Letters to the Editor
Krasnaya Zvezda
Published Letters: 77 Editor's Choice: 28
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Guest announcers
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Lou Piniella has been decent, but I really miss Al Leiter this year. Since he was an active player this postseason I guess it would have been too tough for FOX to make the arrangements this time but since he's just about washed up I have great hopes for next season.
"I'm Joe Buck with Tim McCarver and in-a-moment Al Leiter" - having those last two sit next to each other isn't color commentary, it's chiaroscuro commentary.
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Mainstream media coverage of games
[Read the article: "CSI: Miami" vs. "Grand Theft Auto"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]leoutskot: "TV execs and the mainstream news media still treats [gaming] like a little freak industry which only produces psychopaths and killers."
Thanks for filling me in on this, since I'm too busy gaming or reading Salon to pay much attention to TV or the mainstream media. You might say that the creators of CSI:Miami are firmly in touch with the values of their target audience. I don't think we're in their demographic - did anyone make notice of any ads for Xbox 360, etc. during the airing of the show?
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Declawing the McCain amendment
[Read the article: America can't take it anymore]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The McCain amendment passed 90-9 in the Senate, yet Bush still threatens a veto. Why is Congress even listening to him? 90-9 is WAY over the two-thirds majority required to override his veto.
Let's see how the vote in the House goes. Something tells me plenty of Republicans there will "cross the aisle" and vote for the McCain amendment seeing as how all of them are up for re-election in less than a year.
The fact of the matter is, getting the McCain amendment passed is the easy part in the War On Torture. The hard part, as referenced in the excellent New Yorker article linked by Mr. Follman, is in getting the Justice Department (led by pro-torture Alberto Gonzales) to bring forth prosecutions.
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The complexity of Sudan
[Read the article: Murder from Darfur to Cairo]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Thanks for publishing this article, Salon. I've been wondering for some time why the Sudan/Darfur situation doesn't get more coverage... it's not like the situation is "going away" just because I haven't read anything about it in the last month or two.
I wonder if part of the reason the story doesn't have more "legs" is that the situation is so complex and ambiguous. It's not something that can be summed up on World News This Hour in 30 seconds, or even a couple minutes. Who are these people? Why are they fighting? Who are the "good guys" and "bad guys"? The story doesn't break down along US political lines at all... put yourself in inside the head of your average Repug talking points functionary running affairs in Washington these days and imagine what they're thinking:
"Do I support the Sudanese rebels because they're Christians fighting Muslims? But that causes more violence in the area which is bad for oil exploration and pisses off our "ally" Egypt. So instead, I'll do nothing and let the UN try to "solve" the situation... aha see? They can't handle it either! Now you know why we nominated John Bolton to clean up the UN!"
Of course the other reason this story is ignored in the US is what I call the "Hotel Rwanda" Hypothesis. Remember the scene where the UN peacekeeping leader (Nick Nolte) tells the Rwandan hotelier (Don Cheadle) who naively thinks US help is on the way: "You're not black. You're not even a n----r. You're AFRICAN."
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Salon publicizes what the MSM won't
[Read the article: Salon exclusive: The Abu Ghraib files]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Perivigilum says of the new Abu Ghraib photos:
"Perhaps these kind of photographs should be balanced by the photographs and video's of the beheading of the various captives in Iraq and the aftermath of the suicide bombs in London, Madrid and the daily carnage in Iraq itself."
Hello? Salon was all over this two years ago! Here is a link for your convenience:
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2004/05/12/beheading_video2/index.html
And as I recall, Salon hosting the Nick Berg video was as much if not more controversial than anything having to do with the new Abu Ghraib photos.
Cheers,
-Adam Schaible
Philadelphia
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Opposition to McCain
[Read the article: McCain in 2008?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Jonathan Mason says:
"Most likely the Republicans will find a governor from a key marginal state other than Florida who no one has heard of yet. Knowledge of international affairs isn't necessary, as a skilled exective will appoint the best advisors to advise him."
I agree wholeheartedly, wishful thinking on our part is not going to get a fairly moderate Republican like McCain nominated in 2008. We underestimate the hard right wing of the GOP at our peril. Even now as they appear to be licking their wounds, mumbled conversations in smoke filled rooms are taking place to debate who will oppose McCain for the nomination. All you have to do is read the Wall Street Journal or watch Fox News for a few days (hard to stomach, I know!) to understand how much McCain is still hated by the rest of his party. They will find someone, whether it's a somewhat familiar name like Pataki, Barbour, or Romney, or lesser-knowns like Huckabee, Pawlenty, or Owens. Once the dollars find their way into the right war chest just watch the warmongers and biblethumpers fall right into line. And do we even have to stop to wonder what would happen if Jeb Bush has a change of heart about not running?
Also, despite how badly Senators of both parties have done in presidential politics (after all, the most recent sitting Senator to have been elected President is JFK!) we may yet see some representatives of the hard right from there as well, be it someone as menacing as Sam Brownback or an amiable yet telegenic lightweight like George Allen.
Be afraid, be very afraid - Hillary doesn't stand a chance against a fresh-faced, smiling, flag-waving RNC puppet in '08.
Adam Schaible
Philadelphia, PA