Thank you for pointing out that error, for which we apologise.
It has now been corrected.
Best wishes from London.
—–Original Message—–
To: NewsOnline Errors
Subject: Feedback [NewsWatch]
COMMENTS: An article on the latest Democratic race reads, Clinton “still
hopes that the super-delegates (the party officials) will look at the
states she has won – key swing states in a general election like
Pennsylvania and Iowa – and join her campaign.”
Obama won Iowa, not Clinton. Your reporter might have meant Ohio?
I am afraid this is still not clear to many people.
I have heard some people here in the Bay Area of California say that they have supported Clinton in the Democratic primary elections because they fear OTHER US Americans are too racist to vote for an African-American (biracial) candidate. Of course, this seems like a convenient excuse to project their own racist misconceptions onto others. Of course, this also seems like a handy way to reinforce classist stereotypes of unenlightened working class white people.
But when will everyone realize that holding onto racist prejudices – as evidenced not only in some televised interviews with West Virginia voters – is simply not acceptable? When will everyone realize that racist views are not just opinions to hold but immoral, embarrassing lies? Voting because of racist biases is not defensible in any way, and we should instead be taking every chance to denounce and end racism, not sigh and take the status quo as our ideal.
The international community recognizes as much. Especially in Europe and Africa, people around the world are looking to the US elections this year to see if we can disprove their notions of how entrenched racism is in the US as we model a way to overcome long-standing ethnic divisions. The UN is even sending an inspector to the US to investigate racism here, exhibiting the foundational belief that racism is something we as a global community are working together to end, not work around.
But what am I to do about all this, you ask? Well, if you live in Oregon or Kentucky, your course of action is clear: go vote for Barack Obama! Yes!
I’m sure you all know someone who you just wish could have more than one body to live in, because she has so much good work to do in the world, she can’t possibly do it all alone in one lifetime. Well, my friend Liz is one of those people.
She’s the one who suggested the following video to me. She prefaced it with the qualification that, of course, nothing of this importance is as simple as a 5-minute video can explain.
Still, the intersections of global poverty, American agriculture, and global capitalist markets need to be addressed from a comprehensive, systemic perspective. There are many layers to this onion of a problem, and there’s not going to be one right way to slice it. Whether you believe that less government regulation (in subsidies) or more governmental oversight (redistributing wealth) is needed, the bottom line is that what’s happening right now isn’t working for a majority of the people who work to get food onto our tables.
Oxfam has produced the following video that starts to unpeel some of the layers of the global food crisis, through advocacy around the US Congress’ upcoming Farm Bill:
According to the BBC, “To all intents and purposes the race for the Democratic nomination is over.”
And yet, the campaign drags on.
Rumor (i.e. mainstream media) has it that the Clinton campaign may be strategizing for an honorable exit, and how they do so may very well come down to the money (likely but unsurprising in this world). The Clintons have loaned Hillary’s campaign millions of dollars – about $11 million total – and some speculate that it is likely her campaign will offer to Obama that Clinton pull out of the race IF his campaign pays off her debt.
Well, whether or not this is true, the very notion seems like an excellent tactic to discourage Obama’s fans from donating to his campaign, if they know their money is just going to go into the Clintons’ thick pockets. Obama’s been raising lots of money because he’s reaching out to such a wide base, so it would seem that his team could cover the Clinton’s expense (though the money would be much better used as Clinton’s donation to getting Obama elected in the November election). But if fewer people donate to Obama’s campaign, then it will be further fuel for the Clinton refrain that he’s losing support and the tide is turning. Quite a pickle to create – but Clinton has shown that creating angst (if not voters’ support) is her campaigning forte.
Oh, Burma. Life just is never easy for you, is it?
Reports now indicate that as many as 100,000 people were killed by Cyclone Nargis, which hit this weekend. The death toll has just been rising exponentially from day to ghastly day.
And in the wake of the storm, the junta is letting some foreign aid enter the country, but is still insisting on holding a national referendum on a new constitution in five days. “Out of touch” only begins to describe their sinful lack of compassion.
Here’s my favorite quote from a BBC story, which pretty much sums up how political violence exacerbates (if not causes) natural disasters:
“Where are the soldiers and police? They were very quick and aggressive when there were protests in the streets last year,” a retired government worker complained to Reuters news agency.
Oh, little bloggy, how long it has been since last I posted with you! I am so sorry for my absence. In my defense (or does this make me sound unfaithful?), I have been posting elsewhere.
But, ah, what good news brings me to write with you! Another win for Barack Obama! Yes, indeed, Guam has stood up for hope and against politicks as usual. Perhaps it is no surprise that Obama won in Guam, since it is a territory that elects by caucus instead of by vote – that is, it is a state where people come together and talk about the candidates instead of slinking into a little booth where they can vote as racistly and sexistly as they want without prying eyes to see them (as in my state).
I am eager to see how the Clinton campaign tries to spin this loss. Will she completely ignore the loss or will she dismiss the people of Guam as provincial bumpkins whose voice here shouldn’t count at all just because they don’t get to vote in the presidential election? Can’t wait to find out!
