Letters to the Editor
Jbloggpana
Published Letters: 5
-
As to: Our rotted press corps, a division of "Camp Victory"
[Read the article: Our rotted press corps, a division of "Camp Victory"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I have began to read Salon for what I consider intelligent, alternative news and particularly Mr. Greenwald's articles. I believe that the angry sentiments hurled at Mr. Greenwald has to do with the very essence of this most recent piece. It is easier in a complex, unpopular and extremely tragic reality like the Iraq invasion and occupation to simply spew the official spin and dogma than to dispute the facts on every reported incident. It is embarrasing when a giant discovers that his feet are made of clay, and that is exactly what has happened again to the USA in their attempt to force their way on the world.
The greater tragedy is that young men and women are paying for it with their lives and that at the end of the day their sacrifice will sadly amount to nothing much. A lack of understanding of World History, Religious nihilism (typical of fundamentalist belief in all religions)and that some conflictive situations have been so since creation; sends young men and women to their doom because their leaders have grandiose ideas of nation building, controlled exploitation of what belongs to others (oil), and simplistic views of good and evil.
I hope Mr. Greenwald continues to pointedly ask the unpopular questions, because there are those of us beyond your shores who are not easily swayed by official jargon and propaganda, and do believe that in every conflict there must be those who seek the truth rather than accomodate to the destilation of it. Hopefully at some point the storied journalistic integrity of the US news Corps will be one day restored and that once again News from the US will mean properly investigated and close to the truth as possible.
-
Founding Patriots sought to create a thinking Republic
[Read the article: "Even Richard Nixon knew it was time to resign"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Blessed 4th of July.
Regardless of covenient labels that seem to color discourse (liberal/conservative) or so called ideological locations (left/right)the fact is that Mr. Olbermann's article touches the very core of the reason for the existence of the United States a land were people could express honest opinion and descent without been locked away in a dungeon or tossed into the sea. The Founding Patriots sought to create a thinking Republic were individuals instead of following the cattle mentality of being horded into one direction would be able to debate and come to consensus on issues, rights and freedoms.
The reality is that this gift has been essentially eroded and has been given a definate death blow with the pseduo-pardoning of Mr. Libby dressed as a conmutation of sentence. The USA has traditionally tried to hone the moral high ground on other countries on the issue of accountability of those in public office. Slapping others around as corrupt, irresponsible and oriented towards nepotism and cronyism, however, this administration has made obvious to the world that the evils once decried by the US about others is alive and sickning well in their own backyard.
This does not prompt a hooray from my part or any of us who have looked at US democracy as a model (not ideal or perfection),but it is a sad time because overt hypocrisy as become shattering reality. The overt hypocrisy to which folk in the United States need to awake too is that the line: "best political system in the world" has become now more words than actual substance. The Founding Patriots would be agast at the frightning authoritarian and monarchic style of leadership that has evolved in the last six years and how their thinking Republic were debate and descent were to be viewed as valuable tools for preserving democracy has been utterly demolished.
The challenge now is to regain the critical mindset that lead the Founding Patriots to establish the Republic. Mindless following of politicians, abject ignorance of world history, geography and the diversity of culture and faith must be refounded in a new enlightenment that will place politicos in their rightful place - mere humans who need to be examined and questioned in their assumptions so that their parroquialism may not become the countries vision and rule of law- only this concerted effort by all Americans will return the Republic to "We the people"
A last Mr. Olbermann's requiem notes that they should resign but I am sure that he knows as well as I know that people of this ilk, zealots and self-righteous authoritarians never resign they would rather destroy the structure than allow it to be reformed or rebuilt. Your next choice for political leadership will be the true test of your love for the idea of the thinking Republic will you sit at home and allow voter turnout to be in the 40 and 50 percentile or will you rise up and make it a unique experience of heavy turn out and challenge to the politicos and their patrons that the Democracy is truly the province of the people and not of those who can afford to buy themselves into power.