Letters to the Editor
rodian
Published Letters: 134 Editor's Choice: 9
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@GoldenBoy
[Read the article: Jamie Kirchick's fantasies of the grave Muslim threat]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I don't intend to condone suicide bombing, but let me ask you a question.
If some group you were closely affiliated with, your race let's say, were considered a threat by a foreign power which then proceeded to rain hell and damnation on your neighbors, friends and relatives; if you saw babies blown apart; if you saw children die slow painful deaths, perhaps your own children; if this continued for years, with no end in sight; if you felt all hope for a better tomorrow were lost; if finally you had no friends or family left - what would you do?
The last estimate I saw put the total number of Iraq casualties at ~650,000. Personally, I don't think those numbers mean anything. It would only take one number to turn me into a stark raving madman. Kill my child. Hurt my family. Are you any different? Is anyone?
And this is how violence begets violence. Our solution? Give everyone weapons, and hope the recipients will be grateful enough to be on our side.
Conflating Islam with suicide bombing is patently ridiculous. These acts are only incidentally connected to a religion - these are the acts of damaged people - it doesn't really matter where they are from. Their countries - their brothers - are burning, and you're pointing fingers and trying to blame the victims. Who launched preemptive strikes on false pretenses? Who is handing out weapons like candy?
Where is Osama? Oh yeah, he's hiding in Pakistan, where our warmongering has made him into a national hero. Why, you ask, why?! Why don't those poor brown people appreciate all the help we're giving them? Why do they hate us so much? Why do they love that terrorist Osama who gave us a big kick in the ass? Why?!
The only thing I don't understand is why these things require an explanation.
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Journalistic Ethics
[Read the article: Stop your sobbing]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You know, Fox News does some pretty off-color things in pursuit of their right-wing agenda; but I don't recall hearing that they put the left wing's village idiots on display for the purpose of mocking them. I hope Salon has the integrity to pull back from this gaff, or it will rightly risk being characterized as being as unprincipled as Fox.
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Iran should be an ally
[Read the article: The Iran hawks]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I like Iran. Sure, the country is run by religious nuts, but so is the US. In many ways, Iran is one of the most progressive countries in the Middle East. If we were able to forge stronger ties, that would only encourage and hasten the progressive elements we would like to promote. Saber rattling simply strengthens the hand of those Iranians who would be our enemies.
Does no one see the irony in one set of religious kooks declaring another set of religious kooks to be scary irrational vipers? It reminds me of when the Catholic church had two infallible popes who both excommunicated each other. Can't we just put the extremists on all sides on an island and let them have at it, while the rest of us get on with our lives already? Before we condemn Iran for its religious zealotry, shouldn't the US examine it's own intolerance? "No, we shouldn't, because we're on the side of the one true God." That's the answer, isn't it? That is also the real problem we have. The problem is not Iran - the problem is religion. Who are the real terrorists around here? Let's put the label where it belongs - on religious nuts of all stripes, in all countries, including our own.
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@ had_enough
[Read the article: The Iran hawks]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You say: the GOP has dragged so much of our country down the road toward fascism...
Unfortunately, I think it's the other way around. I think our country has dragged the GOP (and Democrats). We have candidates promoting other alternatives. What are their poll ratings? I'm sorry to say that we have no one to blame but ourselves.
The US is one big gated community. What fraction of US citizens have ever left the country? What fraction have never even left their home town? I don't support immigration reform because I want cheap strawberries. I support immigration reform because I want to break the back of our ignorant isolationist cracker white judaeo christian majority. I would like to welcome all of the wonderful Iraqi people we have so grievously displaced with open arms. Let them in by the millions!
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I'm with Chris
[Read the article: The Iran hawks]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm as bad as everyone else. I "vote for the person who has a chance to win." And thereby do my little part to perpetuate the election of idiots.
Not this year. I just decided. I'm voting for Ron Paul. He is more extreme on a couple of positions than I would like, but all of the other candidates are more extreme on a lot of positions than I would like. And like you say, Chris, we're not electing a unitary executive.
I'm going to vote for the candidate I want, rather than the least bad candidate I think might win. Whatever your preference, I encourage everyone else to do the same.
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@ rtf100
[Read the article: The Iran hawks]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You say: If Israel believes that the new Democratic president will not cover their backs and flanks, they could panic and attack with minimal provocation.
In the examples you give, do think Israel attacked because they didn't feel the US had their back?! Quite the opposite, I'd say. We've made it manifestly clear that we've had Israel's back for some time. Given Israel's aggression, particularly with ultra hard line conservatives like Netanyahu on the ascent, I think we owe it to the rest of the world to force Israel to start facing real consequences for its actions. Personally, I've had quite enough of our entirely lopsided Middle East politics.