To send a question email us at info@ibrahimTaher.com
1. I like a lot of your platform. What is your take on the second amendment debate raging in our country?
A: The second amendment allows Americans to form a counter-power to the government, which can serve as a reminder that the power of the governed exceeds the power obtained by the consent of the governed.
Firearms, in this regard, are automatically protected by the second amendment.
I agree with the amendment’s purposes. Criminal background checks could be justified but they warrant a debate and must not be abused.
It is worth noting that in general, injustice, economic oppression, and unhealthy culture lead to more crimes no matter what types of tools are used to commit these crimes. A reform that addresses these aspects will increase safety in general in our societies and will substantially decrease crimes.
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2. Good Day to You Noted an article concerning your political aspirations in Northwest Observer. Based on the positions articulated in the article, via your platform, a couple of questions. I am not, and in the main have no interaction as a news person. 1. Why did you choose to use the “Green” party as your base in the past ( so to speak )? Can you come to understand the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and Constitution are ( should be ) the drivers of our society, when correctly applied? Your thoughts welcome, and with interest. Being a street raised person with plenty of eduction in that science, why I ask these two questions. First, my ancestors arrived here in 1681, 100 years prior to the founding of this country. Second, I have fundamental agreement with the documents. So, what are your thoughts on two quotes by me: “Political concepts are rarely Humanist, while Humanist concepts are rarely political” and the other: “Our history is the engine of our future, to deceive is our future lost”. In conclusion, the beliefs and instructions in the Founding Documents, came from personal experiences of the creators of those documents. As an old, ( in one aspect ) Mil. & Civ. analyst, I am acutely aware of the manipulations of society, through any number of deceitful, occasionally ruthless actions. I have no desire to be lied to and Government is not the answer. Having volumes of the Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, over 3/4 of the dissertations, written papers, are by Fabian Socialists or more ardent followers. Do you feel you can swing our State, umbilically connected to the East Coast cabal, away from “Psychopolitics” ?
A: Your questions are interesting, wide and require lengthy answers. I will do my best to answer them in the limited time that I have.
1. The members of the Green Party in Oregon have no specific ideology, generally. They have religious members who lean toward conservatism and capitalism, and they have nonreligious people who lean toward liberalism and socialism. The only reason I was a member of the Green party in the past is their anti-war activism. This issue was the most important issue to me. The COVID event, which is in my opinion a form of war, is now the most agonizing issue.
2. Those documents that you have mentioned are products of decades of struggle for freedom, human rights, and dignity. The founding fathers understood that through history mankind struggled under different forms of governments that preyed on the people instead of being for the people. These documents are not perfect, but I argue, that they can lead, conditionally, to liberty and prosperity. The economy, culture, value system and societal systems are neglected and essential factors in building nations, the destruction of which lead us to where we are despite the explicit values in the mentioned documents.
3. “Political concepts are rarely Humanist, while Humanist concepts are rarely political”. I am a philosopher, so the use of vague words with relatively different meanings usually confuses me as the answer can differ wildly. I am going to assume that you mean by political concepts, concepts that are invented, propagated, and pushed by politicians who are usually deceptive, immoral, and self-serving. To this particular meaning, I would say the statement is accurate since being a humanist requires being moral and honest which can be rarely found in politicians. However, political concept, as I understand the word, is the concept that pertains to managing societies and ruling nations which can be moral and humane depending on the value system from which the political concept was derived.
4. I generally agree with this statement, except values can be earned and learned from observation, culture and teachers, which can be a substitute to learning history. Personally, I benefit from learning historic events; it deepens my understanding and connects some missing dots. Occasionally, I learn some values from history.
5. One person cannot make such big changes. Yes, one person can work with others, share knowledge, show integrity and courage to lead the change. I am hoping to have the mental capacity, the purity and the psychological strength to do that. But I am just one person who can hope to be a light in the darkness but again I am just a human.
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3. I am Jewish. Is there a list of issues you have that should concern me and my family’s safety should you become our senator?
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A: Of course not. One of my friends is a former rabbi. Regardless, I oppose the Zionist movement as much as I oppose other extreme movements such as Wahhabism.
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4. Do you support medicare?
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A: It is unquestionable that helping the sick and relief their pain is one of the most honorable jobs. Our societies normalized the for-profit culture in the last century in the healthcare sector which used to be a manifestation of caring for each other without asking for something in return. This is how societies thrive; by helping each other. Right now millions of Americans cannot afford the needed treatment, and thousands die from treatable diseases every year. I believe that it is a collective responsibility to prevent these deaths. I used to think that the best solution for this troubling reality is to have a single-payer health care system. Now I strongly oppose that, after witnessing the weaponization of health care in the past 2 years. The solution might be possible in creating a localized non-for-profit system run by communities. It needs more consideration.
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5. What do think of globalizing the economy and NAFTA in this regard?
A: Globalizing the economy is nothing but a disaster; it concentrates the wealth, creates monopolies, disempower the people, destabilizes societies, harms the environment, prevents democracy, and paves the way for modern slavery. NAFTA was a formal declaration of the elitists’ desire to control the wealth of the planet. Unless people pay close attention to the consequences of these trade deals, they would not understand that deals such NAFTA, TPP, and the USMCA are in fact attacks on the people economy by the global wealthy class. Notice how many manufacturing jobs were lost in our country for cheap labor in other countries because of these deals. Also, notice how much of the wealth was transferred from the people to the 1%.
