Letters to the Editor
McGarrett50
Published Letters: 28 Editor's Choice: 2
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Observations
[Read the article: A Democratic donnybrook]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]1. Democratic views on the War on terror make very little sense. I think all 4 candidates indicated that they were willing to attack Al Quaeda in Pakistan's borders wihtout agreement from Pakistan. Hillary Clinton even indicated that she would use nuclear weapons against a state in response to a nuclear attack on the US by terrorists based in a state. Fair enough. But, they all next described how they want to get out of Iraq as quick as possible. Now, what is the likely outcome in Iraq if we withdraw quickly. Isn't there a reasonable probability that terrorists will take over? If Pakistan with a partially pro-US governament and military is dangerous, what would an anti-US Iraq allied with Iran and Syria be like?
2. Obama and Edwards could have easily beaten Clinton in the debate. After one of her statements of how experienced and ready she is, one of them should have finally just called her on it and said that she really doesn't have any more experience than the rest of them. The simple fact is that being the wife of a governor and being the First Lady do not count for anything. So, beyond that, she is a 1+ term Senator. Not much more than Edwards who at least can add to his resume that he actually did run for Vice President. And, when Hillary started to take credit for the change that Bill Clinton made in the 90's (one example: budget balancing), Edwards or Obama could have simply replied that the biggest change under Bill Clinton was the Republican takeover of Congress and Clinton's compromising with them on things like welfare reform.
I know there is a perception that the MSM hate Hillary but the exact opposite has been true. She was annointed as a brilliant, national leader based on no actual contributions of any kind. I think the voters subconsciously know this and the results are showing.
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Democrats the same in a different way
[Read the article: GOP to voters: Be afraid, be very afraid]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I understand why people would see that the Republicans are using fear of terror as a motivator. The Democrats do the same thing but the issues are different. Just a few things from the recent debate:
-Clinton scares people with the new jobs report that had unemployment at 5%. Don't know about you, but I am old enough to remember when 5% unemployment was considered impossible. 6% would ahve been great. And, to think that unemployment is this low when there are ~10 million illegals taking jobs and corporations outsourcing everything to India. These facts don't exactly fit together.
-Edwards goes off on his normal thing about insurance companies withholding treatments and letting people die. No mention that the case he cites involves an organ transplant and that people are denied transplants all the time not by insurance companies but by the rules of the transplant bureaucracy.
I think that is one thing about Obama that people like. He doesn't seem to be trying to motivate by fear. Now, I happen to disagree with him on a lot of things but I at least believe he is trying to be minimally objective and not cry wolf on everything.
Oh, and one other thing: The fears the Republicans are bringing up actually have the merit of being real. Terrorists actually are trying to attack America and kill its citizens. Now, while people can have a good debate about what the right tactics should be, it is hard to dispute that the threat is real.
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This is silliness
[Read the article: Bush's delusions die in Gaza]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Gaza is run by Hamas. At any time they want to, Hamas could decide that taking care of the people is better than fighting Israel and Fatah. They haven't done so. That is not Israel's fault and it certainly isn't George Bush's fault.
If Hamas was smart, they would try a Hong Kong or Singapore free market strategy and be rich within a generation. Neither of those city-states had any resources except for human beings with the normal desire to improve their lots in life. There's no reason Gaza couldn't do the same thing. EXCEPT that Hamas does not care one whit to improve the the lives of the people it claims to represent. Freedom for Gazans would be freedom from Hamas.
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A Simpler View
[Read the article: I'm afraid I'll be unfaithful to my husband]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I suspect that the majority of people have a fear that they are giving up something important by getting married and wonder what that other life might be. I don't see that this person is so unique. Is anyone ever 100% sure of anything?
I think Cary's honesty advice has merit but I think it is easier to frame it as a simpler conversation of fear of what she is passing up rather than a dissertation on all of her past foibles and potential alternatives. I bet the guy has similar feelings.
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Keep it up, Gary, It Helps Republicans
[Read the article: Rev. Jeremiah Wright isn't the problem]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I find Gary's views to be so wrong-headed that it sometimes hard to figure out where to start debating them. On this one, I concluded that it is better for Wright and Gary and all these guys to just let it flow. I don't understand why they are so offended that people actually love America. America is far from perfect and I fully agree that dissent is a key value. I do it myself! But, contempt is not a key value. As long as Democrats pursue a strategy of contempt, they will deservedly lose.
As one specific question to Gary, what policies would he have us pursue that would make our enemies not attack us? The Chinese don't get attacked by Islamic terrorists. Is that because they are somehow more supportive of Islamic people? Or, is it because they more allied with the oppressive regimes favored by the terrorists? For me, I oppose all oppressors and if that means that they don't like us, then I add that to my list of things to be proud of being American.