Passing this along. Enjoy (modr8tor: note the mention of 60s issues):
Ted
> > Bush and Gore Make Me Wanna Ralph
> > A Letter from Michael Moore to the
> > Non-Voters of America
> >
> > Dear friends,
> >
> > DISCLAIMER: If you are planning to
> > vote for Al Gore in November, good for
> > you. Don't let what I'm about to say
> > change your mind because I've been
> > told by all the experts that if you do
> > change your mind based on what I'm
> > about to say, George W. Bush might win
> > the election and I certainly couldn't live
> > with myself if that connoisseur of
> > pharmaceuticals (the kind you snort up
> > your nose or the kind you inject on
> > death row) won, in part, because of a
> > letter I spit out over the Internet.
> >
> > So let's review -- you like Gore, you vote
> > for Gore. He's a decent guy. I met him
> > last year at some benefit, he came up to
> > me, big hug -- whoa, this veep is no stiff,
> > I thought -- and thanked me for this and
> > that. He even quoted lines from "The
> > Awful Truth" - whoa, scary, I thought,
> > what's he doing watching cable
> > channels above 40 on the box...not
> > much to do on this veep gig, eh?
> >
> > I told him I admired what he did when
> > he came home to America as a Vietnam
> > Vet and spoke out against the war. That
> > took a lot of courage, I said (his dad lost
> > his Senate seat for being an early
> > opponent of the war).
> >
> > So, if Al Gore is your man, go for it. In
> > fact, I insist on it, even if you are just
> > throwing your vote away.
> >
> > What I am about to say, though, is not
> > intended for any Al Gore (or George W.)
> > voters. If you are one, please click off
> > now.
> >
> >
> >
> > To Whom It May Concern:
> >
> > I address this letter to the largest
> > political party in the United States - the
> > 55% of you in the voting public who are
> > so disillusioned with politics and
> > politicians, so sick and tired of all the
> > broken promises, so disgusted with all
> > the b.s. that you have absolutely no
> > intention of voting in November.
> >
> > You know who you are.
> >
> > AND YOU ARE THE MAJORITY!
> >
> > You rule. You are the Non-Voters, all
> > 100 million of you!
> >
> > Until now, you have been the subject of
> > scorn and ridicule. You've been called
> > apathetic, lazy, ignorant. Your actions
> > have been viewed as unAmerican (I
> > mean, what kind of citizen in the World's
> > Greatest Democracy would not exercise
> > his or her most important and cherished
> > right - the right to freely choose your
> > leader!).
> >
> > Well, may I be the first to tell you that,
> > not only are you NOT stupid and
> > apathetic, I believe you are smarter than
> > all the rest of us combined. YOU figured
> > it out. YOU uncovered the scam. And
> > YOU had the guts to no longer
> > participate in a lie. Way to go! In 1996,
> > you helped set the all-time American
> > record for lowest turnout ever at a
> > presidential election.
> >
> > The reason you, the majority, no longer
> > vote in America is because you, the
> > majority, realize there is no real choice
> > on the ballot. The "two" parties both do
> > the bidding of the wealthy and agree
> > with each other on 90% of the issues.
> > They take 90% of their money from
> > people who make over a hundred-grand
> > a year, and then enact over 90% of the
> > laws those contributors want passed.
> >
> > On the ballot this November, you
> > already know there is no contest. The
> > independent Cook Political Report in
> > D.C. last week announced that, out of
> > 435 House seats up for election in
> > November, there are only 47 seats
> > where there is a "true race" between
> > opponents - and, of those, only 14
> > seats have a race that is even "close"
> > between the two candidates. 14 out of
> > 435!
> >
> > "Ninety-seven to ninety-nine percent of
> > incumbents running for re-election will
> > be returned to Congress in November,"
> > according to the Cook Report.
> >
> > The Non-Voters already understand
> > this. And they are not going to waste
> > one iota of their day on November 7
> > driving to some smelly elementary
> > school gymnasium to participate in a
> > Soviet-style election with no friggin'
> > choice on the ballot.
> >
> > So, to you brave voter-resisters, I say
> > congratulations on your act of civic
> > disobedience! I joined you this primary
> > season and refused to go along with
> > this charade of "choice." Nearly 80% of
> > those of us of voting age - over 160
> > million Americans - staged a sit-in on our
> > living room couches during this year's
> > primaries. THAT is the great untold story
> > of this election year. How much longer
> > will the punditocracy be able to get
> > away with dismissing this massive
> > no-show as "a sign Americans are
> > content with the booming economy?"
> >
> > Now that we have made our presence
> > known (you all don't mind me speaking
> > for us, do you? Good. In fact, I'll just
> > assume the currently-vacant mantle of
> > this majority party and serve as your
> > leader until you say otherwise...), it is
> > time to find a way that says, loudly and
> > clearly, just how mad as hell we are and
> > how we are not going to take it
> > anymore. We need to find a way where
> > our vote screams "None of the Above!"
