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| Invasion and
Occupation of Iraq |
Oppose
Greens opposed the invasion of Iraq and oppose the continued occupation of the
country. Greens favor an immediate withdrawal of US troops and US influence
over Iraq as an occupying power.
Greens favor giving the UN and a regional coalition a major role in
dealing with security issues during Iraq's transition to a new government.
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Support
The Bush Administration, persuaded by a group of influential neoconservatives, has
pursued an unconstitutional agenda of US-imposed regime change. They've openly stated
that the goal of US foreign policy should be to democratize (by diplomacy or by military force)
nations deemed a threat to US interests and security. Beginning with his infamous "Axis of
Evil" statement, President Bush made clear that the use of force by the US against
other nations will be a constant threat. |
Support
Only a handful of Democrats opposed Bush's call for an invasion. Very few
have demanded the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq[.] [Only now,
after 3 years of [disastrous] war have they finally started to demand
withdrawal, and many still insist we need to stay. John Kerry insists that the
invasion was a mistake, driven by faulty intelligence about Iraq's Weapons
programs.
Criticized the Bush Administration as unwilling to use the UN, weapons
inspections and diplomacy to seek a peaceful resolution to the question of
Iraq's weapons. However, Kerry (and John Edwards) voted to grant President
Bush authorization to wage an unconstitutional, undeclared war on Iraq. Kerry
says the President has the right to preemptively strike any nation without
Congressional approval.
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| Patriot Act |
Oppose
Law gives too much power to President and undermines civil
liberties. Law will NOT help prevent terrorism. |
Support
Republicans created this sweeping infringement on individual rights and
liberties. |
Support
Democrats supported it, including John Kerry. The Democratic
Platform says nothing about overturning or revising the USA
Patriot Act or about the Ashcroft Justice Department's possible
plans to expand the act. More than 330 cities, four states, and the Green
Party have condemned the act's numerous violations of the U.S.
Constitution. |
| Invasion of
Afghanistan |
Oppose
Opposed the full-scale bombing and invasion of Afghanistan. The
war in Afghanistan has not done anything to reduce the threat of
terrorism or shrink the size and support for terror groups.
Afghanistan is a country in disarray. Warlords now dominate the
country. |
Supported |
Supported |
| Kosovo War |
Opposed
Opposed the Kosovo Bombings by NATO in 1999. |
Supported |
Supported |
| Military Budget |
Reduce
Call for sharp reductions in military spending, with funds
redirected into social and environmental needs. Greens oppose many
useless cold-war era weapons systems (Missile Defense) as
boondoggles for defense fatcats.
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Increase
President Bush advocates increases in military spending and enactment of "Star Wars"
National Missile Defense. |
Increase
Al Gore proposed even greater increases than Bush in 2000 and he
supported Star Wars. Despite GOP claims to the contrary, Kerry is
generally seen as a Hawk and supports significant increases in the
military budget and has proposed an expansion of US Special
Forces. Kerry voted for Missile Defense in 1999. SANE gave John
Kerry a 20% rating in 2003. |
| Israeli Occupation
of West Bank and Gaza. |
Oppose |
Support
Supports Sharon's policies and the illegal "security
fence" in the West Bank. |
Support
Supports Sharon's policies and the illegal "security
fence" in the West Bank. |
| Global Warming -
Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions |
Support
Support rapid reduction of global Greenhouse gas emissions.
Support Kyoto Treaty as a first step; support higher
efficiency standards, conversion to renewable energy sources such
as low-cost wind and solar power. |
Oppose
Oppose any reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
President Bush
withdrew the U.S. from the Kyoto Treaty to reduce greenhouse gases
and fossil fuel use (oil, coal). |
Oppose and Failed
to Act.
Failed to act on global warming in 1990s. Bill Clinton and
Al Gore
sabotaged the Kyoto Treaty in November, 2000, demanding higher
US greenhouse gas emissions. Clinton
and Gore sought no improvement in automobile efficiency standards.
Kerry voted against the global
climate change treaty in 1997. Democrats still will not stand
up for the Kyoto treaty. |
| Right to Choose |
Support
Support full access to abortion, with funding for all women in
the
U.S. and around the world. |
Oppose
President Bush opposes abortion, ordered a ban on US funds for overseas
agencies that offer abortion and has nominated Supreme Court
justices that are far more likely to consider overturning Roe v.
Wade.
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Support (?)
Support abortion rights -- but former President Bill Clinton signed the same ban
in November, 1999. Al Gore favored outlawing late-term abortion in
the US. Sen. John Kerry is opposed to a ban on partial-birth abortions. |
| National Health
Insurance |
Support
single-payer national health insurance, with guaranteed
treatment and medicine regardless of age, ability to pay,
employment, or prior medical condition, and with choice of doctors
and hospitals. |
Oppose
Oppose guaranteed universal health care, support health policy
based on corporate profits for insurance, HMO, and drug companies
instead of human need.
