Stewart Alexander, the vice-presidential nominee of the Socialist Party USA and Peace and Freedom VP hopeful, has written an article for Bay Area Indymedia highlighting his concerns with Bush’s $168 billion economic stimulus package:

Millions of working people are waking up to the harsh reality that the Bush stimulus package is not working and that the U.S. economy is already in a recession. Many economic indicators are revealing that the economy is in serious trouble. Just last week the U.S. Labor Department reported the lost of 49,000 jobs for the month of May, it was the highest lost of jobs since 1986; and as inflation continues to spread, the cost of energy and food will continue to weaken the U.S. economy.

Working people are struggling to survive under the leadership of the Democrats and Republicans and the signs are everywhere. Recently, as I entered the local State Bros. Market, in Murrieta, California, I observed a woman depositing her coin savings into a Coin Star Center. Over the past two years, some local television stations have publicized how coins are easily deposited into the Coin Star Center to offer customers the convenience of redeeming cash. As I returned to the check-out, there were three people in line at the Coin Star Center and two others filling out their lottery tickets at a near-by lottery station. This is a by-product of modern day capitalism.

While Alexander does provide a list of projects he wants to implement to attempt a revival of the faltering US economy – including lifting the income tax on individuals making less than $60,000 and couples making less than $100,000, a $3-5 trillion infrastructure program and a “Universal Basic Income,” – he also makes clear what he considers the #1 obstacle facing the economy:

President Bush has refused to accept the one option that would stimulate the U.S. economy and restore world peace, and that would be to end the U.S. occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Read the whole article here.