Cornel West: Both parties 'beyond redemption'
Independent presidential candidate Cornel West said both major American political parties are beyond saving in an interview with The Washington Post released Tuesday.
“Both parties are beyond redemption,” West said.
Explaining the need for him to stay in the race, West pointed to the “crisis in the Republican Party, the undercutting and the neofascism of [former President Trump] on the one hand, and now the Democratic establishment especially around Gaza.”
“We just have to be true to ourselves,” he told the Post.
West, an activist, has been a fierce critic of Israel's war in Gaza, joining pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University in recent days. He has defended his third-party candidacy as a moral imperative, despite Democratic concerns that it could undermine President Biden's reelection bid.
Biden has faced mounting criticism from the left on his handling of Israel’s war in Gaza, even from some in his party. A recent CBS News/YouGov poll found an increasing number of Americans wanting the president to push Israel to halt military action in Gaza, from 31 percent in February to 37 percent in the newer poll.
Biden has recently ramped up public criticism of Israel's handling of the war, and has increased efforts to move more aid into Gaza amid fears of a famine. But the president has not supported placing conditions on aid to Israel, despite a strike that killed seven workers with the U.S.-based World Central Kitchen.
He also criticized Robert F. Kennedy, another independent presidential candidate, who has said Palestinians are "pampered" with international aid, and described Israel as a "moral nation."
“He just strikes me as just so far removed from the realities of suffering,” West said of Kennedy.
In a recent interview, West called Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel last year a “counter-terrorist” response.
“There’s no doubt that there’s a variety of different Palestinian voices in the resistance movement,” West said to CNN anchor Abby Phillip earlier this month. “Hamas doesn’t speak for every Palestinian.”
“I don’t believe in killing an innocent anybody,” West later added.
“But you don’t start with those voices without coming to terms with the vicious killings and occupations that’s been going on for 75 years, and then you get a counter-terrorist response to that.”
On April 10, West announced his vice presidential pick, Melina Abdullah, a professor at California State University in Los Angeles. He said he “wanted someone whose heart, mind and soul is committed to the empowerment of poor and working people.”
“She has a record of deep commitment and investment in ensuring poor and working people are at the center of her vision,” West said of Abdullah.
Date: |
Topics
Filter
-
Japanese beauty needs to look beyond China
Chinese shoppers have been increasingly turning to homegrown beauty brands, with sales growing rapidlyFinancial Times - World - China -
We'll Protect Both Life and IVF
A Senate bill to clear up confusion after an Alabama Supreme Court ruling.The Wall Street Journal - World -
Beyond tariffs, US economic strength is key to containing China
By leveraging its economic strength and showing unwavering determination, the U.S. can reestablish its prestige, deterring and inhibiting the CCP from challenging Taiwan or the global order.The Hill - Politics - China -
In a Secret Manhattan Garden, a Birthday Party for Katharine Hepburn
Every year, a small band of New Yorkers gathers in a tucked-away Midtown park to celebrate the actress, a beloved neighbor they remember as an everyday city dweller.The New York Times - Lifestyle -
Martha Stewart on how to throw a garden tea party
The lifestyle entrepreneur and host of "Martha Gardens" offers tips on preparing a delicious afternoon tea.CBS News - Top stories -
‘Horrible’ and ‘beyond F'd up’: Texas Democratic lawmakers outraged by Abbott pardon of Daniel Perry
Politico - Politics -
Biden and Trump are both betting on debates to help magnify the other’s weaknesses
Trump will look to again cast Biden as greatly diminished while Biden will aim to remind voters why they rejected Trump in 2020. US politics live – latest updatesSign up for The Stakes, our US elections newsletterIt’s game on for a pair of ...The Guardian - World - Joe Biden -
'Hidden Faces: Covered Portraits of the Renaissance' Review: Seeing Both Sides
An exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art reunites the components of several works from the era—which were often double-sided or fitted with movable covers—and thus reveals deeper meanings rich with symbolism and ambiguity.The Wall Street Journal - World -
‘Bidenomics’ 2.0 or ‘Trumponomics’ 2.0? Both would hurt trade and growth.
Joe Biden and Donald Trump are each pushing a protectionist agenda that weakens U.S. interests at home and globally.MarketWatch - Business -
Xi Jinping Embracing Vladimir Putin in Defiance of the West
Western leaders looking for signs that the Chinese leader used his influence on President Vladimir V. Putin to end the war in Ukraine are likely to be disappointed.The New York Times - World - China
More from The Hill
-
Sullivan presses Netanyahu for a more focused military campaign in Gaza
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan reiterated Biden administration pressure on Israel to limit its military operation in Gaza during a visit to the country on Sunday. Sullivan is on a combined trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia as ...The Hill - Politics - Israel -
Biden has become detached from economic reality
The vast majority of Americans recognize Bidenomics as a disaster for the nation.The Hill - Politics - Joe Biden -
Haley draws support from Trump in Maryland, Nebraska, West Virginia primaries
Former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley garnered significant shares of the vote in three Republican primaries Tuesday, despite dropping of the race over two months ago. In Maryland, Haley brought in 20 percent of the vote to former President ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
John Dean: Hush money case against Trump 'very powerful'
John Dean, former President Nixon's White House counsel, said in a Saturday interview that the New York hush money criminal trial against former President Trump is “very powerful” ahead of highly anticipated testimony this week from Trump’s ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
Most expect Trump to be convicted in hush money trial: Poll
Most registered voters say they expect former President Trump to be convicted on some or all counts in his ongoing hush money criminal trial in New York, according to a poll released Tuesday. The Suffolk University/USA Today survey, conducted from ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump