Letters to the Editor
shaunnarine
Published Letters: 106 Editor's Choice: 20
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why is obama pandering at all?
[Read the article: No peace for Obama on Israel]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Dear Editor,
Maybe it is time for Obama to take the risk of simply telling AIPAC where to get off. Maybe it's time to see if, in fact, the "Israel Lobby" really has any teeth. And maybe it's time for a US politician/President to do what is right in the ME, rather than what the Israel Lobby wants.
What I don't understand is this: Obama has no chance of convincing old racist Jews - who don't like him because he's black and because he has a Muslim-sounding name and because they think he may not kowtow far enough when it comes to Israel - of voting for him. Most polls have shown that most Jews in the US will vote for Obama by a considerable margin and there is even evidence that most Jews don't vote on the basis of Israel. The Christian Zionists will never vote for Obama, for most of the reasons noted above. So why, exactly, is Obama even bothering to pander to these people at all? Leave them to John McCain. Concentrate on getting out the Obama vote, the young people and the well-educated, enough voters to overcome whatever swing vote potential old Jewish voters may have in Florida or New York. And then forget about them. Follow policies in the Middle East that actually make sense and don't perpetuate the kind of racism and brutality that has been an Israeli hallmark for decades. And do what is best for the US - and the rest of the world, too, not the least Israel itself.
Sincerely,
Shaun Narine
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re: china's superficiality
[Read the article: Milli Vanilli plays Beijing]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Dear Sir,
I certainly share the general distaste for China's decision to replace one child with a "cuter" one, i.e., one considered more presentable. But surely this superficiality is not only Chinese?
I remember reading an article in Time Magazine, way back in 1984, discussing the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic games. The women who held the placards for the various countries during the opening parade were all chosen on the basis of how pretty they looked.
Years later, I still remember how Time described the situation. The gentleman organizing the opening ceremony was told by other people "you can't choose these girls just on the basis of their looks" but he insisted that this be the deciding criterion. As Time put it, the women "not only looked good, they did good too". No criticism of the superficiality involved.
I agree that this situation is different than one of a young girl actually being replaced by a "better-looking one" but it seems to me that the sentiment is the same. No ordinary looking women held the placards at the LA Olympics - that would not have projected the image of physical beauty that the organizers were going for. I doubt that things would be any different today.
Sincerely,
Shaun