Letters to the Editor
Ben Sen
Published Letters: 608 Editor's Choice: 98
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Huckabee's Inadvertant Contribution
[Read the article: A question of faith]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Guys like Huckabee are the ultimate opportunists and con men of our time. If more of the electorate learn what Huckabee thinks, if they see it in the light of day, will they wake up and realize it's like a plague from the past that hasn't been treated yet? Is this what will finally help put Biblical literalism into it's coffin so it can be buried like using leeches to cure cancer?
They can see it and won't tolerate it in other faiths, but they can't see it in themselves. It is astonishing that so many are still under the spell of so unconscious and easily manipulated a tradition. It is really an indication of how immature our culture is--and desperate.
Humanity outgrew the "myths" and "legends" of the Greeks and Romans; it may take time, but fundamentalism can be overcome too. Having to fight a rear guard action with the past takes time and resources away from the real problems that face the nation and mankind. A resounding defeat of all the candidates making this appeal could go a long way.
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Return to Dragon Mountain and Rousseau's Dog
[Read the article: Salon Book Awards 2007]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I can't read American fiction much anymore. It's all so airheaded and contrived I lose it after the first or second page.
A biography, however, by Jonathan Spence of a Ming aristocrat, RETURN TO DRAGON MOUNTAIN fulfilled the criteria. Zhang Dai lost everything at the age of 49 when the Mongols tookover, but still his life remained devoted to books and a way of life that retained its purpose. Though Mr. Spence's prose is a little wooden, he left me wanting to know more about one of the oldest and greatest civilizations on earth.
Another is "Rousseau's Dog" by David Edmonds and John Eidinow. The story of the relationship between Hume and Rousseau that does a very good job on the philosophy, the times, and the personalities.
I wish you'd cite the "best" poetry of the year but have an editor do it who brings in the new voices. There is an audience, they just have to be pointed in the right direction.
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Getting Wise
[Read the article: Bringing Iran in from the cold]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]What's missing here is what is most obvious. While Ahmadinejad had no missile program, and as far as we know doesn't have plans on the drawing board, he capitalized fully on American fears and even came here to put on a performance of near epic proportions to demonstrate his own fearlessness.
The Iranians don't do politics like we do politics. Ahmadinejad is a typical "cock on the walk"--not unlike his adversary in this country. Take a look at him. He loves the attention like a small child on Thanksgiving when all the relatives come to visit. In this country, he'd probably be a stand-up comic. (He reminds me a little of Billy Crystal.)
If he was successful and baited the country into war it would have only added to his "mystique." That's not to say he isn't dangerous given the underlying issues, but that leaders here and in the Europe are now aware of his antics.
Of course, this isn't good enough for Israel, who have already called in the Joint Chief of Staff to warn that the threat is still imminent, but hopefully a new administration will be as wise to their tricks as we now are to Irans.
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To Irit, The Israeli
[Read the article: Bringing Iran in from the cold]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It's time to welcome "Irit" to the discussion. I've been waiting a long time for a "sane" Israeli correspondent. You may be a bit more rare than you think you are.
You're right of course about not underestimating the Iranians by merely calling them mad. They are more than mad; they are heirs to a long tradition--and have you ever noticed how they don't like to go away...
Your post does not make it clear if you favor more confrontation or more diplomacy. You damage your credibility in either case by noting how "indiscriminate" (my word) the Islamic terrorists are about killing, particularly children when the Israeli army has shown how it should really be done--with massive armored assaults whenever they wish that wipe out entire neighborhoods--men, women, children, goats and garages.
You mitigate yourself somewhat by referring to problems with the Israeli govt., but by then I am lost by the omission of Israel's strategy of indiscriminate "mistakes". Your post does not make it clear where you stand.
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Beautiful Gennifer and Poor Hillary's Hair Color
[Read the article: Dogma days ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It only took four short paragraphs for the Hillary bashing to begin. It's only her self-seeking power hungry self-piting jewelry and hair-color copied from her husband's lover that offends Camille this week.
But that's all. She's made it clear in her last post Camille's going to vote for her if nominated and the lesbian rumors are false, false, false, HRC is not in the closet, and that's that!
In conversation, I know a lot of people who obsess. Dear friends who I believe have told me I do it myself, but in print--when you get to edit, re-write, and think about what we are saying it is peculiar.
What are you going to do Camille if she gets elected? Did you see the poll in yesterday's NYTIMES? They even say they like her because of her relationship with Bill. It's getting serious. She may try to copy your hair-color next.
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Foreign Policy? No Problem
[Read the article: Mike Huckabee and the "end times"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Placating the Republican majority on foreign policy is not difficult. Give Huckabee a few more prime time interviews and he'll start talking just as tough as the other guys. It's not what you know, it's how big the bone is you given them to chew.
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When Paranoia Takes Over So Do the Scorpions
[Read the article: Will the real Minuteman please endorse? ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It doesn't matter that Huckabee's "immigration plan" makes no sense, unless Republican farmers, LA matrons, Washington hostesses, and New York restaurant owners realize it is the end of life as they know it. They're the ones to take on this sort of stupidity, but you know the one about the scorpion who stings the frog taking him across the river? When paranoia takes over so do the scorpions.