Letters to the Editor
dendrio
Published Letters: 200 Editor's Choice: 27
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Open Letter to Would-Be Candidates
[Read the article: Thompson eyes 2008; McCain makes it nearly official]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Dear Would-Be Candidate:
We are barely past the mid-term elections; the new Congress has yet to be sworn in and seated. So why, exactly, do you feel the need to make a non-declarative declaration of your possible intentions to maybe convene an exploratory committee to look at the potential liklihood that you may or may not run for President?
Current Office Holders: How are you serving the electorate by running a two-year campaign? As a member of the government, shouldn't you be, you know, governing? Do us a favor. Sit down. Shut up. Do the job you were hired to do.
Non-office Holders: Without knowing what the new Congress will do and how it will govern, what can you possibly be running on at such an early date? Without knowing what will happen in the next two years, what can you possibly propose? What can you tell us? That you believe in America? That you want to make America a better place? That you support the troops? That you want to fight terror? That you believe in freedom? Spare us. Sit down. Shut up. And keep your eyes and ears open for the next 18 months. Then, if you have someting to say, something to contribute, by all means, run for office.
To Perrenial Candidates of All Political/Ideological Persuasions: Why not do some real work on your favored issues and causes, whatever they may be. This may come as a surprise to you, but doing interviews on Democracy Now! or getting your essay published in Reason or making the rounds on the talk show circuit doesn't really accomplish anything. Sit down. Shut up, and do some real work for a change. Feed and clothe the poor! Organize a union! Patrol the border! Join the Army! Help people cheat on their income taxes! Put your ideas into action!
Sincerely,
David J. Magaro
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Are you kidding me?
[Read the article: The Bush plan for Iraq: A few more troops?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Twenty thousand men is not nearly enough. We'd need to double the current troop levels, disolve the Iraqi government, and declare martial law to even have a chance of "controlling" the situation there, and even so, it will get very, very ugly. Where's a homocidal strong-man when you need one?
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The Return of Sparky!
[Read the article: This Modern World]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]At long last! Where has he been? Probably working to get out the vote. Thanks, Sparks!
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Question
[Read the article: The games they play]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Who here thinks Pelosi is "playing nice" and who here thinks she's staying to true Democratic principles of fair play?
I for one, think it's the latter (as if you couldn't tell by the biased way I phrased the question). However, I think Republicans will think it's the former, and take it as a sign of weakness.
If she's savvy, she can use that against them.
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Hereditary Rulers
[Read the article: "We do not respect your son"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]bwridges makes a good point. The problem with familial political dynasties is that family loyalty trumps loyalty to the nation. Family good trumps common good. And when your family's political ideology states that there's no such thing as the "common good," or that the conglomeration of individuals all seeking their own private gain by any means necessary somehow magically takes care of the common good, then we are truly fucked.
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Our Local News...
[Read the article: Not necessarily the news]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Pretty much focuses on the health of the Steelers, house fires, and the latest shooting in Homewood. As far as political coverage goes it's limited to "Candidate X loves America and wants to make a difference, while candidate Y wants to make a difference and loves America! Voters will decide who they want this Tuesday."
Wait, I forgot the other mainstay of local news: "What common household item could kill your children instantly? Find out at eleven!"
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You Radical Moonbat Islamist Commie Freedom-Hating America-Bashing Baby-Killing Antichristian Godless Socialist Faggot Liberals Don't Get It
[Read the article: A "matrix" the president can understand]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]We must kill them if we are to save them.
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AAARRRRGGH!!!!
[Read the article: Who's hot, who's not]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The presidential election is two years away!
Current Office Holders (McCain, Clinton, Obama, et al.): Stop campaigning and do the job you were elected into government to do! That is, govern!
Wannabe Office Holders: What do you do for living? Where to do get the money run a two-year campaign? How do you put food on the table? How do you pay the bills? Instead going on Lettermen to announce that you're maybe forming a committee to look at the possibility of exploring the likely support for a potential run for office, DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE WITH YOUR TIME AND MONEY!
Journalists: We don't even have officially declared candidates and we citizens are already subjected to idea-free, horserace reportage. Go outside, find a story, and report the news. Oh, and when it comes to Iran, remember the words of I.F. Stone, "Governments lie"!
Political Parties: Election's over. Find something else to do besides soliciting me for more money. Republicans, go enlist in the Marines. Democrats, offer something besides Republican-lite. Greens, stop making symbolic gestures. Get elected or get out. Socialists, wage some class warfare. Libertarians, smoke less dope. Maybe then you'll figure out that Keynes was right, Friedman was wrong, and that there never has been, and never will be such a thing as a "free" market.
Fellow Citizens: First of all, how sad is it that to be Politician is now something distinct from being a run-of-the-mill citizen. Some democracy! Let's say, "Screw the politicos!" Keep up on events, study the issues, do some good work, and think about running for office.
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Ever notice ...
[Read the article: Buying a legacy]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]How neocons deride university professors and other intellectuals for living in their "ivory towers," divorced from reality and the "marketplace of ideas", etc, etc.? Yet their foundations, think tanks, and "libraries" are nothing but echo chambers for intellectual whores. In Socrates' day they were called Sophists. Nowadays they're called Cato Institute fellows.
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See also ...
[Read the article: Tom the Dancing Bug]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]http://www.angryflower.com/smashi.html