Letters to the Editor
ELYDOG
Published Letters: 712 Editor's Choice: 52
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Redux
[Read the article: Operation Iraq betrayal]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]MSBAU,
I was referring to what happened inside the country, carried out by the Viet Cong / NLF / North Vietnamese. Didn't happen there.
The dominoes that fell were small dominoes, as the actual theory was that Singapore, Thailand and Burma would go too, etc, then more... Cambodia and Laos had communist insurgencies, but no country without one became Communist.
The war of China against Vietnam doesn't fit the pattern, as this was 'reds' v 'reds.' The slaughter in Cambodia was lead by a primative throughly peasant pro-Maoist type organization, and was actually halted by Vietnamese intervention, not by the West.
I was in Vietnam recently and they are so happy to get lots of food for a change. Their 'wars' didn't end in 1975, but only ended in 1979 in Cambodia and 1989 re China.
There have been some arguments that the massive bombing of Cambodia by Nixon actually weakened the Cambodian regime and strengthened the Khymer Rouge. Brutal U.S. air attacks are having the same effect in Iraq by strengthening Al Quaida.
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Get out of your car
[Read the article: Girls gone hog wild]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Definition of Cars? Retirement homes on wheels. Motorcycles and scooters are the vehicles of the future, along with bicycles and trains.
Gay? Phallic? Rogers, you have issues, I think. No need to spread them all out here in public.
I love it when women are on their own bikes ... you want equality, well this is what it is all about. Women are crowding into the scooter field here in Minneapolis, and you know what scooters are? A gateway drug to MCs!
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Children are Cute
[Read the article: "40 Reasons Not to Have Children"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]OK, maybe not all.
Where I work, mostly women 'moon' over every baby born on the floor. There is an official visit from the new baby and mother (and sometimes father...) who bring in the adorable little one, or two. The child is set up in a giant stroller with about a hundred items it it for every concievable emergency. If the kid is ulgy, you still have to coo about how 'cute' they are. The men like me mostly stand around dutifully attempting to maintain some enthusiasm for the little issue.
What does this tell you? Motherhood is a huge pressure on mostly women, but also a kind of an achievement many women want.
However, when I start telling women about the realities of having kids (I've had two...), something my mother never told me! they actually enjoy talking about it. You know, the sleeplessness, constant sicknesses, day care issues, declining marriage happiness, expense, lack of vacations and time, energy drain, etc. etc.
What does this tell you? Kids are a mixed bag. And I don't think just a family alone can raise them. It is too overwhelming. In France they have more help than in the U.S. by a long shot. We are left on our own by our purely business culture. So I am curious to actually read some of this book.
After I divorced my wife (and the kids had a lot to do with it) I have mostly dated, and then lived with women who do not have kids. Are they immature? They are a bit more focused on themselves and micro issues than parents are too tired to deal with, but other than that, no. And they are a refresher for me, as I've been through the baby mill and come out the other side. My kids are smart, talented and healthy. Now they get to wear THEMSELVES out in life...
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Foreseen
[Read the article: War, chaos and Bush's faith]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]There were people in the U.S. who opposed the U.S. intervention in Afghanistan, and the support for the Mujahedeen by Carter. It was not 'unforeseen' as Kamiya claims. An 'enemy of my enemy is my friend' is really stupid 'realpolitik'. In fact the intervention was driven by the Carter doctrine, which claimed Soviets in Afghanistan threatened oil in the Gulf. Right.
Ironically, it was the crypto-Communists in Afghanistan that were fighting to educate women and bring that country into the 20th century...and we lined up on the other side.
Is Bush motiviated by religion? Yes. See Kevin Phillips book on "American Theocracy" for the religious roots of the Republican Party. But losing out in Iraq is also about oil, as we will be weaker in our ability to control oil prices if we leave militarily. Why doesn't Kamiya bring that up? Because perhaps that is too materialistic and factual a motivation, unlike just blaming everything on 'hubris'.
More importantly, is there any way out? Yes. Leave. Just leave. Like a bad marriage, the worst thing to do is prolong it. Prolonging a mistake never the situation better.
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Anti-war rallies before the Invasion
[Read the article: War, chaos and Bush's faith]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I have to support the folks here who pointed out that most of the population of the world opposed the invasion, and even majorities in the U.S. were opposed to it, in the polls for a long time. The biggest rallies in world history against war happened in city after city.
The U.N. was opposed. The U.N. inspectors found nothing. If you read carefully in our press, you saw U.S. reporters who could not find corroborating evidence of the administration's allegations, although they were few and far between.
Even Saddam was making concessions to avoid the war. Although he warned, 'we will wage guerilla war" and he was right...
The press in the rest of the world was more careful, and did not corroborate Bush's stories. It was the U.S. power elite, and their parties, the Democrats and Republicans, who rallied around Bush, Cheney and Colin Powell. We won't forget.
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Had 'em, don't want more
[Read the article: Are men spoiled rotten?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think the majority of men in their late 40s and early 50s are in this place. Had kids, don't want more. Find one.
If you are in a city that is full of careerist upper middle class types who suddenly just got around to 'families', find a working class or lower white collar guy, or even an 'artist.' Lower your 'class' standards. Lose the careerists. Good luck.