Sorry, Kshama Sawant, you still die after falling on your sword

KIRO Radio’s John Curley is no Socialist, but he agrees with Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant’s belief that a vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton is basically the same. But that doesn’t mean he thinks any self-respecting Socialist should follow her advice.

Sawant, with the Socialist Alternative, has jumped off the Bernie Sanders bandwagon and is pushing others toward Green Party candidate Jill Stein or Libertarian Gary Johnson. Sawant called for a walkout at the Democratic National Convention and has decried voting for Clinton, who she has called a “warmonger” and “dogged heel of Wall Street.”

Seattle Times columnist Danny Westneat is among those who have taken Sawant to task for being naïve and falling into the same trap as Ralph Nader set in 2000.

Co-host Tom Tangney said he tends to agree with Westneat, wondering why Sawant is protesting the Democrats, who are using portions of her message, while letting the Republicans, who are her enemies, go free. Tangney said it reminds him of when actor Susan Sarandon told the media that a Trump presidency might hasten the revolution.

Curley agrees, however, that, on paper, there are very few differences between the candidates.

John Curley: I look at it this way: Big government, small government. Donald Trump is a big government guy all the way through. Hillary Clinton is a big government gal. They are both very similar when it comes to taxes, trade, military intervention, abortion. They are almost the same along those lines. What Kshama is saying is they are both very, very similar. So get Hillary in there if you eventually want Socialism.

Tom Tangney: But if Trump got in there, it would be more Fascism. He is more of an authoritarian type rather than the Socialism type. I think there are major differences, but it’s the impact.

Curley: I think you need to make small changes. So if you are a Bernie or Kshama supporter and believe in bigger government, then you get Hillary in there and you make a small change. You get her in there to plant the seeds for more Socialism and then later on — maybe eight to 12 years down the road — you will have more security — less freedom — and you will start to move in the direction of a European, welfare-type society. You don’t not vote for Hillary. You vote for Hillary and allow her to be the first person through the door — if you eventually want to be a Socialist society.

Tangney: Basically the Sawant’s of the world — and also Ted Cruz – have suggested you ought to vote your conscience. And I get that. If you believe that person is best to be president, you should vote that way. But your conscience should take into account the impact that your vote would have on the poor or minority voters, women and LGBTQ communities. That’s what you have to ask yourself: If you don’t agree with Trump or Hillary, what are the consequences on the people you care most about with either in the presidency?

Curley: Those who fall on their sword, either way, they’re dead. Sawant is basically saying, fall on your sword and vote for Stein or Johnson but don’t vote for those other two. You’ll end up being an asterisk in American history. You’ll be part of the 2, 6 or – if you’re Ross Perot – 19 percent. And then you end up tossing the election over to somebody you absolutely abhor. Kshama, I’m sorry. I know you’re revolutionary, but you’ve got to do it in small steps.

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