We've got a few things to talk ab out before we get to Iraq. Brian Klass? A number are e-mailing his claims or the NEWSWEEK article covering the claims. He is not a student of human nature, he is not an expert on violence, he's just flapping his gums. It's a pleasing tale -- the other side is so unhinged they're likely to start killing. There's no basis for his claims and he has no training in the area and he has not background in this field. So I'm not interested. I'm sure there are supporters of Donald Trump who are pone to violence and that there are supporters of Joe Biden -- and supporters of various other politicians -- who are prone to violence.
I do understand that violence took place on January 6, 2021. I think it's irresponsible to make the claims Klass does and I think it's dangerous. We're not highlighting and I don't believe that we ever have. If I'm not mistaken, he's not even in the country so he's making these 'observations' on something other than actual observations.
Second, what did you read or think you read? That's to 30 people having a fit over my allegedly telling everyone to vote for Joe Biden?
I haven't told anyone how to vote. In fact, this site's whole purpose has been about your vote is your vote. I have said, year after year, that you need to be pleased with your vote the day you vote and, if so, you voted correctly. You can't predict the future.
In terms of 2024, I have revealed that I am voting for the Democratic Party's presidential nominee. Whomever it is. I have not tried to get anyone else on board.
I have written extensively here over the last months that Green Party voters who plan to vote Green in 2024's presidential race to build their party is a solid reason to vote that way.
Thursday's snapshot noted Ralph Nader's remarks.
I am not Ralph Nader. Nor am I a fan of Ralph's or a friend of Ralph's. I do not blame the 2000 election on Ralph. Find anywhere at this site where I've ever done that. You won't.
Three of my best friends supported Ralph in 2000. I did not. I did not think the most pressing for women was high heels and I did not agree with Ralph's slamming of Gloria Steinem for, in his words, refusing to join him on this 'consumer' crusade. I also do not define myself as a "consumer." I am a citizen. I did not care for his hideous remarks in his 2000 ROLLING STONE interview.
I have never blamed strangers who supported him or friends who supported him.
I have stated that when Kyle Kulinski or someone else wants to make the argument that a Green Party candidate could lead the Democrat to lose presidential election, they should be allowed to make that argument. Not slammed and attacked.
I don't believe that argument. I do not side with Kyle on that argument. You own your vote. You don't owe it to anyone and if someone doesn't earn it, they don't earn it. That's on the candidate.
But I have been speaking on campuses from 2004 through 2020 and to peace groups, women's groups and labor groups -- the pandemic had me switching to zooms although we have returned to speaking on campus now -- and I have had multiple people come up to me to say that they voted for Nader in 2000 and they feel so bad because it cost Al Gore the election.
My immediate reply is "No, it did not." I don't believe that it did.
But these people exist and they feel guilt over their vote.
So, please, in 2023, allow this discussion to take place because I don't want to hear any whining.
There are many Ralph supporters who voted for him in 2000 and are proud of that vote and good for them. But there are far too many that I have encountered who regret it and say things like, "No one told me this could happen" ("this" being Bully Boy Bush endingu p in the White House).
So there is a group of people who will vote Green in 2024 and likely be thrilled with it. Good for them. But for those who apparently, in 2000, immediately felt guilty about their vote? I'm find with Kyle presenting his argument. Kyle and others. I'm fine with people rejecting that argument. But I'm not fine with pretending like this opinion doesn't exist. It does and let's talk about it ahead of the 2024 election, not after.
On the election, "You refuse to say anything nice about the Green Party's presidential candidate Cornel West."
That's incorrect.
First, he's not the Green Party's presidential candidate and take your stupidity up with the Bri-Bris and other liars who refuse to tell you the truth.
Cornel West wants to be the Green Party's presidential nominee. And his sleazy roll dog Chris Hedges tried to force Cornel off on the party (with the help of Jill Stein and some say Ajamu Baraka). I know that because people went crazy in the e-mails to this site -- Green members -- the day he was posing as the Green Party's nominee. I immediately got on the phone and I wrote about it here. It was not happening. Jill Stein has left the party in debt, she has no real pull. Cornel would be smart to drop her. He'd be even smarter to distance himself from Chris Hedges.
The Green Party had a huge pushback to this notion that Cornel would be gifted with the nomination. There were some in leadership that Jill was able to influence but the bulk of leadership stood with the members and said, "Hell no."
The Green Party picks their nominee in the summer of 2024 -- many months from now -- at their convention.
There are two other candidates currently running with more expected to announce shortly. We covered the newest one in Friday's snapshot. And, for the record, I believe we are the only site that's offered you an in depth biographical sketch of Emanuel Pastreich. We've got more than WIKIPEDIA -- which doesn't even know of his step-mother or his step-brother. We know that because I worked the phones. We know about his mother because I learned she lived on Martha's Vineyard and made calls. I didn't put this in the bio because I didn't have time but her success as an artist does include one of her painting being hung in an embassy. I'm not here to spoon feed CRAPAPEDIA. I did a deep dive on the mother because she didn't have a CRAPAPAEDIA entry. Why? Because she's a woman. CRAPAPEDIA noted that Emanuel had a brother and two sisters. Who did they offer details on? Only the brother. Which is why I went into detail on the sister who is a cinematographer and a director. Emanuel has a very interesting biography and it's a shame that his story can't be told because too many liars want to pretend Cornel is the nominee. He is not.
As for not saying anything nice about Cornel, he hasn't done much for me to praise him, has he? What? Am I supposed to be blown away by his cameo in THE MATRIX franchise? Or impressed that he owes over a half-million dollars?
How about that nonsense where he gives an interview and stresses cadence over actual facts?
For the record, when he was interviewed by Jimmy Dore, I did praise him for that interview. It's the only time he's shown anything resembling human emotion. He stood up for himself, he showed flashes of anger -- he came off like a real person. And I praised him for that.
But I don't praise liars and his campaign is built on lies and has been.
And remove his name from the equation. If this was Joel Gimble and he had accepted a nomination from The People's Party and started doing press to promote that and then, less than a week later, announced, oops, can't be their nominee because of what they believe in? That would be it for Joel Gimble. The press would rightly bury him as an idiot who accepted a political party's nomination (actually sought it) only to then run from it a week later.
That shows you're an idiot who doesn't believe in due diligence. You're not trying to run for office, you're attempting to drum up publicity for yourself.
His only bright moment in this embarrassing campaign thus far was provided when he stood up to Jimmy Dore.
ALSUMARIA reports that Iraq's supreme court has issued a statement denying the validity of a document on social media being presented as a lawsuit against Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. The court's statement notes that there is no signature of a judge on the document and an actual court document would have been signed by a judge. ALSUMARIA also reports that two people have been ousted -- the director of the Industrial Bank and the treasurer -- due to embezzlement.
Let's note this from Paul Rudnick.
On The Confirmed Bachelor, Lindsey Graham will ask 24 single women if they'd like to help him re-line the shelves in his pantry, browse for pillow shams, see the new Sondheim and then shake hands pic.twitter.com/RZbqzA7Ie9
— Paul Rudnick (@PaulRudnickNY) September 30, 2023
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