Letters to the Editor
futhark
Published Letters: 246 Editor's Choice: 22
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Suicidal Voo-Doo Economics
[Read the article: Did somebody say "recession"?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Just about any intelligent and prudent 5th grader can tell how money should be managed: put some aside when you get a big influx, such as that Christmas check from great-aunt Juanita, and use a portion to pay down your debts. When times are tight, draw mostly on your savings and try to minimize borrowing.
In the 1990's the world was awash in petroleum, the biggest single source of wealth in our modern society. Of course, most of this wealth was squandered. Now the world seems to have reached its limit on giving up petroleum and all the signs are that we can look forward to dwindling supplies over the next very few years. The present "recession" will look like party time by comparison. Since we've spent the last 7 years digging a debt hole that the country has no means of getting out of instead of economizing and paying down the debt, we're about to receive an economic body blow that no amount of tinkering with tax cuts will be able to relieve, and, indeed, this approach will only exacerbate the pain in the long run.
Now that we've just about run through our natural resources "bank account" without reserving any for future use or invested much in an infrastructure that supports a sustainable economy, expect only the worst. Our "leaders" have lacked the wisdom, insight, intelligence, and/or courage to project the likely consequences of our economy into even the near future and so have not planned any responses except these pathetic and paltry band-aids on our economic cancer. It may be every man, woman, and child for himself.
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Dr. Ron Paul - Walter Shapiro's "Unperson"
[Read the article: One part old-time religion, one part chutzpah]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Back in the days of the Cold War, the Communist Soviet Bloc countries had a practice of constantly rewriting history to make it appear that the current regime and its policies had been developed by unanimous consent within the Party and that the proletariat had followed that Party's lead without dissent. Everyone was supposed to be always happy with government and support its activities enthusiastically. High public officials who had fallen out of favor, usually for speaking out against violation of human rights or drawing attention to corruption, had all references to their existence erased from documents and photos were retouched to eliminate their images.
Walter Shapiro is a journalist in the same sense that the workers in Orwell's fictional "Ministry of Truth" were supposed to be historians, except that he edits history in the making rather than trying to rewrite it later. The present article is the second consecutive one by Mr. Shapiro on the Republican presidential primaries in which he makes no reference to the campaign of Dr. Ron Paul, while discussing the campaigns of Rudolph Giuliani and Fred Thompson, neither of whom have garnered as many votes as Dr. Paul in the totals of Iowa, New Hampshire, and Michigan.
Mr. Shapiro is part of the "freeze-out" by mainstream media on candidates whose positions would undermine the stranglehold on power and wealth held by the super rich and large corporations. We've seen this "freeze-out" in the way they have limited debate by not allowing Dennis Kucinich or Dr. Paul to participate fully with the other candidates, while giving free coverage to candidates that are friendly to the corporate culture of human rights abuse and war.
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The Empire Needs Oil: Republicans Stand For Empire (Except Ron Paul)
[Read the article: Dead party walking]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The Republican party has become the policy arm of the petroleum industry. The economic empire that the United States has become is openly acknowledged by its titular leader to be "addicted to oil." Addicts will stop at nothing to acquire the object of their addiction. In the case of the United States, petroleum is not only required to keep the economic engine going, but also to maintain the "muscle" needed to intimidate other nations or seize their oil outright.
The sad fact is that to all appearances, the extraction rate of petroleum worldwide HAS peaked. All of the Mr. Bush's blandishment to the petroleum-producing countries last week were met with silence. None of these leaders wants to say in public what they all know...that from this day forward, oil will get progressively more expensive and difficult to obtain. The consequences of this to the American Empire and the rest of the world will be immense and will be the theme of change in the twenty-first century.
All the hot air emanating from the Republican candidates about fighting terrorism is really a cover for maintaining a priority on claiming oil. As with most problems, the uncomfortable but ultimately the least damaging way to deal with a problem is to openly recognize it and start developing an action plan. Senator Obama is the only candidate to my knowledge that has even mentioned it. Among the Republicans, only Ron Paul advocates a realignment of national policy to get the government out of the business of fronting for corporations.
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Now That Kucinich Is Withdrawing From The Campaign
[Read the article: There's no taking sides]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Any former Kucinich supporters will be welcome in the campaign of the only other candidate who speaks openly and consistently on the issues, avoiding personal attacks, and staying on message with the truth:
1) out of Iraq immediately
2) bring the American military home
3) adhere to the letter and intent of the Constitution
4) no more illegal wiretapping
5) no more torture
6) wrest control of the money supply from the bankers and return it to the people.
That candidate is Dr. Ron Paul.
If you're still trying to decide between Senators Clinton and Obama, you just don't understand that these candidates have made serious ethical compromises to get the blessings of the corporate oligarchy to be anointed as "front runners". They will continue American military involvement in Iraq and elsewhere. They are as tied to sustaining and expanding the corporate-fascist American empire as George W. Bush has been. You can expect no relief from the daily barrage of lies and crimes or any significant betterment of your own quality of life or liberty under the administration of either.