> > A chance to act, like that Chinese guy in
> > Tieneman Square, standing in front of a
> > moving tank and stopping it in its path.
> >
> > In November, we should find a way to
> > follow in the footsteps of those
> > intelligent Minnesotans who, even
> > thought they could care less about
> > professional wrestling (and even less,
> > I'm sure, for Jesse "The Body"), proved
> > to the world that they not only have a
> > sense of humor, but they know how to
> > stick it to the whole bloody system.
> > Think of just how high their level of
> > anger must have been against the
> > One-Party-With-Two-Heads monopoly! I
> > mean, state government is no joke -
> > somebody's gotta build the roads, run
> > the schools, catch the criminals. You
> > don't want to turn the asylum over to the
> > chief lunatic but, damn it, that's what the
> > people of Minnesota did - just to send a
> > message! Wow. That took some guts.
> >
> > So, for those of you who weren't going
> > to vote anyway, well...what if you
> > actually did? What if you drove down to
> > that stinky gym where the little shell
> > game behind the pretend curtains is
> > taking place ("Pay no attention to the
> > voters behind the curtains!"), walk in,
> > sign in, take the ballot they hand you,
> > and toss yourselves inside the booth
> > like a political molotov cocktail.
> >
> > Boom!
> >
> > "You wanna tell me there's a choice
> > here between two guys who both
> > support NAFTA, WTO, the death
> > penalty, the Cuban embargo, increased
> > Pentagon spending, sleazy HMOs,
> > greedy hospital chains, 250 million guns
> > in our homes, more bombing of Iraq, the
> > rich getting richer and the rest of us
> > declaring bankruptcy?"
> >
> > Boom!
> >
> > Not me.
> >
> > Boom!
> >
> > I'm voting for Ralph Nader.
> >
> > KAAAABOOM!
> >
> > Friends, we are losing our democratic
> > control over our country. We may have
> > already lost it. I hope not. But in the last
> > 20 years of the Reagan administration,
> > Corporate America has merged and
> > morphed itself to such an extent that
> > just a handful of companies now call all
> > the shots. They own Congress. They
> > own us. In order to work for them, we
> > have to take urine tests and lie
> > detectors and wear bar codes on chains
> > around our necks. In order to keep our
> > jobs we have had to give up decent
> > health care, the 8-hour day (and time
> > with our kids), the security that we'll
> > even have a job next year, and any
> > unwillingness we may have to compete
> > with a 14-year old Indonesian girl who
> > gets a dollar a day.
> >
> > And how frightening (and great) is it that
> > the last place we can freely try to inform
> > and communicate with each other is on
> > this very Web? Six companies run by six
> > men control the majority of the news we
> > now get from newspapers, television,
> > radio and the Internet. One out of every
> > two books is bought at a bookstore
> > owned by one of only two companies. Is
> > it safe in a "free society" to have the
> > sources of our information and mass
> > communication in the hands of just a
> > few wealthy men who have a VESTED
> > interest in keeping us as stupid as
> > possible - or at least in keeping us
> > thinking like them so that we vote for
> > THEIR candidates?
> >
> > I fear the cement on this new oligarchy
> > of power is quickly drying, and when it is
> > finished hardening, we are finished. The
> > democracy, the one that's supposed to
> > be of, by, and for the people, will cease
> > to exist.
> >
> > We must not let this happen, no matter
> > how cynical and disgusted we've
> > become at the whole electoral process.
> >
> > Ralph Nader, to me, represents a
> > chance for us to at least temporarily
> > stop the cement from drying. We need
> > him in there kicking things up, stirring
> > the pot and forcing a real debate about
> > the issues. Whether it's Ralph as
> > Candidate or Ralph as President, he
> > may represent our last hope to get our
> > country back from the clutches of the
> > powerful few.
> >
> > I am not writing these words lightly. I am
> > hoping to sound a siren and rally the
> > majority who, for good reason, have
> > given up - but might just have it in them
> > to find the will for one last fight against
> > the bastards.
> >
> > Can Ralph win? Well, stranger things
> > have happened in the past decade.
> > C'mon, think about it, not a single one
> > of us ever thought we'd see the Berlin
> > Wall come down or Nelson Mandela as
> > President of South Africa. After those
> > two things happened, I joined a new
> > school of thought that said ANYTHING
> > was possible. Jesse Ventura started
> > with 3% in the polls and won. Ross
> > Perot in '92 started with 6% and, after
> > proving to everyone that he was
> > certifiably insane, still got nearly 20% of
> > the vote.
> >
> > Ralph already has between 7% and
> > 10% in the polls - before he's done any
> > serious campaigning. He's gone from
> > 3% to 8% in my home state of Michigan.
