Letters to the Editor
Published Letters: 2149 Editor's Choice: 7
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Not cut and dried
[Read the article: Democrats bear responsibility for restoring habeas corpus]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.
The unconstitutionality of the bill cannot be relied on to make it go away. We have to focus on Congressional action specifically based on the simple justification that it's the right thing to do.
Anyone who suggests that such action is aimed at "granting rights to terrorists" has to be called out as a liar in no uncertain terms. Recent history has already shown that the meaning of the word "terrorist" has been widening to include people who are no such thing. (Anyone killed by US forces or taken into custody automatically becomes a terrorist.)
The danger is quite apparent and becoming more so every day as the war cheerleaders paint themselves into an ever-tightening corner of lies. If it weren't for the current backlash, then it only would have been a matter of time before today's "Green" became tomorrows terrorist. Don't believe it? Ask someone from Greenpeace or PETA.
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Jumping to conclusions.....
[Read the article: Democrats bear responsibility for restoring habeas corpus]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Its always unfortunate when people read WAY more into words than what the author intended. It's bad enough when a troll is using the technique to attack something someone didn't actually say but when it results in people who are actually on the same side getting distracted or hurt, then it's time to slow down long enough to actually read what is being said.
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No magic.....
[Read the article: Democrats bear responsibility for restoring habeas corpus]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]A majority of Congress -- though not necessarily a majority of both Parties -- has gone along with or has actively enabled the consolidation of this Autocracy, once they agreed to its imposition in the first place.
It's helpful to remember (though I do so at my peril) that all our institutions are made up of individuals who are operating out of their own self-interest with perhaps a nod or two to some guiding principles. If you approached a Congresscritter with your theory of Autocracy, they might look at you oddly, but it would never even occur to them to understand what your talking about.
Where the poison comes in, is when our guiding MEDIA lights consider themselves members of the club. As long as they're providing sufficient bread and circuses (can anyone say Anna Nichole?) then the kleptocracy can continue apace.
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Discovering reality vs Creating reality
[Read the article: All you need to know about the Beltway journalist mind]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The quote from Ron Suskind comes up frequently. Of course I refer to:
''We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality -- judiciously, as you will -- we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.''
Once we parse these words more carefully we can shorten the phrases and redefine them somewhat. To discover reality is to seek truth. To create reality is to lie.
Of course, having taken this step, it's now much easier to see past the false "centrism" that people like Broder represent. He may be sitting on a fence but the fence he's sitting on is the one that separates reality from bullshit!
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Wealth and Cliques
[Read the article: All you need to know about the Beltway journalist mind]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]My wife once postulated that there's a certain degree of wealth, past which one ceases to view it as a competetive sport, and can thus relax and stop being an asshole. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but I suspect that the income level of Washington pundits is right at the "sweet spot" where the competeive drive and the need to disdain outsiders is at a local maximum.
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You have to remember....
[Read the article: All you need to know about the Beltway journalist mind]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]They had a "liberal bias" because they reported the unvarnished news. Spin hadn't really been perfected yet.
that in that era, our primary enemy was the Soviets.
One of the many reasons (we were told), that we were morally superior to the Soviet Union was that we had a free and unfettered press, whereas they, in contrast, had an official state organ, Pravda ,that provided no news except party-approved propaganda.
Holding the government accountable wasn't just expected. It was a a patriotic duty.
It wasn't until the swift-boat campaign that I realized that much of what we're seeing happen now, is a direct result of people seeking revenge for what took place in the 70's.
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Its willful.....
[Read the article: Answers for Joe Klein]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If you read through the comment thread under Joe's article:
http://time-blog.com/swampland/2007/05/a_question_for_glenn_greenwald.html#comments
you see that there are a large number of people who rather kindly and patiently explain the fact that he misread Glenn's post. That he continues to misrepresent what Glenn said, even in the update, leads one to believe that his ignorance is willful rather than inadvertant.
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Another update...anor 60 degree turn..
[Read the article: Answers for Joe Klein]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]http://time-blog.com/swampland/2007/05/a_question_for_glenn_greenwald.html
Joe's put up another update based on Glenn's current post. Each update has represented a 60 degree turn from his previous position. One more and we'll have a complete 180!
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I'm only guessing...
[Read the article: Answers for Joe Klein]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]But I think part of what motivated JimC is the fact that the sort of back and forth that's taking place betwwen Glenn and Joe Klein can quickly devolve to being about personality rather than issues. What he fails to realize is that the what's being addressed here is a vitally important part of our governing process. The whole idea of a representative government relies on a citizenry that is at least marginally aware of what's going on in the world. At this point, even that paltry standard is not being met.
Anything we can do to correct this is helpful. If it also allows us the opportunity to leave snarky comments over at the Time/Swampland blog, then so much the better!
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Filters....
[Read the article: Answers for Joe Klein]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Don't forget that filters also operate at the level of individuals. Which is why people who write off information as left-wing that has actually gone through a right-pass filter they end up with no information whatsoever.