I cannot stress enough about the grave danger of the current economic policies. We are losing control over our own lives. I hope that someday I can talk in detail about these policies, and remember everything is connected to the economy, even your feelings.
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6. Do you support increasing the number of justices at the supreme court as a way of reform?
A: It could be a good idea to have two more justices, but I do not think that the increase in itself would make a notable difference. In general, the idea of having the Supreme Court with such a huge authority is undemocratic in my view. Worse, it could be used to legitimize totalitarianism. I believe that the Supreme Court has to have only a limited authority that pertains to the relationship between the union members and their affairs in general, recognizing that States have sovereignty. The power must not be concentrated in the hands of few.
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7. What is your stance on Universal Health Care?
A: I initially was a proponent of a universal health care system. However, after witnessing the weaponization of health care under the guises of COVID911, I am now a strong opponent to any government-run health care system. Regardless, profiting off of sickness is immoral and inhumane. Perhaps a locally controlled and community-run healthcare system is the best way to do it.
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8. How do you describe your relationship to public lands? (public lands include and are not limited to: federal, state, and local parks, forests, natural areas, interpretive centers, etc.)
Public lands are necessary parts of our lives. In fact, we cannot live without them. People cannot be confined to their private properties if they have one. I cannot imagine not being able to use public roads which are built on public lands, forests for recreational purposes, and parks to relax and connect with nature.
9. How would you prioritize competing demands placed on our public lands, and how might outdoor recreation be weighed among them?
This is a very troubling issue for me. I can see more and more public lands being taken away from the public every year. The never-ending corporate demand for expansion is hurting us economically, environmentally, and socially. The conflicting issue surrounding public lands needs a systemic solution rather than just prioritization. In the meanwhile, I would prioritize land conversation over needless corporate development and expansion, and I would fight for removing the restrictions on the right to housing, farming, and ranching, over big real estate developing projects.
10. COVID-19 has exposed, and in some cases exacerbated, existing challenges that some voters experience with getting to the polls. How do you plan to ensure that voting is fast, easy, and secure for all eligible voters in your state?
I strongly disagree with the mentioned attributions to COVID911. Nevertheless, in Oregon, we have been using the mail-in voting system for more than 20 years, which encourages higher turnouts and eliminates the usual challenges to in-person voting such as time limitations. Of course, there are some significant concerns surrounding the mail-in voting system especially its susceptibility to fraud as what we witnessed in the 2020 elections. Secure election means, in my mind, manual counting, and preferably, unless we determined that reforming the mail-in voting is not possible, in-person manual voting too.
11. Americans are flocking to the outdoors for recreation and health after months of pandemic-induced isolation. How can we ensure our public outdoor spaces are safe, accessible, and welcoming to everyone?
The continuation of care and preservation of public parks and recreational areas ensures such an objective. I do not agree with state or federal funding of parks and recreational areas. Local communities must be in charge of funds and management.
Public places are crucial for mental health and the overall well-being of the community. No one should be prohibited from accessing such outdoor areas, and accordingly laws and mandates must not interfere with this essential right.
12. What role does public lands management have in addressing climate change?
I strongly reject the government’s adopted narrative of Climate Change; it is a propaganda campaign to achieve more authoritarian control over the people and advance what I call the modern slavery agenda. Nevertheless, I strongly oppose the use of chemicals and toxins on our public lands. A responsible use and management of our lands to reduce the risks of wildfire and maintain healthy air and water must be our objective,
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13. Good evening, can someone please share with me Mr. Taher’s position on medical informed consent and mandatory vaccination?
You asked about one of the dearest and most challenging issues. I strongly oppose mandatory vaccination, and also oppose making them a requirement for jobs and schools. I view these laws as a government attack on the sovereignty of our bodies on behalf of big pharma.
I also fight and advocate for honesty, transparency, and informed consent.
14. I absolutely agree with this and like to hear it, but what about pro-life in general?
A: Personally I oppose abortion from conception. Also, in my view, there is a strong ground for banning it in the 2nd trimester since we can establish the concept of “human life”. I oppose all public funds for abortion.
15. What are your thoughts on cryptocurrencies?
A: There are different types of them. The ones that are decentralized with a limited supply are good like Bitcoin. The ones that are centralized are the worst. The movement toward digital currencies and wallets from world governments cannot be ignored. They are creating Central Banks Digital currencies which must be opposed strongly because if they succeed in implementing them, we will be living in a slavery system that micromanages every aspect of our lives.
16. How would you combat inflation?
A: We have to first understand that inflation is a result of the policy of the unconstitutional Federal Reserve. To Solve it, we have to end the Federal Reserve and return to sound money with a tender like gold and silver.
17. We are looking at global disruption and destruction of the supply chain, especially with the food supply chain. How can we solve that?
A: By localizing the economy which requires repealing the USMCA, encouraging small and local businesses to be manufacturers, and implementing the principles of the free-market by deregulating many rules and laws.
18. Do you believe that the 2020 election was stolen?
A: It appears to me that the election was manipulated on a big scale, I have to put my hands on the evidence before making a stronger statement. It is worth mentioning here that election fraud is an old recognized issue, but I have never seen it done on such a big scale. It is a disaster.
19. What do you mean by ‘strict regulation’ when you talked about the real estate market and isn’t that socialism?
A: The real estate market has to have strict rules to protect the principles of the free-market economy which will result in affordable housing. This is in fact the opposite of socialism -which is defined by the government ownership of the means of production, because we are advocating for more respect and protection of the right of private property ownership.