3rd party candidate Jill Stein responds to Clinton-Trump duel in real time

Barred from participating in the Clinton-Trump showdown at New York’s Hofstra University, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein fights back with her own livestream Q&A contribution to the debate on social media.

In answer to a debate question how to achieve prosperity, Stein said Clinton approved of NAFTA, which was signed into law by her husband, then president, Bill Clinton.

She said everything that Donald Trump markets is an off-shored manufactured item.

“So Donald Trump knows all about it. In fact, he advised that people close their factories and move somewhere and then impose low wages on the workers,” Stein told more than 7,000 viewers on her livestream.

“We are calling for the antidote to NAFTA. The Green New Deal, investing in people, 20 million living wage jobs that will transition us to 100 percent clean energy," said Stein.”…[Restoring] our ecosystem, turning the tide on climate change, reviving our health, that alone is enough.”

READ MORE: Jill Stein escorted by police away from Clinton-Trump, plans debate fightback via livestream Q&A

With over 9,000 viewers online, Stein said the policies that led to the Wall Street crisis, and the consequence of predatory lending and predatory student loans, were a result of deregulation brought to us by then president Bill Clinton, with the support of Hillary Clinton. Clinton is a friend of the big banks, too, said Stein.

“Don’t just listen to talk,” said Stein.

“It’s very important we go back and renegotiate NAFTA …but we need to develop our jobs here,” said Stein. “That’s why we call for investing in new jobs through our Green New Deal...in small businesses, worker businesses, worker collectives.”

Stein said both Democrat and Republican parties have a history of cutting taxes on the wealthy, and shifting the tax base to the middle class and working people.

“America wasn’t meant to be an aristocracy,” said Stein. “22 billionaires have as much money as 50 percent of the US population. ...We need a progressive income tax, with the rich paying at least at the 55 to 60 percent level.”

“We need a politics of integrity," said Stein when the candidates talked about their tax returns and financial disclosures.

“I think they are both right,” said Stein. “I think the America people deserve disclosure about who is the bigger crook.” 

With 10,300 viewers, Stein said the police tactic Stop and Frisk “was a disaster for human rights, and a horrific assault on communities.”

“The place where need law and order is on Wall Street,” said Stein who explained that the police were “missing in action. They need to be brought back.”

“Immigrants are among the most law-abiding groups out there,” said Stein. “It is false for Trump to be fear-mongering that immigrants are a community of violence.”

Stein said the systemic racism in prisons, the courts and in the economy needed to be addressed. 

Stein said the police needed training in de-escalation techniques, to be evaluated over whom is hired, and to not be loaded up with military gear.

“Police forces need to look like the communities they serve,” said Stein.

With 10,800 viewers, 15,000 likes and 15,000 shares, Stein said: “We need an international treaty to prevent cyberwar, which the Chinese and the Russians as well want but our government has been refusing to go along. We need to listen to the concerns raised here, and move ahead with the treaty.”

On the allegations that Russia hacked the DNC emails, Stein said: “I agree with Donald Trump, surprisingly.”

“There is no evidence that the Russians were the ones who hacked into the DNC emails, but they gave us plenty of evidence that the DNC was involved in backroom dealing.”

On the issue of Edward Snowden, Stein said the NSA whistleblower should be given a pardon and “brought home as a hero.”

On Foreign policy, Stein said we need a Peace Offensive in the Mideast to cut off weapons and funding to terrorist militias.

"When it comes to nuclear weapons, the Obama administration had just approved trillions of dollars on new modes of delivering nuclear weapons,” said Stein. “Clinton has given no indication of changing course. She is pushing for an air war against Russia over Syria, creating a no-fly zones namely against Russia.”

"That is the one solution here – it is nuclear abolition as an international emergency,” said Stein.

Stein said the Iran deal ensured there would be no nuclear weapon in the country in the future.
“Iran does not currently have a nuclear weapons program and was not engaged in a nuclear weapons program,” said Stein.

“There are nuclear weapons in the hands of the Israelis and Pakistanis.”
“It now takes 44 percent of your tax dollars to fund the military,” said Stein. “I am only candidate not taking money from the military industry and the fossil fuel industry.”

After the debate, Stein engaged in an #AskJill Q&A on Twitter and Facebook. Questions ranged from LGBT rights, immigration and campaign reform to how to fight climate change and what to do about public schools.

On climate change, Stein said she was against all new fossil fuel infrastructure and would phase out fossil fuels by 2030 “to avert the climate catastrophe that is coming.”

On helping public schools, Stein said they should be fully funded and have smaller classes. She also advocated hiring more teachers, getting rid of high stakes testing, teaching students for life-long learning, and focusing more on arts and music.

Stein was asked if she would pardon whistleblower Chelsea Manning.
“We should pardon her and bring her back a hero,” said Stein.

Stein said she hopes the next time she’ll be on the debate stage.