Dan
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Dear Friend,
In 2004, Norman Solomon, the executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, embraced the pro-war corporate Democrats as the only viable alternative to President Bush and the Republicans.
Now, he is condemning the pro-Kerry MoveOn.org for not taking a stronger anti-war position, arguing "only clear opposition to the war can change the terms of the national debate - taking the paths of least resistance won't get us very far."
In 2004, Medea Benjamin, a "leader" of the "anti-war movement," embraced the pro-war corporate Democrats as the only viable alternative to President Bush and the Republicans.
Now, she is condemning Congressional Democrats for not voting against Bush's request for another $81 billion to fund the war.
In 2004, Matthew Rothschild, the editor of the Progressive magazine, embraced the pro-war corporate Democrats as the only viable alternative to President Bush and the Republicans.
Now, he is condemning what he calls 18 "spineless" Senate Democrats for voting for bankruptcy legislation that "will fill the coffers of the credit card companies while bleeding consumers dry."
Not exactly profiles in courage.
Standing tall against the pro-war corporate Democrats - when it counts least.
And of course, Solomon, Rothschild, and Benjamin were not alone in their support of the Democrats in 2004 - against their own best interests and the interests of the American people.
In 2004, most of the other luminous leaders on the independent anti-war, anti-corporate crime side of the political ledger took the year off.
Instead of rallying behind a Nader/Camejo candidacy that was the major anti-war, anti-corporate crime, pro-democracy candidacy in 2004, the vast majority of progressives cut and ran from their own agenda.
Unless we can answer the question - why did this happen? - we are condemned to repeat the disaster of 2004.
The majority of Americans support the broad justice agenda of Nader/Camejo.
• National health insurance - majority support.
• Get out of Iraq - majority support.
• Crack down on corporate crime - majority support.
• Tough health and safety regulation - majority support.
• A living wage - majority support.
• A progressive, fair tax structure - majority support.
And yet, just about every "liberal" leader stood against us and with the pro-war corporate Democrats.
Why?
Erich Fromm, in his 1941 classic, Escape from Freedom, had this insight: that in a democracy, freedom can be a frightening thing and people often seek to escape from the responsibility and independence that freedom confers.
Instead of engaging in the long-term hard work of building an alternative political force, the vast majority of "liberals" last year took the easy way out and supported the corporate Democrats.
You, on the other hand, you - our loyal supporters stood tall with us last year in our struggle for systemic justice and new directions for our country.
You took seriously Cicero's dictum - freedom is participation in power.
But unless as a society we begin to understand the social psychology of the timidity that reared its subservient head in 2004, then we have little chance of building a critical mass to break up the two-party duopoly that dominates and corrupts our political landscape.
Over the past couple of months, you have helped us raise over $455,000 to pay down our campaign's financial obligations incurred fighting off the corporate Democrats and Republicans in 2004.
We still need to raise an additional $160,000 over the next couple of months to move our campaign into the black.
To both help move our campaign into the black, and to gain more of an understanding of the current political dilemma facing the nation, we make you this offer:
For a donation of $100 to our campaign, we will mail to you a copy of Erich Fromm's Escape From Freedom. ("If humanity cannot live with the responsibilities inherent in freedom, it will probably turn to authoritarianism.")
In addition, Ralph Nader will sign and send to you a copy of the 72-minute DVD documentary, Ralph Nader: Up Close, narrated by Studs Terkel.
It's the only full-length documentary of his work before the political campaigns - and it includes historical news footage.
It shows a General Motors executive chastising Ralph for writing Unsafe at Any Speed.
"This man has written a book in which he charges that we were sacrificing safety for profits," he told a Senate committee. "When a person puts out a book like that - I've never heard of such a thing!"
In his raspy voice, Studs opens the documentary with this:
"Nader's mission is to show us how to fight for ourselves."
And it includes vintage footage of the storied investigative reporter, I.F. Stone, who says with a big smile:
"Nader is an entrepreneur on the side of the public."
Erich Fromm's Escape from Freedom and the DVD documentary Ralph Nader: Up Close for a $100 contribution to our campaign through our webstore.
Purchase them both for yourself, or give them to a friend or someone you love.
And please let your friends and family know about this invitation by forwarding this letter to your e-mail address book.
Thank you for your generous support and bright horizons.
Sincerely,
Peter Miguel Camejo
