look familiar? The parallels are uncanny as far as I can see. It's too close for comfort.

President Hindenburg and Chancellor Hitler invoke Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution, which permits the suspension of civil liberties in time of national emergency. This Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of the People and State abrogates the following constitutional protections:
Free expression of opinion
Freedom of the press
Right of assembly and association
Right to privacy of postal and electronic communications
Protection against unlawful searches and seizures
Individual property rights
States' right of self-government
A supplemental decree creates the SA (Storm Troops) and SS (Special Security) Federal police agencies.

But regardless of who actually planned and executed the fire, it is clear that the Nazis immediately took advantage of the situation in order to advance their cause at the expense of civil rights. The Decree enabled the Nazis to ruthlessly suppress opposition in the upcoming election.

The events in 1933 can be summarized as follows:
While it is not clear whether the Nazis intentionally set the Reichstag fire in order to create a national crisis, or whether the Nazis simply were opportunistic, the event was used as justification for a sharp curtailment in constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties.
The Nazis took advantage of the additional Federal police powers to suppress opponents.
It is clear that in other situations, the Nazis did use the tactic of creating a "law and order" crisis so that they could provide a solution which further eroded civil liberties and entrenched their power.
The right-wing Nazis and the left-wing communists were cut from the same cloth -- the point is not that the far right destroyed civil rights. Rather, the point is that a democracy can be destroyed by creating a law-and-order crisis and offering as a 'solution' the abdication of civil liberties and state's rights to a powerful but unaccountable central authority.
This was written in 1995


It's rather frightening for me to see, and what I feel, is the rise of fascism in America. And anyone even close to BFEE in any way shape or form needs to be questioned.

What we consider 'Right Wing' in much of Europe falls into the Centrist Democrat area. We have a few fringe extremists who work the immigration/xenophobe buttons but they are only significant because there are usually more than two significant parties in most cases and coalitions are very important.

I support Dean because I look at what he is as a man. He comes from a wealthy family. Why did he choose to be a Doctor? To make money? No - because he's a healer by nature. Why did Clark go West Point and become a General? Power... He's a seeker of power by nature.

This is my opinion and the first time in hundreds of posts I have even pointed as to who I feel is the best and most logical choice to lead America. I cannot vote but I can fight from my trenches over here. And I am.

Bless you all. Get him out of there this year. For everyone's sake. For the sake of the planet. And I am deadly serious when I say that.


Edited to add content...

[dutchdemocrat]

2. Mandela: U.S. wants holocaust

This man cannot be marginalized. He's someone Americans should be listening too.

-----------

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- Former South African president Nelson Mandela has slammed the U.S. stance on Iraq, saying that "one power with a president who has no foresight, who cannot think properly, is now wanting to plunge the world into a holocaust."

Speaking at the International Women's Forum, Mandela said "if there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America."

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/01/30/sprj.irq.mandela/index.html

Edited for Typo...

[T_i_B]

4. Well...

9-11 lead us to the war in Afghanistan, which Dean also supported. I must admit that I also was very much in favour of the war against the Taliban as well. Were there was evidence that the Taliban and Al-Qaida were linked there was not with Iraq, which is the main reason why I opposed the invasion of Iraq.

http://beta.deanforamerica.com/site/cg/index.html?type=page&pagename=policy_speech_foreign_drake

[glarius]

3. Clark first choice....Dean second

I was impressed by Clark from the first time I heard him speak....One of the first things I heard him say was that he was "greatly concerned by how Bush had alienated former allies."...He seems very determined to mend fences and get the U.S.A. co-operating with the rest of the democratic world. As a Canadian, this is important to me...Everything I've heard him say has impressed me...He seems willing to answer everything and doesn't beat around the bush....I like Dean too, and actually any of the candidates would be far superior to Bush!...:)