Letters to the Editor
futhark
Published Letters: 245 Editor's Choice: 22
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The Political Courage of Two Candidates
[Read the article: Here come those "angry" Democrats again]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]We don't hear nearly enough these days about political courage: the willingness to speak out consistently in favor of truth and justice even when it means being ignored, marginalized, and ridiculed, and, worst of all, denied or voted out of office. While I am glad that John Edwards has become enlightened on the need for a radical readjustment of priorities in the federal government, his record while in the Senate shows that at that time he supported many of the Bush Administrations more heinous abuses of government power, including the "Patriot Act" and the unprovoked aggression against Iraq.
Two current candidates for the presidency have spoken out repeatedly and consistently against the herd-like stampede of Congress to accommodate Bush/Cheney/Rove in their programs of infringing human liberties and monopolizing political and economic power in the hands of the already rich and powerful. These candidates need to be recognized for understanding the fear-mongering, corrosive Bushite policies for what they were from the very beginning and speaking out against them for the good of all Americans and people around the world. They have a vision of a nation motivated by hope and respect, not cowering in fear of terrorist attack, but being willing to objectively examine the root causes of terrorism and adopting proactive policies that promote peaceful interactions rather than participating in an accelerating spiral of fear and violence.
There are two bumper stickers on my car in equal support of these outstanding Congressmen in their quest for the Presidency: Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich.
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The Political Courage of Two Candidates
[Read the article: Here come those "angry" Democrats again]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]We don't hear nearly enough these days about political courage: the willingness to speak out consistently in favor of truth and justice even when it means being ignored, marginalized, and ridiculed, and, worst of all, denied or voted out of office. While I am glad that John Edwards has become enlightened on the need for a radical readjustment of priorities in the federal government, his record while in the Senate shows that at that time he supported many of the Bush Administrations more heinous abuses of government power, including the "Patriot Act" and the unprovoked aggression against Iraq.
Two current candidates for the presidency have spoken out repeatedly and consistently against the herd-like stampede of Congress to accommodate Bush/Cheney/Rove in their programs of infringing human liberties and monopolizing political and economic power in the hands of the already rich and powerful. These candidates need to be recognized for understanding the fear-mongering, corrosive Bushite policies for what they were from the very beginning and speaking out against them for the good of all Americans and people around the world. They have a vision of a nation motivated by hope and respect, not cowering in fear of terrorist attack, but being willing to objectively examine the root causes of terrorism and adopting proactive policies that promote peaceful interactions rather than participating in an accelerating spiral of fear and violence.
There are two bumper stickers on my car in equal support of these outstanding Congressmen in their quest for the Presidency: Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich.
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Ad hominem Attacks Reveal Deep-Seated Insecurity And Bias
[Read the article: In Iowa, the Republicans fight for second -- and survival]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Anonymous wrote Ron Paul is the President of the Internet. But when reality smacks you in the face you'll find out that the Internet is not actually a country. Sorry, 'tards.
WRellim related a number of facts indicating that Ron Paul's campaign is more robust than Tommy Thompson's, Tom Tancredo's, or Mike Huckabee's, all of whom are, according to the article, vying for second place positions. I should be very much surprised if Dr. Paul's standing at the end of the Iowa poll was not greater than the three aforementioned contenders combined and even more surprised if this was acknowledged by Salon.
The Internet is a much more level playing field for ideas than the mainstream media because it allows expression of all opinions and advocacies rather than only those that support the current establishment running on fear, debt, and violence. No, the country is not the Internet, because most people still get their news filtered through "conventional" sources. No one in Dr. Paul's campaign is pretending that just because he dominates the more open forums of the Internet that he is currently the most likely nominee, though that is a goal toward which we are working.
Ron Paul's campaign is based on truly revolutionary concepts and does not in any way an extension of the policies of either major party. It envisions a world of peace through mutual understanding and responsibility. Dr. Paul recognizes that the use of military intimidation and force to expropriate the resources of other nations is a major destabilizing factor and will take steps that will secure our independence, security, and prosperity without the methods of bribery, threats, and attacks are increasingly costly and counterproductive.
The marginalizing of the Dr. Paul's candidacy and the vicious comments made about it would be understandable if any of the "front runners" could express a new vision for the country and the world as consistently and articulately as he does. Instead, what we see are supposedly serious candidates endowed by the corporate-controlled mainstream media with "front runner" shifting positions according to audience and the advice of their spinmeisters, so that they appear like so many clowns. If you are ready for a whole new approach to politics and the economy, look into Ron Paul's platform.