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Oppose
Bill Clinton and Al Gore promoted health policy based on corporate
profits; deleted plans for universal health care from the
Democratic platform. John Kerry is unwilling to support a single-payer
system, although he supports making "affordable" health
care a right. Democrats are still in the pocket of the medical
industry's big money lobbyists. |
| Clean Water |
Support
Demand immediate arsenic reductions. |
Oppose
President Bush wants to delay a 9 month order to reduce arsenic in
drinking water. |
Weak Support
Bill Clinton delayed action for 8 years before signing an order
just before Bush took office. |
| Death Penalty |
Oppose
Oppose the death penalty, citing racial bias, failure to deter
crime, widespread errors, and humanitarian objections. |
Support |
Support
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| Labor: Wages and
Unions |
Support
Demand a livable wage (minimum pay that people can live on, approx
$10/hr in most communities), democratic workplaces, strong unions,
and repeal of Taft-Hartley restrictions. Note: Between 1965-1975
the US Federal Minimum Wage was approximately $8.00/hr (in 2005
dollars). |
Oppose Workers
Oppose raising minimum wages and have worked to weaken unions
and labor standards. |
Minimal Support
Support insignificant incremental minimum wages increases, claim to support
worker's rights but refuse to overturn Taft-Hartley Act
restrictions on union organizing. Democrat Platform is silent on
Taft-Hartley and living wages. |
| (Global) Corporate
Power
Trade Agreements and Institutions (NAFTA, FTAA, CAFTA, WTO)
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Restrict
Greens oppose trade pacts because of their anti-democratic power
to overturn labor, environmental, and human rights protections. |
Expand
Support so-called "Free Trade" Pacts (WTO, NAFTA,
FTAA). |
Expand
Support the same Free Trade Pacts. Given the negative impacts of
pro-corporate trade policies, many Democrats now amend their
support with rhetorical demands for more "labor and
environmental standards" but rarely suggest that
international trade organizations like the WTO need to be
seriously reviewed. |
Real Campaign
Finance Reform
&
Publicly Financed Elections
For more on money in politics, visit OpenSecrets.
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Support
Green candidates rely on small contributors and run their
campaigns with the help and hard work of thousands of grassroots
volunteers around the country.
Demand fully-funded, publicly financed elections with free
air-time, reasonable ballot access, and debates that are open to
all legitimate candidates.
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Oppose
Bush's 2004 campaign raised more than $250 Million.
Accept big checks from corporations (individuals from
corporations and via bundled contributions), including defense
contractors, oil companies, insurance and drug firms, etc.
Top 5 contributor origins 2004:
Morgan Stanley
$573,380
Merrill Lynch
$546,154
PriceWaterhouse
$499,850
UBS Americas
$439,275
Goldman Sachs
$357,025
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Oppose
Kerry's 2004 campaign raised more than $230 Million.
Accept big checks from corporations (individuals from
corporations and via bundled contributions). Chose corporate
fundraiser Terry McAuliffe to head the Democratic National
Committee (Howard Dean is now the Chair). Democrats say they support campaign finance reform but
they do not advocate for 100% publicly financed elections - while
they continue to accept big checks from powerful corporate donors.
Top 5 contributor origins 2004:
University of California
$486,610
Harvard University
$320,089
Time Warner
$268,349
Microsoft Corp
$260,593
Citigroup Inc
$256,606
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| Electoral Reforms
& Democracy
(More information: www.fairvote.org)
|
Support
Call for major democratic reforms to strengthen citizen
participation and minority representation, including proportional
representation, instant run-off voting, monitoring of elections,
and public financing of campaigns. |
Oppose
No position on democratic reforms. Republican ideologues on the
Supreme Court threw the 2000 election to Bush. |
Oppose
No position on electoral reform, even after the 2000 Florida
election scandal. The Clinton Justice Dept. refused to investigate
obstruction of African American votes. |
| 2000 Florida
Election - Congressional Investigation |
Support
Greens supported the Congressional Black Caucus' demand to have Congressional
Hearings on the vote count and voting process in Florida. |
Oppose
Republican ideologues on the Supreme Court threw the 2000
election to Bush. |
Oppose
FACT: When the Senate confirmed Bush's victory, NOT ONE
Democratic Senator stood up to support the Congressional Black
Caucus's challenge to the vote count.
The Clinton Justice Dept. refused to investigate obstruction of
African American votes. |
| Reform the
Presidential Debate Commission |
Support
A new citizen-controlled debate commission should be
formed to handle all future Presidential debates. ALL
legitimate candidates should have the opportunity to participate
in political debates. |
Oppose |
Oppose |
| Strict Standards
on GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) |
Support
Greens support thorough testing and strict controls of all GMOs. |
Oppose |
Oppose |
| Corporate
Agriculture |
Oppose
Greens support family-scale farms, diversified, sustainable
agriculture that emphasizes organic growing methods. |
Support |
Support |
| Drug War |
Oppose |
Support |
Support |
| Telecommunications
Deregulation - Giveaway of public broadcast spectrum to
private companies. |
Opposed to
Deregulation
Greens support the creation of substantial public space for non-profit
use of airwaves. Today private broadcasters totally control
what the public owns. |
Supported
Supported the giveaway of public airwaves to private companies. |
Supported
Supported the giveaway of public airwaves to private companies. |
| Bank Deregulation
and Banking Reform |
Opposed to bank
deregulation.
Advocate democratic reforms, which would include creating publicly funded
"community investment banks" and mandating low-interest loans for low-income
persons and first-time small business entrepreneurs.
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Supported bank
deregulation. |
Supported bank
deregulation. |
| Increased
Accounting Oversight |
Support
Supports fundamental changes in the way publicly traded companies'
financial records are audited. |
Oppose |
Opposed until the
Enron scandal broke. |
Other issues on
which most Republicans and most Democrats agree -- and
Greens
disagree |
Plan Colombia
The bombing of Iraqi civilians
Refusal to ban landmines
Privatization of prisons, other public services and resources
Severe penalties for marijuana
Big corporate mergers and Wall Street bail-outs
Forest logging giveaways
Powerful agribusiness lobbies instead of family farms
Uncontrolled bio-engineering
Increased wiretaps and other surveillance
The Defense of Marriage Act |
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