Diane Sare, an independent U.S. Senate candidate from New York representing the Lyndon LaRouche Party, has criticized the United States’ actions at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), calling for greater diversity and equitable representation for countries from the Global South.
In an exclusive interview with South Asian Herald, Sare noted, “The United States has been vetoing resolutions for ceasefire or recognizing a Palestinian state. I think something has to be done to allow nations of the Global South to have a more equitable voice,” adding “India, right now has the largest population of any nation on the planet. They have surpassed China. Clearly, they have a right to have their voice heard. But I think every nation has to have, in a sense, an equal right to be heard.”
UNSC and BRICS
When asked about her stance on supporting India’s candidacy for a permanent seat on the UNSC, Sare responded, “I don’t see why not,” while emphasizing the need to “restructure” the current system at the global body.
Commenting on the BRICS alliance, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, she remarked, “I think there is a new game in town, a potential coming from the BRICS summit,” which has sparked considerable interest in South Asia.
Referring to the upcoming BRICS conference from October 22-24 in Kazan, Russia, Sare noted, “The Russians are already talking about establishing a new payment system… I think this is very hopeful.” She also highlighted the growth of BRICS, which initially started with five member nations but has since expanded.
She was critical of the news media of being “very insular, very monotone,” for not adequately covering global events. “So, unfortunately I think many Americans are not aware that even as we have an incredible danger of nuclear war, we also have an incredible potential of a renaissance and a new kind of relations among nations.”
New York State Signature Requirements
Sare, who previously contested for the US House of Representatives in 2012 and 2014 as a Democratic candidate from New Jersey’s 5th District, contested for the U.S. Senate from New York as an Independent in 2022, challenging Senator Chuck Schumer. She is now running against Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in the upcoming general election.
She described New York as exhibiting “the most extreme,” trend of excluding candidates outside the Democratic or Republican parties, citing the state’s decision to triple the signature requirements as one example, to stay mainstream.
“New York already was known as being one of the most difficult in the country, with a requirement of 15,000 valid signatures, collected only in a six-week time frame. They changed it in 2020 to be 45,000 signatures in the same six weeks,” she said, underscoring that her campaign has now submitted 70,000 signatures well over requirement to be eligible for the 2024 elections.
South Asians in New York
Sare emphasized the strength of New York’s South Asian community, noting that medical professionals and other experts from the community could significantly boost the state’s productivity.
“South Asians are gaining political influence in New York,” she added, while also pointing out that America still has gaps in learning to fully embrace the diversity and contributions of other cultures.
Furthermore, she stated that there was no reason for the South Asian community to support her opponents, Sen. Gillibrand or Mike Sapraicone, given their history.
She expressed that as a U.S. Senator from New York, her top priority is achieving peace. Her second priority is the economy, which she believes is “actually the driver of war.” According to her many members of Congress “have ties to military-industrial corporations, so they profit from sending billions of dollars of weapons overseas.”
As such, her “first and foremost domestic policy,” would be to stop sending weapons to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
India’s progress in Space Program
“Rather than developing advanced technology for war, we should collaborate with nations like India, which has a very bold space program, and is graduating thousands of engineers and scientists,” she said commending India’s progress. “I remember so vividly when India was working on one of the Mars landings, how everyone was so excited. There was tremendous optimism. It brings people together, and it ennobles people, it creates a kind of love of mankind, and I think this is what we urgently need to restore in the United States.”
She noted that while New York State has 157 companies producing parts for NASA projects, it also has three of the top ten cities with the highest child poverty in the U.S. Her argument is that if the U.S. embraced major infrastructure projects like high-speed rail, nuclear power, and water system modernization, it could significantly improve living standards, similar to the impact of the Erie Canal.
“The massive inflow of migrants has served only to expose how decrepit and rotten our infrastructure is… I do believe that we actually should be vetting everyone who comes into the country. I don’t think we should have a massive flow, but we have to look at the cause,” expressed Sare while weighing in on migrant crises in the United States. “I don’t think we have a right to turn them away. We created a mess where people can’t live in their own country.”