Elin Gauffin, a representative of the Socialist Justice Party, conducted a frank and often heated exchange of views on Thursday in Barnum Hall. The political discussion group, attended by listeners from a wide range of political perspectives, was organized by Socialist Alternative and co-sponsored by the Tufts Coalition Opposed to the War in Iraq (TCOWI).
Following introductions by representatives from various campus political organizations, Gauffin began her speech by launching an attack on the Bush administration's response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and the military campaign in Iraq. Charging that U.S. forces in Iraq are engaged in "colonial occupation," Gauffin argued that the war represented a political agenda that was at odds with the needs and wishes of the majority.
Gauffin said her solution would be to form "ties of solidarity among ordinary people" that will ensure that the nation is governed "for the millions and not the millionaires."
She gave the examples of restrictions on protests at this summer's conventions and military contracts granted to Halliburton as evidence that the government acts in the interest of the "elite" rather than the
majority.
According to Gauffin, the only solution to the growing problems with the nation's political climate is a progressive reform of the two-party system. To that end, she encouraged supporting independent candidate Ralph Nader in the upcoming presidential election. Nader's anti-war, pro-worker campaign, she argued, is the only viable alternative to the Bush administration's abuses of power.
Here, Gauffin distanced herself from some centrist members of her audience. When asked if support for Nader made the unappealing prospect of President Bush's re-election more likely, Gauffin responded with an attack on Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's credentials.
Gauffin argued that Kerry's policies are, in many cases, virtually indistinguishable from those of Bush and said that Kerry's proposal to increase troop deployment in Iraq indicates that his agenda differs so radically from those of the socialist movement as to make socialist support for him impossible.
The discussion period that followed Gauffin's speech demonstrated the mixed response to her argument. Many who commented said that although they were sympathetic to the principle of a socialist government, the immediate priority was the defeat of Bush in November, a goal that precludes support for Nader.