> > These are amazing numbers and the
> > pundits and lobbyists and Republicrats
> > are running scared. Hey, you like to
> > watch scared Republicrats running? Tell
> > a pollster you're voting for Ralph.
> >
> > Now, look, before you all send me a lot
> > of mail about how weird Ralph is 'cause
> > he doesn't own a car or is a "sell-out"
> > 'cause he's got a few million dollars, let
> > me say this: I used to work out of his
> > office, and Ralph is definitely one of a
> > kind. In a future letter I will write of those
> > experiences but, for now, let's just agree
> > that Ralph is at least half as crazy as
> > Jesse Ventura - and about a hundred
> > times as smart. I'd say he's also saved
> > about a million or so lives, thanks to the
> > consumer and environmental legislation
> > he has devoted his life to.
> >
> > And between Gore, Bush, and himself,
> > he's the only person running who would
> > guarantee universal health care for all,
> > the only candidate who would raise the
> > minimum wage to a decent level, the
> > only one who would get up each
> > morning asking himself the question,
> > "What can I do today to serve all the
> > people of this country?"
> >
> > The list goes on and on. You can read
> > more about what Ralph stands for by
> > going to his website
> > (http://www.votenader.org). You'll agree,
> > I'm sure, there's lots of common sense
> > there, regardless of what political stripe
> > you are.
> >
> > But remember. If you are even
> > THINKING of voting for Al Gore, vote for
> > Al Gore. Ralph Nader does not need a
> > single Gore vote. There are a hundred
> > million of us out there who are
> > uncommitted and currently not voting.
> > Right now, Gore and Bush are each
> > hoping to win by getting only 40 million
> > votes.
> >
> > If you are in the Non-Voting majority and
> > want to let 'em all have it, if you want to
> > get our country back in our hands...well,
> > if even half of you show up and vote
> > November 7 then you won't be held
> > responsible for Bush winning the White
> > House.
> >
> > In fact, you won't be held responsible
> > for putting Gore in the White House,
> > either.
> >
> > Rather, you will have made history by
> > putting a true American hero at 1600
> > Pennsylvania Avenue.
> >
> > And you will have given every company,
> > every boss who's done ya wrong, the
> > worst nightmare of their lives.
> >
> > November 7. Payback Time.
> >
> > The revenge of the Non-Voters!
> >
> > So sayeth their unappointed leader,
> > yours truly,
> > Michael Moore
> > mmflint@aol.com
> > http://www.theawfultruth.com
> > http://www.michaelmoore.com
> >
> > PS. Come to think of it, Democrats
> > should be on their knees thanking
> > Ralph for running. Rather than taking
> > votes from Gore, Ralph's going to be
> > the one responsible for turning the
> > House back over to the Democrats.
> >
> > When millions of these Non-Voters enter
> > that booth to vote for Ralph, and they
> > come across their local race for
> > Congress, they will find no Green Party
> > candidate in most of the 435
> > Congressional districts. So who do you
> > think Ralph's army of Non-Voters will
> > plunk down for Congress? The
> > Republican? I don't think so.
> >
> > The Democrats are only six seats short
> > of regaining control of the House. Ralph
> > Nader will be the reason the Democrats
> > get the House back for the first time
> > since Newt's Contract on America in
> > 1994.
> >
> > Democrats should send their checks to
> > Nader 2000, P.O. Box 18002,
> > Washington, DC 20035.
> >
> > (Or, better yet, let's try to elect enough
> > Greens to Congress -- a dozen or so --
> > and they'll hold the deciding votes
> > because neither the Democrats nor the
> > Republicans will have the majority. It'll
> > be a friggin' Knesset!)
> >
> > PPS. If you're still worried this letter
> > might convince a weak-kneed Gore
> > voter to flip over to Nader - and thus
> > lead to President George W. stacking
> > the Supreme Court to make abortion
> > illegal, well, it's all a bunch of hooey.
> > Please read my latest grassroots.com
> > column entitled, "I Ain't Fallin for That
> > One Again" at:
> > http://www.michaelmoore.com/aint.html
> >
> > PPPS. Tonight, Wednesday July 19, on
> > "The Awful Truth" (Bravo, 10 p.m.
> > ET/PT), Crackers the Corporate Crime
> > Fighting Chicken makes a surprise
> > return visit. Don't miss it!
> >
> >
> > PLEASE PASS THIS LETTER ON TO
> > YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
> > PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO
> > REPRINT ANYWHERE.
> >
> > -----------------------------------------------
> > Kent Ashton Walton
> > http://www.ecofiles.net
> >
> > "In practice, the capitalist ethic treats freedom as a commodity: a lot
> is
> > available in principle, and you have what you can buy."
> > (Noam Chomsky, (1991) Deterring Democracy, Chap.4, p.132)
> >
> > "... you can't spoil a system that is spoiled to its core. And politics
> in
> > this country is broken."
> > (Ralph Nader's response to CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Nader's "spoiler"
> role.)
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