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Re: Comment on Blog

By Lawrence R. Velvel

From: gwennms
Date: Mon 8/13/2007 5:40 PM
Re: Joe Biden

Dear Dean Velvel,

I was very surprised to read your post about Senator Joe Biden. There are several important points concerning him that I think you seem to pass over rather rapidly.
One: he has been in the Senate since he was twenty-nine years old, that is since 1972, I looked it up. Two: thus far he seems to have few chances to win the nomination. Three: so far there is no third party to adopt him as candidate in the eventuality that he win in the primaries.

I think the first point is important, especially in modern times, since the disconnect of a life spent in the Senate, that is almost forty years for him, hardly prepares for
anything other than continuing to be a Senator; it is rather like being a Duke in the "Ancien Régime." I think there should be a limit to all public offices but this is beside the point. You cite his stressing that one must constantly get up off the floor when one is knocked down, but when has Senator Biden been engaged in these knockout and drag down battles? His runs for the presidential nomination were not by public demand, he presents himself and receives, so far, little support.
Do you really think it possible that he come from so far behind, in polls and money that so important item especially in our corrupt system, to become the nominee?
A third party is the ideal solution but with the stranglehold of the press now almost completely controlled by monopolies, this would depend on the internet and would take time...lots of time.

There is also another question, which lobbies back Biden? That is always an important thing to know about every candidate.
There are also all the unforeseen variables, the looming financial crisis, banking crisis in which cases the US will have to prepare to accept other powers as equals, perhaps even superiors, unless there is really the option of nuke them all and God will find his own. I find that the front-runners in the Democratic pack, with the possible exception of Barak Obama, all have a mind-set in power policies of the past that will no longer be valid in the years to come, years that will require rapid assessments of changing situations and new economic and labor policies if we are not to live in a jungle. Our civil liberties have vanished; no candidate proposes their restoration as part of the Democratic program so a third party is needed urgently.

This is the third time since WWII that we have adopted totally irrational behavior, the McCarthy era, the Vietnam War and now this insane policy of Preemptive War that has brought us the Iraq invasion and occupation, and who knows what else with Cheney beating the drums against Iran. Why would the world be ready to accept that we have obtained a new virginity with a new president?

It is a conscience trying time, at least for those whose consciences still pinch them from time to time. I may be overly pessimistic but pessimistic I am.

Best regards,

Gwenn Seyrig

Full post as published by Velvel on National Affairs on August 14, 2007 (boomark / email).