by ~The-Liberator (Alex Garrett)

With the imperialist war in Iraq and a failed health care system, it sure is tempting to buy into the Democratic Party’s empty promises and outright lies. In a time when the nation has dug itself into a hole it is now extremely difficult to get out of, it is tempting to support anyone who promotes any kind of change. But NO ONE who wants real social change, NO ONE who is a genuine revolutionary, votes Democrat.  

In the first place, it has become exceedingly clear that the Democrats are as much an imperialist party as the Republicans. The Democrats have consistently passed pro-war legislation, have consistently been non-committal on ending the Iraq war, and yet nearly all current “anti-war” organizations are tied with a thousand threads to the Democratic Party and its “progressive” wing.  

Let us be clear that any promises the Democratic Party and its “progressive” wing make are merely attempts to appease the public while the mainstream politicians go on passing pro-war legislation (thus far, they have been successful). For example, in March, MSNBC and other media like the Wall Street Journal reported on a closed-door meeting between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and some of the “progressive,” “anti-war” Democrats. In it, the “progressives” agreed to make sure Pelosi’s $100 billion escalation of the Iraq war passed in the “Out of Iraq Caucus.” Then, when the Democrats were sure the legislation would pass, these same “progressives” voted against it when it reached the floor! And lo and behold, these “progressives” were then invited to ANSWER Coalition “anti-war” rallies!  

Thus, it becomes apparent that the “progressive” wing of the Democratic Party has a special role: to make the Democratic Party appear anti-war to the public so that mainstream Democrats can go on fulfilling their imperialist interests.  

Therefore, neither the mainstream or “progressive” democrats deserve our support. But many will argue that electing a Democrat to President in 2008 will make it easier for the anti-war movement to win and that the Democrats are “the lesser of two evils.”  

To this, I answer:  

CHOOSING THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS STILL LEAVES YOU WITH EVIL!  

If we cannot show the imperialist politicians that we will not vote for them and that we have broken from the entire economic system of imperialism, then they have no reason to listen to us, and no reason to end the war. Supporting the Democrats and voting for them in 2008 will only weaken the anti-war movement, because it shows that we are not a threat. In short, giving imperialist politicians our support is no way to defeat imperialism!