Dennis Kucinich on the Democratic Platform

June 25 at 11:24pm ·
"The Democratic Party Platform drafting committee, in two days has taken a wrecking ball to the US Constitution, the global climate and world peace: TPP, Israel/Palestine & fracking.

The committee rejected an effort to defeat the Trans Pacific Partnership (‪#‎TPP‬). This trade agreement destroys the first three articles of the US Constitution which created the legislative, the executive and the judicial branches. It does so by transferring the sovereign powers of the US government to an anti-democratic Investor State and to international tribunals run by private attorneys.

The TPP turns the US treasury into an ATM for every foreign investor who wishes to challenge and get compensation for any health, safety and environmental rule deemed obstructive by the foreign trade tribunal. It can even sue the US for creating a trade barrier through maintaining public employment.

The platform drafting committee would not challenge fracking. The environmental disaster brought about by fracking is well-established: the poisoning of the earth, the ruining of water supplies, the creation of earthquakes, the adverse long-term effects on the health of millions of Americans, and the compounding effects on global climate change.

The plight of the Palestinians is a core issue in achieving peace in the Middle East. We can all support Israel, but if we do not question the occupation and equally support the rights of the Palestinians to survive, we contribute directly to ongoing strife.

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders need to weigh in on the final platform. They must not permit the power of a future presidency to be delegated to a committee refusing to represent their electorates. The full Democratic Party Platform committee must revise the work of its drafting committee on these issues if the party is to be united in the 2016 election." Dennis Kucinich