Get out and vote… the Neanderthal rightwingers are going to… but don’t lose heart, we DO outnumber them.
______________________________
The presidential election campaign in the USA reached a pivotal stage; it’s a decisive week that‘ll determine who’ll lead America in the next four years. The Republican National Convention nominated former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney to run for president, along with his choice for VP, Paul Ryan to run against Democratic Party nominees Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The Republican leadership is gambling on political hawks, enablers of the American military-industrial complex. This choice sets the tone for the campaign. Mitt Romney is a successful businessman, fabulously rich, one of the pillars of Boston’s financial community. However, recently, during the current election campaign, it came out that the Republican presidential hopeful is dodging taxes by stashing funds in overseas banks. Nevertheless, those who back him are unperturbed. He backs their aims, he suits them; he’s “their guy”.
A 42-year-old member of the US House of Representatives, reputed to be eloquent, Paul Ryan won the affection of business tycoons thanks to his calls for limits on government regulation of the economy, cutting social programmes, and introducing more tax loopholes for the wealthiest Americans. Media releases portray Ryan as a competent economist, sorely needed in the wheezing American economy. In reality, volubility seems to be his main and only asset. He has no practical or theoretical knowledge of economics. In nominating presidential and vice-presidential candidates, the Republican National Convention offered no clear-cut election programme. Whilst underscoring their commitment to traditional American values in their speeches, both nominees emphasised the need to increase military spending and reinforce the tax cuts for the rich initiated by the Bush administration. A telling detail that testified to Romney’s intention to continue Bush’s failed policies rejected in the last election was the fact that former Florida Governor Jeb Bush (George Bush’s brother) was one of those whom the Republican leadership instructed to support Mitt Romney at the convention. By the way, Jeb Bush played a dubious role in George Bush’s victory in the 2000 election.
The Republican leadership needed to invoke the political legacy of one of the country’s most disastrous presidents in order to woo Big Business’ support, especially, the military-industrial complex. As for the majority of American voters, the Republicans are trying to appeal to the overall public discontent about the current economic situation in the country. In America, they say that people vote with their wallets. As wallets grow thinner and thinner day by day, of course, some blame this on those in power. As it happens, the Republicans think that they see an opening… they’re betting on economic issues. It’s what they’re banking on; it’s their main hope. What will win in the end? Will it be the storyline broadcast by a powerful and lavishly-funded propaganda machine, or, will it be the common sense inherent in most Americans? It’ll become clear fairly soon.
8 September 2012
Valentin Zorin
Voice of Russia World Service
Voices from Russia 
You must be logged in to post a comment.