Letters to the Editor
Reality-based Liberal
Published Letters: 774 Editor's Choice: 100
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Let's not get carried away with Clinton praise here
[Read the article: One of these things is not like the other]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It is so completely obvious that the use of the word "terrorism" is bogus, to the extent that this word has no meaning whatsoever. Anyone who would not make observations similar to Clinton's should be categorically rejected as a presidential possibility by any thinking person. Please, let's not set the bar at Bush's level. "Oooh, look -- her nouns and verbs agree! How presidential."
As for this quote: "We're at war with cold-blooded killers who despise freedom, reject tolerance, and kill the innocent in pursuit of their political vision..." It is amazing how Bush and his ilk apply their own characteristics to their enemies.
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We are master terrorists
[Read the article: Chris Floyd for Glenn Greenwald: Rain of terror in the U.S. air war in Iraq ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Great post, Chris. And just to drive your point home, below is the American Heritage dictionary definition of "terrorism." I invite anyone to explain how the USA is not the most adept terrorist nation in the world:
The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.
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They may be winging it...
[Read the article: The collapse of Bush's foreign policy]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...but that doesn't mean they aren't getting what they want.
I think it is a mistake to assume anything about the stated motives of the administration. Destabilizing the world has clear benefits for those who are demonstrably favored by the administration. The obvious beneficiaries are arms contractors, oil companies (higher prices), and Israel (no US media is paying attention to some of the worst treatment of Palestine in decades). Less obvious benefits are a diminished amount of attention to domestic politics and the economy, the augmentation of Executive Branch power is unchecked, and the rollback of the Constitution is as easy as ever.
So things may be going to shit on the face of it, but the fascist army is advancing on many fronts in this context. By the time Bush is out of office not only will it be hard to reverse that advance, but even a Democratic president will likely accept the new context and hold the advance steady at best. So the Bush foreign policy must be deemed a working strategy in many respects.
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The Art of a Value Free Politician
[Read the article: Chris Dodd's leadership vs. Clinton and Obama's game playing]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Clinton's answer is a great example of how politicians use voter ignorance and the media that fosters that ignorance to shelter themselves. While Clinton clearly knows all the angles on this issue (and no doubt has been lobbied by the telecom industry), her answer that she is also ignorant is something the public can accept -- especially because the major media don't cover the issue. For many, Clinton said she didn't know what she would do about an issue the public themselves don't know about -- no harm, no foul.
There are countless examples of using the absence of public information to hide bad policy. All Democratic candidates know that the dollar is about to collapse, but only the "fringe" candidates talk about it because the major ones can get away not talking about it -- even though it's a lot more important than making more private bank loans available to already indebted college students. Every candidate knows that the US spends too much on healthcare, but Clinton's plan would increase spending by diverting additional tax dollars into poor coverage through private accounts; she knows this makes a bad problem worse, but because the public is confused by coverage about what our healthcare problems are, she can take advantage and reward private industry while appearing to be doing something good.
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What The Fuck?
[Read the article: Outer space or spaced out?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This blog has had no coverage of Kucinich, who champions the issues that a great many Salon readers care about, even if they won't vote for him. And now this? A second hand story about something he allegedly said years ago about something that has no impact on public policy?
This is a hit piece. Why not only post about Whitewater when talking about Clinton? If I want coverage that tells me who to ridicule and who is "serious" I already have cable.
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Nukes are no answer to global warming
[Read the article: Nuclear war on YouTube ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I see a lot of posts from people who think we need nuclear power to stop coal. That's wrong, and here are the simple reasons:
Wind is cheaper, less than half the price per kilowatt hour. Wind turbines can go up in a year, instead of ten for nuclear. Wind produces no waste, where more nuclear power would add to the tons of waste we already have no place to put (we have "temporary" pools that are old and over capacity). Wind is not a target for domestic or foreign terrorism.
There is no reason to go nuclear. Its only advantage is that wind power depends on wind and it's difficult to store power to use on still days, but a widely placed wind power system would mitigate this problem a great deal.
Moreover, technology is the second answer to global warming. Conservation is the number one answer. If every state was efficient as California we would be tearing down coal plants.
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Read Today's GLENN GREENWALD
[Read the article: Obama, Clinton join Dodd in filibuster threat]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]He lays out how Clinton's and Obama's commitments to filibuster are hollow. Maybe they will filibuster, but they left themselves lots of room. In fact, Clinton says she's unfamiliar with the legislation and what's at stake, which is bullshit given that any thinking person knows that she has already been lobbied by the telecom companies, which give her lots of money.
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Re shooter242
[Read the article: Chris Dodd's leadership vs. Clinton and Obama's game playing]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Under our Constitution, the courts are the final word on the Constitution. Congress passes the laws, the Executive Branch enforces them, and the courts decide if the laws and their enforcement mechanisms are constitutional.
The idea the the Executive Branch gets to decide is new and tyrannical. It is only a sign that we have corrupt government and media that super presidential power is accepted as legal.
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cestmoi123
[Read the article: Nuclear war on YouTube ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You dismiss wind, why? Because the industry can't buy of Congress or because there is something inaccurate in my previous post?