David Cobb and I agree on a lot. That's partly because, over the years, he has educated me on many topics and preached intersectionality before most of us even had a word for it. We were in agreement before we even met: In the 1990s, we were both independently working to organize a Green Party in Harris County.
One thing on which Cobb and I have recently agreed is that Caity Johnstone rocks our respective worlds.
Ms. Johnstone, who has been contributing to Inquisitr almost daily of late, is a converted Sandernista. As a progressive voter, she jumped on the Bernie bandwagon early, rejected Hillary Clinton's candidacy for a host of reasons, and switched her allegiance to Jill Stein and the Greens when it became clear that Sen. Sanders would not get the Democrats' nod. Here's her piece from Thursday on the revelation that Jill Stein has her money in some not-100%-green funds.
ZOMG. Hide your kids, hide your wife.
One thing on which Cobb and I have recently agreed is that Caity Johnstone rocks our respective worlds.
Ms. Johnstone, who has been contributing to Inquisitr almost daily of late, is a converted Sandernista. As a progressive voter, she jumped on the Bernie bandwagon early, rejected Hillary Clinton's candidacy for a host of reasons, and switched her allegiance to Jill Stein and the Greens when it became clear that Sen. Sanders would not get the Democrats' nod. Here's her piece from Thursday on the revelation that Jill Stein has her money in some not-100%-green funds.
ZOMG. Hide your kids, hide your wife.
Mr. Cobb, the 2004 Green presidential nominee, is now serving as campaign director for the Stein/Baraka ticket. He's the bald fellow, at left, in the photo atop Johnstone's 28 October post. At the Green Convention, he conducted the lengthy interview with Julian Assange, in which Assange warned that the Stein/Baraka campaign should brace for attacks in the media from Team Clinton.
So far, those attacks have not been as profuse or nasty as I expected. It's astounding to me, personally, that the worst scandal that the Daily Beast can find on Dr. Stein is that she has investments in funds that might include energy stocks.
You wanna know what's more scandalous? People who should know better—most egregiously, Tim Wise—are treating this bit of smearage as if it completely destroys the Mythos of Stein. Stein's investment portfolio absolutely pales in comparison to what the Clintons and Trumps have done with their money and their time in office, as the good doctor has pointed out in her official response. Get some perspective, people!
So far, those attacks have not been as profuse or nasty as I expected. It's astounding to me, personally, that the worst scandal that the Daily Beast can find on Dr. Stein is that she has investments in funds that might include energy stocks.
You wanna know what's more scandalous? People who should know better—most egregiously, Tim Wise—are treating this bit of smearage as if it completely destroys the Mythos of Stein. Stein's investment portfolio absolutely pales in comparison to what the Clintons and Trumps have done with their money and their time in office, as the good doctor has pointed out in her official response. Get some perspective, people!
Being chronically broke, I don't have money to invest. When I have a little extra cash, I catch up on bills and maybe give some to a charitable cause or a candidate. So when I ran for office, I had no financial conflicts of interest whatsoever. I even withdrew my money from the Texas Teachers Retirement System to pay off credit card balances when I left MD Anderson to run for Senate in 2012, a decision which would give most financial advisers the vapors. For a brief period in the 1990s, when I worked for Borders Books/Planet Music, I had Borders Group stock options, but I cashed those in too. Same for a 401(k) I once had through Productivity Point (another former employer that went belly-up).
Generally, I view the stock market as a vehicle for redistributing wealth to the already wealthy. The bond market is even worse. But I can no more reject Stein for her prudent, modest investments than I can my Green comrades who still eat meat (which quite a few do). In the unlikely event of her moving into the White House, Stein and her husband, Dr. Richard Rohrer, would certainly transfer their investments to an even blinder trust—or, if I know Jill, she would cash in and give the proceeds to a suitably progressive charitable organization. She certainly would not make policy based on how it would affect her earnings.
Generally, I view the stock market as a vehicle for redistributing wealth to the already wealthy. The bond market is even worse. But I can no more reject Stein for her prudent, modest investments than I can my Green comrades who still eat meat (which quite a few do). In the unlikely event of her moving into the White House, Stein and her husband, Dr. Richard Rohrer, would certainly transfer their investments to an even blinder trust—or, if I know Jill, she would cash in and give the proceeds to a suitably progressive charitable organization. She certainly would not make policy based on how it would affect her earnings.
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