Letters to the Editor
Goedel
Published Letters: 104 Editor's Choice: 6
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Move-on will be disappointed again
[Read the article: New MoveOn ad: "Timeline"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Even if Sen Obama wins the presidency, Move-on will be disappointed again. It will be if it really cares about a reformed Democratic Party. We can see already, with Obama's flip-flop on FISA, how lacking in political courage he is. Tactics just to get elected? Nonsense! One does not sacrifice the Constitution and the rule of law to get elected - and that from a purported scholar in constitutional law! Hmmph!
No! It was sheer fear, fear of being labeled soft on the war on terror. What Move-on and its cohort need to learn is that their flimsy candidate would, as president, have constantly to make decisions about spending his political capital. From what I see, a Pres. Obama will be just as weak in the knees as was his Democratic predecessor, WJC; just as weak as a host of other leading Democrats from Pelosi and Reid down to candidates Kerry and Gore.
There is only one steadfast candidate, Ralph Nader. His stated positions on all the issues, domestic and foreign, do not need amendment because - although specific - they are well considered and go to the heart of our national problems, from insurance based medicine to the Taft Hartley, anti-labor law.
Move-on, the entire progressive movement in this country are stymied by their dedication to remaining the Democratic Party's step-child. Like Rodney Dangerfield, they get no respect - but, unlike Dangerfield, the US left deserves none!
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How ridiculous!
[Read the article: Religion is poetry]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"What holds a 'belief system' together?", Carse asks. A belief system! What can that possibly mean? Is it like a cardio-vascular system? Heart, blood vessels, liver, etc. all working together to bring Oxygen and nutrients to cells and carry away wastes? Does a belief system have a function that gives the system an integrity? What could the function of a belief system be? Could it be the reinforcement of the component beliefs? Who knows? It's muddy language.
In science, I think it fair to say that beliefs are based on observations and experiments. One may call the aggregation a system, but that really obscures their foundations, observations. A scientist does not believe something because it is part of a system; rather because it is supported by observation. Thus, to refer to science as a belief system is highly misleading.
I don't know what supports religious beliefs, except perhaps other religious beliefs. All very inbred!
Science is now trendy? I don't know about that. In this country, astrology, faith, creationism, parapsychology, esp seem very much alive and doing well.
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Only Ralph Nader has it right
[Read the article: Obama is saying the wrong things about Afghanistan]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Almost four years ago Ralph Nader described correctly this country's way out of its Middle East quagmire: the exit! The old Vietnam War slogan applies: "When a woman is being raped, she does not want negotiation or pacification; she wants withdrawal!"
Withdrawal of our military forces from a theater they never should have invaded in the first place is the only answer. Our military presence does not defeat terrorism; we only encourage its recruitment.
If we had listened then to Mr Nader, we would not be the weakened country that we are today, overburdened by debts and overstretched militarily. We should be in far better condition to protect ourselves from international threats and far more influential all over the world.
Now, we are entering an election in which, again, the major parties offer us only the lesser of two poor choices. By failing to give real support to the only candidate who has not had to flip-flop on his positions on any issue, we present no challenge to Mr Obama. He can serve the corporate and military masters of our policies without looking over his shoulder. That is what he is doing by continuing the military policy in the Middle East, flipping on FISA, supporting nuclear power, ethanol from corn and insurance based health-care. With each presidential election, our country grows weaker, more crisis prone and our people find their way of life deteriorating.
The choice between McCain and Obama does not offer any way out of our problems, internationally nor domestically. We are in for another four years of worsening conditions, I greatly fear.