Letters to the Editor
hontonoshijin
Published Letters: 120 Editor's Choice: 13
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Dear Blank--
[Read the article: A Bear Stearns (im)morality tale]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I did not use and do not recommend such inflammatory language as "kill," "enslave," and "plutocrat."
As for your not caring: That would seem to have been apparent all along, unless of course the "caring" would involve your own wealth.
As for lumping all sorts of differing people into one group and assuming they have the same attitude, you are obviously better at that than I am.
As for thinking that the world revolves around me: I am amazed that you are able to tell this from such a distance with no personal knowledge of me. It is truly astonishing that you should see this so clearly, since I live daily with reminders that it does not, unprotected by "chump change" in the millions of dollars (or OCDs of any sort).
In precisely what way is being reduced to $50,000 a year being consigned to debtor's prison? I live on much less. Am I therefore in debtor's prison?
In civil court, the verdict is not fixed. I may present evidence that perhaps will convince the court in my favor. Where is my recourse in this mess?
It is extremely enlightening to know that by thinking speculators do not deserve rewards for undermining the systems the rest of us depend on, I am becoming like Fidel Castro.
I'm glad you have enough friends and do not have opponents. I suppose I was misled by your incendiary rhetoric into thinking that you were angry and frightened. In my view, the posing of false and hysterical alternatives is not debate. It is not even argument.
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A Blank Addendum--
[Read the article: A Bear Stearns (im)morality tale]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Oh, and by the way, I feel that professional athletes and entertainers provide a useful service--beguiling competitions and, well, entertainment. Perhaps they are too highly rewarded compared to those whom I feel are more essential to our culture, like say good teachers, but I do not seek to seize their assets, or indeed anyone else's.
And why shouldn't a flaming liberal have millions? Is wealth to be restricted only to those who believe as you do? No, that wouldn't work. That would be social control.
I do feel that it is not seizing assets if one recovers one's own stolen property. Are the speculators thieves? The law does not seem to think so, and the likelihood that any of the fortunes of those who have profited from manipulating value will be reapportioned to the rest of the citizenry is vanishingly small.
So what's the problem? You have yours, and no one is going to take it away from you. May it bring you much satisfaction.
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Miss Manners
[Read the article: Would you please get out of my swimming pool!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Why are you so persistently trashing good manners? Do you think it implies that you are more genuine?
The argument that we live in a great big terrible world and therefore manners do not matter is a tired old smokescreen for bad behavior. Look around. Read the letters in response to your column, let alone other columns. Nasty behavior is all too frequent, and frequently disguises itself as honesty. The proponents of this spurious honesty feel they have a right to say anything they wish to anyone at any time.
I will go this far with you: I distinguish courtesy from trivialities such as which fork to use. Courtesy and snobbish fixed behavior are two different things. Courtesy is extremely valuable and requires practice, effort, and judgment. It is at root a respect for the rights and wellbeing of others. This is not trivial, but the essence of civilization.
Asking for lemons does not strike me as discourteous. I would probably do the same thing, first saying something like, If you really feel you have too many, and you wouldn't mind, I would love some lemons. Doesn't take a lot longer than Let's have them there lemons then, and is careful of the intentions and desires of others. Perhaps the person meant to be boasting of the fruitfulness of the tree, not giving lemons away. Perhaps the person was expressing amazement, not giving lemons away. Courtesy tries not to assume too much and leaves the option with the other person.
Going out and picking lemons off the person's tree without permission because that person said he or she had too many--now that IS discourteous.
I wish there were more courtesy in the world, not less.
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spelling
[Read the article: Poor America]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Poor spelling might be forgiven if there were other evidences of applied intellect. But most poor spelling is the result of shall we say, lack of application, and lack of caring.
The two that I find hardest to accept nowadays are "tow the line" and "hoe the road." Causes me to think perhaps such people have never toed a line or hoed a row.
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solar energy
[Read the article: Ask Pablo]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Two observations: Solar panels will become a lot more efficient. A lot more efficient. Besides, suppose we only replace 10% of our energy supply by means of the panels. Won't that help?
Second: Why is the model always solar panels? Conversion of solar energy to electricity by means of parabolic mirrors focussing heat to power steam turbines is far more efficient and far cheaper. Some power companies are already building such plants. Why can't every desert landowner buy and operate such a facility, providing his or her own power and selling the excess? The technology is simple and cheap, but for some reason no one is attempting to market such systems.
And by the way, has anyone checked just how much land is available in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah, states where the sun shines an average of something like 250 days a year?
4900 square miles is miniscule.