Letters to the Editor
kenwaz
Published Letters: 104 Editor's Choice: 12
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"Abandoning"?
[Read the article: The war, the vote and the Republicans' priorities]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Tiberius: If what you mean by "abandoning the soldiers" is leaving them in Iraq at risk for extended periods of time for no good purpose, then I agree with you. I would rather come home a live pawn than a dead pawn.
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Let's Not Kill the Messenger -- Let's See What the King Does after Hearing the Message
[Read the article: The long war]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]To be fair, I don't evny Petraeus, and while I have not been thrust into managing a war that was started by someone else, I have had to rescue IT projects that were in the toilet. Sure, there was no body count involved, but rallying the team against something that had depleted morale was part of the job. My messages to management, client, and team had to be honest, yet positive.
I was opposed to this war from the beginning and am less happy about it now that all the "truthiness" is seeing the light of day.
Petraeus is offering a more honest assessment of the war than we have previously heard (or been permitted to hear) from the commander. The problem is not necessarily with Petraeus's message here -- the problem is the deaf ears (one pair, in particular) that the message will fall upon without effect.
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Meanwhile, In Bizarro World...
[Read the article: And in other news, up is now down]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Bizarro Bush has lowered taxes, cut government spending, fought global warming, poverty, hunger, and achieved Bizarro World peace. For all these deeds, Bizarro Bush is universally loved, and has been awarded the Biz-Nobel Peace Prize.
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"Either we'll succeed, or we won't succeed"
[Read the article: "Either we'll succeed, or we won't succeed"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]For once, I have to admit he's right. (Although this might just be just a Yogi Berra plagiarism.)
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Sure, He says That Now...
[Read the article: Let's just call him "lame duck"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...since he replaced the last group of commanders with those who agree with him. Regardless of what "commander guy" meant, it's just another fine example of the Art of Public Speaking as embodied by The Leader.
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Consequences Are for Other People
[Read the article: Benchmarks and consequences]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Consequences have never been the strong suit of this administration... at least when the consequences are unfavorable to them. Sure, the consequences for being competant but not loyal are dismissal, but that applies to others. When it looks as though this administration is losing, the game must go on at all cost until they are ahead.
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By and Large, a Satisfying Farewell
[Read the article: Finale wrap-up: "Gilmore Girls"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]At least there were none of the cliched, trite, "bow-tied" endings: no one suddenly got married, there was no baby born, etc.
Yes, the town party seemed a bit impossibly pulled off, but a party for Rory (and a speech honoring Lorelei as the other guest of honor) seemed a fitting send-off. Watching the quirkly Stars Hollow residents pull the thing together overriding Taylor's control-freakiness was satisfying. And at this point, having captured Sally Struthers running on film was something unexpected. The party gave a plausible reason for most all the characters to say their farewells and make an appearance.
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Heck of a Job, Wolfie!
[Read the article: Dead man walking]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Well, SOMEONE had to say it.
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Loyalty Above All
[Read the article: Wolfie out, Frist in?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This is typical in that loyalty, not skill or experience, are the qualifications that win the position. While some of the other letters offer indications of what might motivate Mr. Frist's decisions as to which countries might be denied Word Bank Funds, the bottom line is that he is ill-suited for the role. With yet another highly-visible appointment on the international scene, GWB continues to cement his legacy as a leader, and it isn't pretty.
History will have the last laugh. Americans for many years will be reminded that this guy was chosen (albeit not elected) President not just once, but twice. Should make for many fun conversations abroad the next 20 year.
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Signs of a Strong Economy Developing?
[Read the article: In Iraq, poppies are blooming]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I don't recall anyone promising that the new economy developed as a by-product of establishing a new Iraqi government would be a legitimate one, but it looks like free enterprise is (snicker) taking root.
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Must Be Nice...
[Read the article: The slow road to "progress"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...to have no accountability for results. We who actually work for a living would find ourselves unemployed for hem and haw on such a colossal scale. Rearranging the deck chairs and telling people to "just wait and you'll see" ad infinitum is irresponsible, but since there's no one holding this Administration culpable for its actions, they can continue to get away with this.
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Scary, Scarier, Scariest
[Read the article: Maybe he really is "the commander guy"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]None of the three versions of the story is exactly inspiring. By all accounts, the man is either delusional or cracking under the pressure. None of these stories depict someone both aware of his circumstances and in control of himself.
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Gee, I Feel So Much Better
[Read the article: "I think the best thing for me to do is just talk about the facts"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...knowing that Russia is not our enemy and that our cutting-edge and highly expensive missile defense system is not capable of shooting down more than one missile.
By the way, Mr. President, isn't announcing to the world the limitations of our defense system informing the enemy just like announcing a troop withdrawal date?
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This Weapon Already Exists and Is On the Domestic Market
[Read the article: How about a presidential approval rating bomb?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If I understand the principles involved as described, all they need to do is to spike the enemy water supply with and uber-dose of Viagra, or one of the other "male enhancement drugs". The enemy will become stricken with arousal, and, in the absence of women, will turn gay and proceed to have their way with each other.
If I further understand the warnings on the "male enhancement" TV ads, a dosage that can cause a four-hour erection is cause for medical attention. Surely the enemy will be so overwhelmed by the effect of priapism that, even if they don't turn gay, they will be too preoccupied to fight. Clearly the military is still lacking basic insight into the male mind. Ironic, given the number of male minds that have passed through its service.