Despite the ferocious campaign by Democratic leaders and the corporate media to discourage Nader supporters, it is crucial we have a strong independent, anti-corporate, anti-war voice this presidential election year. A presidential race between George W. Bush and John Kerry, the likely Democratic nominee, will not address the most important issues affecting the majority of ordinary working people across the country. The Nader campaign is demanding a universal national healthcare system, a $10/hour minimum wage, same-sex marriage rights, ending the racist war on drugs, repealing corporate globalization disasters like NAFTA and the WTO, and expeditiously bringing the troops home from Iraq.

Listening to Kerry attack Bush, Ashcroft, and the Republicans on the campaign trail, you’d never know that he actually voted for many of their policies, including the wars on Iraq and Afghanistan and the Patriot Act. Kerry has consistently voted in favor of corporate globalization trade agreements and expanding the racist prison system. While he now rails against “special interests,” Kerry, the richest senator in Congress (worth $550 million), has hypocritically taken more money from special interest political action committees than any other senator in the last six years. Recently, Kerry spoke out against gay marriage. How could we build a movement against the horrors of the Bush administration if the Democrats’ candidate voted for many of Bush’s key policies as a Senator? It makes no sense.

Support for Nader in 2004 is not a strategic mistake. In reality, it is the “Anybody-but-Bush” pundits who underestimate the threat Bush represents. While the White House is indeed staffed with extremists, this is beside the point. The right-wing Bush agenda reflects the growing rapaciousness of corporate America in general, in both domestic and foreign policy. As Kerry’s recent voting record indicates, as President he would be compelled to follow fundamentally the same course as Bush, albeit more “responsibly” to avoid stirring up mass discontent. A real change of course can only take place when a mass movement of workers and young people is built to politically challenge both parties of big business.

Until the logic of lesser evilism is broken, we’ll be forever prisoners of corporate rule. History has shown time and again that only by re-directing the political power of social movements outside the two-party system can serious social change be achieved.

A vote for Nader in 2004 is a powerful form of protest.It empowers ordinary working class and young people and takes away power from the two parties of big business.It is a step towards building a new political party that will fight big business and base itself on the millions of workers, young people, people of color, women, environmentalists, and LGBT people whose interests are currently ignored.Help us build the strongest possible protest against the Bush administration and everyone who follows their lead. Don’t waste your vote on Kerry or Bush.Vote your interests – Vote Nader 2004.

Submitted by UMB Socialist Alternative