Democratic Presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich bashed what he said were the Bush administration's plans to unilaterally explore outer space weapons technology and its lack of international cooperation at a Rockefeller Center question and answer forum Thursday.
"This country has a military strategy of putting weapons in space to control the world from outer space," Kucinich said.
The Bush administration announced its plans earlier in the week to build a space station on the Moon and to pursue further space exploration. The space station would act as a staging ground for other missions.
Kucinich also indicated that although he is trailing nearly all major candidates in every major primary poll, he remains optimistic that the Democratic Party will nevertheless give him the nomination bid at the Democratic National Convention.
Regardless of whether or not he makes a strong showing in primaries or at the DNC, his bid for the Democratic nomination in 2004 would be meaningful because of the message that it sends, Kucinich said.
"If nothing else my candidacy challenges conventional thinking, and we have to do that," Kucinich said.
According to Kucinich, the President's shot at "hegemony" in outer space is not the only instance in which Bush has abandoned the concept of international cooperation.
Kucinich said Bush failed to cooperate with international parties in Iraq and with regard to arms limitation agreements.
In contrast, Kucinich said he generally favors international cooperation.
"My candidacy for president of the United States derives from a world view where I see the world as interconnected and interdependent," Kucinich said. "It is a holistic view."
Kucinich expressed that some primary followers may have misconstrued his opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organization as being inconsistent with his integrated world view and anti-international trade.
In response to that concern, Kucinich said, "Of course we need to have global trade. The question is, what shall the circumstances of global commerce be?"
Kucinich indicated that he opposed the WTO and NAFTA because it encouraged wage suppression abroad.
At home, Kucinich said he opposed the two organizations because they have led to the exodus of manufacturing and high-tech labor to other countries.
In place of the WTO and NAFTA agreements, Kucinich said that if he were elected President, the U.S. economy would operate against the backdrop of protective tariff, in order to keep manufacturing jobs in the United States.
"This idea that we make a transition from manufacturing is a very dangerous notion because we're still buying things," Kucinich said.
Kucinich received a round of applause from his audience when he spoke about his plan to create a Department of Peace with the goal of "addressing the symptoms and causes of violence in our society."
According to Kucinich, the department would work through schools, non-government organizations and community programs to combat domestic, gang and anti-gay violence.
"We can make non-violence an organizing principle in our society," Kucinich said.
On education, Kucinich said that Bush's "No Child Left Behind" initiative has been unsuccessful because it rewards or penalizes public schools based on standardized test performance. This system drains funds from failing school districts, which are most in need, Kucinich said.
Kucinich is also a strong proponent of non-profit, universal healthcare.
The Ohio Congressman, who at the age of 31, was the youngest person ever elected mayor of Cleveland, said that the healthcare issue was a major force behind his decision to campaign for the Democratic nomination.
