The 2000 Election and the "War on Terrorism"

Candidates
1. Democrat
  1. Al Gore
2. Republican
  1. George W Bush
    1. During campaign accused Gore of appealing to class warfare
3. Both had no plan for free national health care, low-cost housing, environmental controls
  1. Both supported death penalty/growth of prisons, large military establishments, sanctions against Cuba and Iraq
    1. None seem to want viable change
4. Third party
  1. Ralph Nader
    1. Reputation comes from years of criticism towards corporate control of the economy
      1. Program emphasized health care, education, and environment
      2. Shut of of nationally televised debates and did not have enough money as other candidates
      3. Control is in power of rich, so how could Nader ever win?
Corporate support of both candidates
1. 220 million raised by the Bush campaign
2. 170 million raised by Gore
Most bizarre election in nation's history
1. Al Gore recived hundreds of thousands of votes more than Bush
  1. Constitution required winner be determined by electors of each state
    1. Outcome decided by Florida
      1. Between popular/electoral vote- only had happened twice before
      2. Candidate with most votes in Florida would gate that electors and win the presidency
      3. Raging dispute who would have more votes
      4. Many votes not counted where black people lived, ballots disqualified
      5. Bush had his brother who was governor of Florida and Katherine Harris
      6. She rushed to certify Bush as the winner
      7. An appeal to Florida Supreme court resulted in court ordering for her not to certify a winner
      8. Ended up winning by 537 votes
      9. Closest call in presidential election history
      10. There was a lot of controversy, I remember
When Bush takes office
1. Pursues his pro-big business agenda
  1. Pushed for tax cuts for the wealthy, opposed strict environmental regulations that would cost money for business interests, planned to privatize social security by having retirement funds of citizens depend on the stock market
  2. Also wants to increase military budget and pursue star wars through the consensus of scientific opinion was antiballistic missiles in space could not work
    1. Why would you continue to pursue something that does not work?
September 11, 2001
1. Hijackers on three different planes flew the huge jets, loaded with fuel into the World Trade Center, side of pentagon in DC,
  1. Americans all over the country watched tv and saw the towers collapsed
    1. Burying thousands of workers and fireman/police who had gone to rescue
      1. I remember this day so vividly
2. Unprecedented assault against enormous symbols of American wealth and power
  1. Undertaken by 19 men from the Middle East, most of them from Saudi Arabia
    1. Willing to die in order to deliver a deadly blow against what they saw as their enemy
3. President Bush declares this war on terrorism
  1. "We shall make no distinction between terrorists and countries that harbor terrorists"
    1. This is a pretty dangerous statement
      1. At my age during this time I supported this "cause"
  2. Congress rushes to pass resolutions giving Bush power to proceed with military action, without declaration from Constitution that requires it
    1. Passed unanimously in Senate and House of Representatives
      1. This makes sense to me
Bombing of Afghanistan
1. Islamic militant Osama Bin Laden behind the attacks and was somewhere in Afghanistan
  1. So declare bombing
    1. This is too risky
      1. It shows how poor of a decision it was because we are still there now
2. In state of union address Bush says thousands of terrorists at large and countries are harboring them
  1. This is probably true, but i am skeptical
3. Innocent people harmed
  1. Accounts describe loss of limbs, bones, bloodiness, etc
    1. This is not right
Terrrorism
1. Could not be solved by force
  1. Historical evidence is there
    1. Ex: Bombings by Irish Republican Army, Sudan, etc
      1. Bombings only lead to more bombings
2. Bombing innocent people
  1. In Afghanistan claim it's military targets, but in reality it is not true and innocent civilians are dying
    1. US reacting to horrors perpetuated by terrorists
      1. I see why this is bad, but at the same time we have a right to defend ourselves
3. Since 9/11, American people overwhelmingly supportive of Bush
  1. All united
    1. Possibly because full extent of bombings had not been disclosed with the public
      1. This definitely would have changed people's opinions
    2. CNN news head said images of injured civilians should be accompanied with an explanation of retaliation against terrorists
    3. US govt goes to great lengths to protect image
      1. Controls flow of information from Afghanistan
      2. They even bombed Al-Jazeera. news station and bought satellite organization that took photos from the ground
      3. This is repulsive
4. Minority voices criticize the war
  1. Teachins, peace rallies
    1. Justice, not war- popular saying
      1. In Arizone, 600 citizens signed a newspaper ad that pointed to Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  2. Families of victims traveled to Afghanistan to meet with families who had lost loved ones
    1. This must have been really personal
USA Patriot Act
1. Gives department of justice power to detain noncitizens simply on suspicion without charges, procedural rights
  1. Any person raising money for terrorists, etc. could be held
    1. I do see the need for this, but at the same time it is pretty invasive
    2. This starts wave of racial profiling
      1. A lot of hatred towards Arab Americans
      2. One was imprisoned ignoring judge's findings and confined
Need for policy change
1. If want to change, needed 300-400 billion a year for military to switch to funding health, education, etc.
  1. Instead of being a military superpower, we should help humanitarian causes
    1. This would be purposeful