Letters to the Editor
rtf100
Published Letters: 163 Editor's Choice: 8
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Is Salon being entirely honest?
[Read the article: Abu Ghraib and Salon]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I view the Abu Ghraib disgrace with the same level of revulsion as the next guy; however, it is a bit disingenuous of Salon to present these photos and not present the context under which these events took place. Most American soldiers in Iraq have been assasinated by roadside bombs and the events of Abu Ghraib were a direct result of the need for immediate intelligence. Although the methods seem harsh to us, few, if any, Iraqis were outright tortured and fewer, if any, were executed; as would have been the case in almost any other part of the world. I guess I am making excuses for bad behavior but there is still no equivalence between Abu Ghraib and Saddam and his cohorts.
The real issue is the competency of the U.S. to be leaders in the war on terror. Salon is focusing on the sensational aspects of the war on terror and not getting to the heart of the issue. In essence, you are throwing "red meat" to your liberal subscriber base during an election year. Maybe you should spend more time and resources on where we are going in this war on terror, the impact of Iran with the bomb, what happens after Musharrif is gone, and what would Al Gore have done differently after 9/11, The list goes on and on and on.
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Fertility rates as a weapon
[Read the article: Where there are no good men left]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The piece about fertility rates being greater amongst conservatives as opposed to liberals and therefore suggesting that conservatives will simply outnumber liberals in the long-run is not new if you look around. Several easy examples come to mind: the first being in the Arab world where the "Arab womb" is the secret weapon in the struggle against the "Zionist entity". In Southern CA, the Hispanic population is now out numbering all others and is becoming more influential. In Miami, the expat Cubans are firmly in control. Some say that Europe will be 20% Muslim by 2050 for the same reasons. These may not be exact parallels but the outcomes are the same. With population swings, there is a transformation of the culture and with it comes a new value system. The article in questions seems to reaffirm the generally held view that the liberal wing of the political spectrum is now a minority and will likely remain that way for the foreseeable future. The imperative for liberals is to build bridges to other political groups in order to remain viable.
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More cheap shots
[Read the article: There's right, there's wrong, and then there's shoplifting from Target]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I don't understand the message that Michelle Goldberg is leaving with us based on her piece on the chronic shoplifter, who also happened to be a White House advisor to Bush. Are we suppose to reconsider some of our family values because of this headline, courtesy of the left-wing dominated media? Next Christmas, I will remember to include condoms in my kids stockings. Am I suppose to now "feel the pain" of Bill Clinton because he got caught "boinking" the unpaid help in the White House?
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Five year rule
[Read the article: Pollitt takes a swipe at the "war on boys"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The claim that there is a glass ceiling holding women back often conflicts with my own observations that although men and women enter the workforce as equals women sometimes fall behind due to their (1) unwillingness to assume additional responsibilities and (2) unwillingness to upgrade their skills. I am stressing the word "unwillingness" because it comes across that way. Recently, I asked 2 female senior accountants on the same day to attend a local seminar on recent accounting pronouncements and they both simply refused with no real explanation. I sent a "temp" employee instead to represent our company and made a mental note of their refusal. On other occasions, other women have simply said "no" to additional responsibilities along the lines of: "I really don't want any additional responsibilities. Thank you very much". I have been in supervisory positions for 25 years and I generally do not hear these commments coming from the guys at any age or any level in the company. I am aware that many women have full time jobs at home but they also need to be more diplomatic with their employers when opportunities come their way.
This becomes noticeable after about 5-6 years in the workforce or around 30 years old.
Your comments please.
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Hey what about the "hidden Iman"
[Read the article: Attacking Iran: Are they nuts?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This article is pure nonsense and smacks of left-wing propaganda. We usually don't get much more from Conasan other than entertainment value. Much the same way that I look at Rush Limbaugh's stuff.
Some facts:
1. The US military cannot be defeated militarily in the Middle East in a head-to-head confrontation. Period.
2. Iran will not and could not attack Iraq in the manner that Conason suggests and actually occupy territory for any period of time.
3. I will agree that terrorist attacks would increase and that more US soldiers will die as a result.
4. Bush is not the religious nutcase that Ahmadinejad is. Remember, religious nutcases run Iran. Despite what you may believe, they don't run the U.S. government.
5. Conason embarrasses himself with lefty drivel about the "rapture" moment and the White House but he does not give equal time to Ahmadinejad's search for the "twelfth iman" and the glorious martyrdom that will follow a U.S. attack. This is why this article is all about propaganda, folks.
6. The wild card in all of this is what will Israel do when Iran test fires a missile that lands half-way to Europe. Of course, Conason does'nt even mention this possiblity
7. Conason should be careful about ridiculing religious beliefs on either side. By doing so, he is promoting the secularist world-view that says religion has no place in public discourse at any level. Once again, propaganda in-action