August 11, 2019

*-- Why I Am Supporting Tulsi Gabbard --*

By: Jaffer Ali

I have been voting since 1976. From that point forward, I have never voted for a Republican or a Democrat for President. Whether it was Ross Perot, Ralph Nader or John Anderson, I always chose to vote independent because all too often, both parties appeared little more than window dressing for the same bankrupt ideas and principles.

But something different has arrived on the Presidential scene out of Hawaii; Tulsi Gabbard. And like Sting or Bono, a one name moniker suffices for this political rock star: T-U-L-S-I. So what exactly is it that drew me to Tulsi?

I can say without equivocation that Tulsi represents the best hope to bring our troops home from unnecessary regime change wars. These wars enrich the Military Industrial Complex (MIC) but do little to enhance the security of ordinary Americans. Tulsi knows first-hand the costs of war up close. And while chicken hawks from both parties clamor for more engagement and interventions, Tulsi stands alone warning us of the dangers she understands better than the all the others running for President.

Foreign policy is not usually a demarcation point among candidates as their handlers nudge them to not rock the foreign policy boat. But we have now reached the economic reality that the traditional Guns vs. Butter historical debate must conjoin the issue of domestic spending and military spending. There is simply not enough money for Guns AND Butter.

Tulsi understands that we cannot build our crumbling infrastructure while maintaining military bases in Afghanistan that drains $4 billion each and every month from our federal coffers. Tulsi understands that we live in a connected, complex world that means every military engagement has an effect on health care.

Tulsi stands at the crossroads of a new, populist movement. I have called this our populist moment. She can unite people from the traditional "left" and "right" by speaking beyond party platitudes. This is a bottom up, grassroots movement that speaks to our dreams and not our fears. Tulsi speaks with authenticity even if I may disagree on certain issues like her anti-BDS vote pushed by the American-Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC).

Tulsi just does not just *tawk*. She speaks with confidence and is fearless amidst her detractors. And when MSNBC pundits or Kamala Harris brand her "an Assad apologist", she knows deep inside that these political shills for continuing business as usual are nothing more than nuisance flies and she swats them away effortlessly.

I guess in the end, the one point more than any other is that Tulsi gives me hope. Hope that we can narrow the gulf between our nation's ideals and actions. Hope that we can restore a spiritual dimension to the White House. Hope that we can transcend divisions and places us on a road that promises a better future for my grandkids to come.

***
Jaffer Ali is a serial entrepreneur and currently the CEO of PulseTV and TrySERA. He frequently writes on business and media matters and writes a column for the free online publication: Media Perspectives which can be subscribed at GopherCentral.com.

Original Article: Why I Am Supporting Tulsi Gabbard

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