An Open Letter to U.S. Greens, from Ten Global Greens
October 28, 2004
We write as Greens from across the globe who are united in their desire to see the American electorate remove George W. Bush from office.
The Bush administration has acted with a unilateralism that discounts the opinions of, and demeans the humanity of, non-Western peoples. Though John Kerry is far from the ideal candidate, he will in most respects be a significant improvement to Bush.
Kerry supports the Kyoto Protocol and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and will renew conversations with the International Criminal Court. He has pledged to reverse the Global Gag Rule (which withholds needed funding for family planning assistance from pro-choice groups), supports more stringent workers rights and environmental requirements in international trade agreements, and sees fighting AIDS and other pandemics as important foreign policy matters. Bush has reinvigorated worldwide hostility and arms races, and made international terrorism a global concern. Kerry is an internationalist who acknowledges the widespread ramifications of his actions, and believes in working with other countries around the world and through international alliances like the United Nations. Bush has not acted with concern for the well-being of the global community, and will not.
We ask Greens in the United States to not act with the unilateralism, which Bush has made your country famous for, and see to it that Bush is defeated, for the benefit of untold people across the globe. Indeed, this year's election will be close enough that the votes and actions of Green Party members could tip the balance.
We recognize the awkward position in which the Green Party of the United States finds itself -- its members desire for it to grow as a party and movement by running candidates, but do not want to be labeled "spoilers" or do harm to those causes about which they care most. You face this dilemma because of the electoral mechanisms your country uses. Our elections make use of a variety of systems -- some proportional, some rank-ballot, some run-offs. These systems ensure representation for small parties, encourage coalition-building, and facilitate progressive change. It is only if you reform your electoral systems that you will be able to shed the “spoiler” label once-and-for-all, and be heard by the masses without qualification.
We ask you to vote Bush out of office by supporting Kerry in contested states, and to focus energies on important electoral reforms.
Signed,
- Stephen Luntz (Australian Greens, Electoral Analyst -- Victorian Greens)
- Sean Hardy (Australian Greens, Member -- Victorian Greens State Executive)
- Annemieke Smit (Dutch Greens, Member)
- Jacques Duponcheel (Belgian Greens, City Councilor -- Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve)
- Erik Todts (Belgian Greens, Municipal Counselor -- Grez-Doiceau)
- Emmanuelle Hellin (Belgian Greens, Member)
- Fabian Battaglini (Belgian Greens, Professor of Philosophy)
- Jocelyne de Kerckhove (Belgian Greens, Member)
- Benoît Rihoux (Belgian Greens, Professor of Political Science)
- Gérard Roy (French Greens, Member of National Council)
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