By Jerry Alatalo
“One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea.”
– WALTER BAGEHOT (1826-1877) English economist
reen Party Vice Presidential candidate Ajamu Baraka appeared for an interview recently on the Real News Network. After being shut out of both presidential and vice presidential debates, rigged to include only the Democratic and Republican tickets, in this election American voters are effectively the victims of “democracy censorship” by not being given an opportunity to learn the positions of Green and Libertarian candidates.
What would national polls look like today had Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party and Libertarian Gary Johnson both participated in the 1st presidential debate? Nobody can say, but it’s certain the polls would more accurately reflect the true views of the American people. How can the United States continue to call itself a democracy when well over 70% of its citizens call for inclusive debates with Green and Libertarian taking part, then that clear “mandate” of the people becomes totally rejected and ignored?
Perhaps Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump share the opinion that Americans don’t possess the intellectual capacity and power of discernment to make accurate assessments of the candidates’ qualitative positions on the major issues. Stein-Baraka and Johnson-Weld are candidates with a mathematical chance of winning the election. But Americans will never know the stances of Clinton and Trump; they are both eerily silent on the issue – neither has commented one way or the other, favorably or in opposition, on 4-way debates.
If Dr. Jill Stein had appeared with Clinton, Trump and Johnson for debate #1, perhaps Americans would for literally the 1st time started the serious discussion necessary for bringing a resolution to the 67-year long Israel-Palestine conflict, and asking tough questions about the wisdom in continuing to provide, and increase, military aid worth billions of dollars annually ($38 billion over 10-years) to the international outlaw state of Israel – the perennial, decades-long denier of basic human rights to the Palestinian people.
If Ajamu Baraka were to appear with Pence, Kaine and Weld for vice-presidential debates, perhaps Americans would learn that the over 5-year violent conflict in Syria is not a civil war as many intentionally portray for the purpose of deception, but a U.S., regional and European ally proxy war using paid (with U.S. taxpayers’ money) mercenary terrorists in place of American soldier “boots on the ground”. The hideous and criminal acts have occurred while practicing a grand lie, with highest-level officials telling Americans and the world they are “fighting terrorism”.
Perhaps Americans would demand a new, independent investigation of 9/11 to get to the truth of what really happened that fateful day, making up for the profoundly incompetent effort resulting in the official 9/11 Commission Report, and determining the real perpetrators of the mass-murder, instead of the sham story of 19 hijackers and a cave-dweller. Those perpetrators are likely responsible for planning and implementing the monstrous war-related crimes and catastrophes of the Middle East and North Africa since 2001; now is the time to arrest, prosecute, and “get them off the street” to prevent further human carnage, possibly of unimaginable scale.
If Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both believe their ideas, positions and proposals are the most beneficial for the American people and humanity around the Earth, then both should have no fear whatsoever of inviting and competing with Stein-Baraka and Johnson-Weld. Besides, American voters will always respect, appreciate and cherish the memory of their great presidents through history who practiced the personal quality of fairness, in particular having an open mind to new and/or potentially more beneficial ideas.
The Democrats and Republicans can change their minds at any time about debates.
That’s not going to happen, it’s unfair, and represents an objectionable, stubborn stance that is absolutely undemocratic. By denying democracy at this point in the presidential election of 2016, neither Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump are practicing/exhibiting the noble leadership qualities of fairness and open-mindedness. It’s scandalous – and a shame.
(Thank you to TheRealNews at YouTube)
THE ONENESS of HUMANITY 
Did you see that Ron Paul has endorsed Jill Stein – mainly because he feels her foreign policy stance is better than the Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.
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Stuart,
Ron Paul may have gone further and actually stated “Jill Stein has the best foreign policy”, meaning preferable to Clinton, Trump and Johnson. Stein and Baraka (everyone, in fact) need to bring out the Paul Craig Roberts in themselves and simply state the hard, disturbing truth; the situation in Syria, the growing real threat of world/nuclear war and its prevention, demands powerful mass action like never before. Thanks.
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