Letters to the Editor
Reality-based Liberal
Published Letters: 774 Editor's Choice: 100
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Are Americans Nazis?
[Read the article: Follow-up to the silence from the ADL regarding Fox News and right-wing talk radio]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Well, no, insofar as neither were the German people. Some resisted, some left, some stayed quiet.
But are the American people like the Germans under the Nazis? There are some troubling comparisons to be made. Our nation is going in a direction that could lead to something much worse (especially given the environmental crisis that can't afford a derailment of civilization). Sure, we aren't gassing Arabs yet, but Germany still hadn't done some of the worst stuff long after it was clear the nation was going in an ugly direction.
Like Germans, we are afraid. We don't demand our airwaves back. We don't demand our rights back. We tolerate blatant lies from those directing our violence. It is not out of the realm of possibility that Giuliani will "win" a close race and push us farther down the Bush path, repaving the Supreme Court and engaging us in more wars -- and it will be that much harder to take to the streets. Loyalty oaths could come back. Liberal groups will be classified as terrorist sympathizers. "With us or against us" will carry the force of law. This could happen. It might not, but that's where the car's headed. Germans didn't grab the wheel. Will we?
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Gee, thanks Shapiro
[Read the article: Rudy, Mitt, Fred or John]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Can we get some more horserace coverage? Cause I'm getting so tired of all the issue analysis.
It is ironic that Shapiro can lament the truncated primary and at the same time try to secure Hillary's victory before even Iowa caucuses weigh in. This was a transparent hit on the GOP without even talking about how awful they are on the issues -- probably because they don't differ that much with Clinton.
To use Shaprio's language:
Is Hillary in line with the GOP on keeping a permanent presence in Iraq? Check.
Is Hillary in line with the GOP on leaving room at the table for pharmaceutical, banking and communication corporations? Check.
Is Hillary in line with the GOP on fear mongering about Arabs? Check.
Is Hillary in line with the GOP on foreign military intervention in general. Big Check.
What's worse is that Obama isn't even a discernible alternative (who knows what the hell that guy stands for -- he has decided that his best strategy is to run as a potato).
Can we get rid of shit like Shapiro? I already get useless "news" about the election on my cable, thank you very much. The people need to know about what options they have to stop the march toward fascism and tripe like Shapiro is just a waste of time.
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And the Candidates are Silent Too
[Read the article: What FISA capitulations are Democrats planning next?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It is becoming increasingly clear that non-rich liberals and right-wingers are in the same basket. Both groups are promised things they will never get, while they endure a bipartisan machine that is grinding up our Constitution and letting corporations pick our bones.
But as long as we regular folks sling arrows at each other about abortion and gay rights, we feel like we are in the middle of a vibrant political system.
(NOTE: I fully support abortion rights and gay rights -- I think these issues are pushed on the right-wing voters by a handful of zealous people and calculating Republicans. I would bet that most poor GOP voters would rather take on the banks that are screwing them than abortion, if given the option. No one gives them the option.)
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"Democrats Soft on Fascism"
[Read the article: "Soft on terrorism" or soft in the head?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Go ahead, say it loud and clear. I am sick and tired of the "liberal" party paying attention only to what right-wingers think, while they sell me down the road.
The Democrats are soft on fascism and need to get kicked in the ass until they start living up to their liberal billing (a reputation that Tim rightly points out they will have regardless of their actions).
You almost wonder if some of these Democrats work for the Republicans. Their job is to go to Congress and kill absolutely any motivation their base may have to vote -- indeed, kill any notion among the public that government is a solution to anything. I'd even say it would better if they did work for the GOP, because at least then Republicans would have to pay for the help they're getting.
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Taking tempus one step further
[Read the article: What FISA capitulations are Democrats planning next?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think Tempus makes a great point about how all of us could fall under the automatic surveillance standards, given the loose standards for connecting targets.
I could see additional ways to abuse that system. Say you want to tap the phones of multiple Democratic campaigns for federal office; all you'd have to do is be in possession of a cell phone on the target list, and us that phone to call up the campaign headquarters. Done and done. Same goes for non-profits litigating against the administration, Hill staffers from the other party, media officials, and on and on.
(Note: I assume that protecting us against terrorists is not really the point, and never was.)
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Thank god I don't need to vote
[Read the article: Remember President Dean?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Why are people complaining about the primary season moving up? The primaries are beginning to look like they're too late!
The MSM (even Tim) are incapable of addressing issues in political races -- you know, the things we're supposed to vote on -- so they just report that the frontrunner is in the lead until that lead becomes solid enough to declare the winner -- months before the votes were cast.
I wonder: had Salon and the rest of the media reported only on the candidates' positions, perhaps with non-corporate experts on those issues to explain what those policies might mean (not any polling at all), would Hillary be the frontrunner? Would Kucinich be a real candidate?
We do not live in a functioning democracy. We are presented a number of faces, and are told that the ones least likely to change the status quo are credible. Then the candidates least likely to change the status quo are presented as their party's winner. Then we vote.