Letters to the Editor
rodian
Published Letters: 134 Editor's Choice: 9
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Big fish in a big pond
[Read the article: Running into history]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think Bolt's achievement outranks Lance Armstrong, Phelps, Merckx etc. for one simple reason: running is not an elite sport. Any able body can run. Swimming and bicycling aren't quite as exclusive as polo, say, but nevertheless training to swim or bicycle requires far more resources than training to run. Jamaica is surrounded by water. How many elite swimmers did they send to the Olympics? In a very real sense, Bolt stands above the rest of the world. Phelps is also amazing, but he is a big fish in a small pond, so to speak, as are Merckx, Armstrong, et al.
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The party of stupid
[Read the article: Hurricane Bristol hits Minnesota]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The Republican party could not have hoped for anything better than Bristol's pregnancy. This is the party of stupid. Dan Quayle. George Bush & Dick (dumb & dumber). Sarah Palin. McCain (ranked 894/899 at the Naval Academy). By definition, the mentally challenged are a demographic majority, so any party that can play into that also obtains a democratic majority. Hey, we've all fallen short before (talk about a softball for evangelical talking points) - so instead of trying to rise above our shortcomings, let's embrace them!
The earliest great thinkers on the topic of democracy were rightly concerned about the possibility of mob rule. That is why we do not live in a direct democracy. However, since congress appears to have completely capitulated to the notion of an imperial presidency, we're right back where we started from: a titular emperor ensconced by feudal (corporate) power mongers chosen to appease the (stupid) masses.
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Don't say "cheerleader"
[Read the article: Sarah Palin's stiletto]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm sad that the Republicans strategy seems to consist of doing little more than putting lipstick on Rush Limbaugh and his culture war, but I agree w/ Carly Fiorina's comments after Palin's big speech. Don't say "cheerleader". It's blatantly sexist.
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@cabdriver
[Read the article: Sarah Palin's stiletto]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Sure, I'm sure you can find all kinds of examples of people using the word "cheerleader" to describe someone's support of an issue. Show me one that isn't derogatory.
You can find examples of people saying almost anything, regardless of sex. Fuckwit, asshat, ad infinitum.
Sexism is sexism, and sweeping objections under the rug of "political correctness" doesn't change that. You can say whatever you want to say, but I can say whatever I want to say back. And if the most you can say about a woman (or a man's) position is that they are "cheerleading", I'm going to say that you are an asshat. And if your best objection to that is that I'm being PC, then you're a vacuous fuckwit to boot. Is that anti-PC enough for you?
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Barry Nolan redux
[Read the article: The right dictates MSNBC's programming decisions]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Speaking of redux, I really do wish Barry would make a comeback someplace. Also Olberman. In fact, I bet enough people wish this, that they could be considered a fairly high value market. Wouldn't it be ironic if some of the people the right wing establishment dislikes the most were brought back because of the free market forces they so adamantly claim to espouse?
That's the real irony of the right. They talk up free markets to no end, but do everything they can to quash them. Mostly by using the strong arm of the government they so adamantly claim they despise. Just to pick an example, where would GE be without the government sponsored welfare they are accorded via the patent system? Where would NBC's billion dollar Olympics venture be without the endlessly expanding copyright protections they are afforded by Washington bureaucrats? How will they pump their next barrel of oil if that dick Cheney doesn't go jack off in Georgia? No one needs big government nannies more then today's golden thumb sucking Republican plutocrats.
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And don't forget...
[Read the article: The right dictates MSNBC's programming decisions]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Don't forget that the MS in MSNBC stands for Microsoft. Where would Bill Gates be without big government protectionism? Just another example of free market hypocrisy. Did you say you wanted to watch the Olympics on your computer? Just download Microsoft's proprietary Silverlight, copyright and patent protections brought to you by the gool ol' US of A. Without the 'us'.
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inferences
[Read the article: Is my kid a jerk, or is he just 2?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Talk about reading between the lines. I can't deduce a single thing about Christopher's parenting style from what he's written, yet the letters section is chock-a-block full of indignant opinions about how he treats his kid. Hilarious and sad at the same time. Nothing like the gross displays of vapid stupidity on online forums to make one nervous about our next democratic election. I'm scared and my belly hurts.
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the new palin problem
[Read the article: Crazy time]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Palin received the kind of attention that should be accorded such an unexpected introduction. However, now that the blush is off the rose, there's a larger issue Obama must face: her religion. There's a big story here that the pundits are missing. No matter how wing nut her past associations with the pentecostal church, such associations only serve to strengthen the support of the far right. Contrast that with Obama's association (and he wasn't behind the pulpit giving speeches, if I recall correctly) with his church. The situation is blatantly racist. Crazy white Christian radicals are OK. Black Christian radicals are scary. This double standard does not necessarily reflect on Palin herself, but on the media and on the right wing response to the truth about Palin's past associations. Racism is alive an well in America; the response to Palin's pentecostal associations proves it. The more closely she is tied to her crazy pentecostal background, the higher her poll numbers will go. I am unfortunately far better acquainted with the religious right than I care to talk about, and I know many people in that camp who would vote for someone white who went to *any white church whatsoever* over someone black no matter what their faith. Churches are racism's best refuge.
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@skybeaver
[Read the article: What's the difference between Palin and Muslim fundamentalists? Lipstick]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I like the way you think. Can I make a request? Is there any natural law that says that a country's constituent states must be contiguous? Would you please invite a few of your friends out east to the party? Let's let middle earth tend to itself for a while and see how they make out.