Why Go Green (Party) in 2012?

As the moveable feast of the Republican nominating contest moves closer toward making official what we already know (Mitt Romney will be the nominee) the true ugliness of the field becomes more and more evident. In the debates, Republican hostility toward the poor and working people, belligerence toward other nations and disregard for the environment is even more naked than normal. Meanwhile, President Obama and the Democrats offer an only marginally better alternative, considering their inadequate stimulus measure unwillingness to institute meaningful financial reforms or upset the economic status quo. Let us also not forget their aggression toward Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya and Uganda. Finally, the Obama Administration is also all too willing to compromise with Republicans on taxes, social spending and environmental regulations. In short, the President and his party are nowhere near as progressive as his critics believe him to be. Some progressives are so distraught with their lack of choice that they actually consider Ron Paul a viable alternative, ignoring his insane conspiracy theories regarding the United Nations, his antipathy toward unions and his belief in a literal interpretation of the Constitution that is at odds with the Founding Fathers’ own view of the document. For all of those that believe in changing our society for the better, there is hope. The Green Party offers a truly progressive challenge to the political and economic paradigm. Its success depends only on the faith and fortitude of those that want a more just, peaceful, free and environmentally sound future.

I should begin by mentioning that I have been an official member of the Green Party since 2008 and considered myself a member since 2003. The main difference between the Green Party and other American political parties is in its strong environmentalism. While there is no smoking gun regarding climate change, the link between increased atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide and increased global average temperature is undeniable. This upward trend in both areas began at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and continues to this day. It was not until recently that we exceeded the 350 parts per million danger zone. At this point, the damage to the environment may be irreversible. Furthermore, we must also worry about the effects of industrial and agricultural pollution on human health. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency is among the worst funded and impotent federal agencies. Only one political party takes the risks of climate change and other forms of pollution seriously and will make the EPA the robust agency that we need: the Green Party.

One of the most interesting developments this election cycle is the rise of ostensibly anti-war Republicans. These politicians, some of them running for President, rightly criticize the President for expanding the war on terrorism to Yemen, increasing our presence in Afghanistan and sending troops to Libya and Uganda. However, they forget that the wars Afghanistan and Iraq began under the Bush Administration. Despite their sudden change of heart regarding war as an instrument of foreign policy, these Republicans still openly threaten Iran and any other potentially hostile nation at every opportunity. Luckily, there is a political party that believes steadfastly in nonviolence, ending our military engagements around the world and withdrawing our troops from the rest of the world as well as reducing the size and waste in the military budget: the Green Party. Unlike Ron Paul, they believe the money spent defending ourselves against largely invented threats could be better spent on social programs here in America.

If the Great Recession taught us anything, it is that our economic system is fundamentally flawed. We have a system built upon artificial and self-perpetuating inequality that keeps the majority of people just well-off enough to feel superior to people in other nations but too poor to stand up for their rights against the ownership class. It is a system built upon exploited illegal immigrants and college interns and the crippling of unions through “free trade” agreements that create surplus labor. Republicans see nothing wrong with this system, other than taxes being too high, regulations too stringent and unions still too strong. Democrats believe that there is nothing wrong with the economy that cannot be fixed by socializing responsibility for the malfeasance of the private sector and paying lip service to labor while signing off on the free trade agreements that allow for outsourcing at the behest of their corporate masters. Their answer to the issue of poverty is inadequate, top-down welfare spending. One party understands the need for a stronger minimum wage, the devolution of economic power back to our communities, stronger unions, eliminating the payroll tax ceiling to fund Social Security for at least the next 75 years, single-payer health insurance and real financial regulations that put a stop to the incompetent and abusive behavior of banks and Wall Street: the Green Party.

Republicans fear the loss of our personal freedoms. They complain loudly when someone says, “Happy Holidays!” instead of, “Merry Christmas!” yet have no problem telling Muslims they cannot open a mosque near Ground Zero. They fear the federal government or the United Nations taking away their guns or their religion, but have no problem taking away the right of gay people to get married, women to get abortions and only support the rights of protesters they agree with. Both parties generally oppose the legalization of marijuana, the lowering of the drinking age and make no effort to repeal the Patriot Act. The Green Party supports the rights of gay people to get married, women to have abortions, dissenters to dissent, legalizing marijuana, lowering the drinking age, repealing the Patriot Act without equivocation.

Our nation has the potential for true greatness. We can be the most peaceful, economically just, free and environmentally responsible society. It only takes the courage to stand up for what we believe in, rather than vote defensively. Recent opinion polls indicate that majorities of Americans support most of these positions already. It is only a matter of standing up for these beliefs and voting for a party that shares these values. That party is the Green Party. It is important that we remember the words of Ralph Nader, “Turn on to politics, or politics will turn on you.”