Letters to the Editor
jvankw
Published Letters: 14 Editor's Choice: 1
-
Appalling Treatment; Appalling Reactions
[Read the article: At her majesty's pleasure]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Thank you Mr. Kurth for showing us the appalling treatment of people that are "different" or "obnoxious." Break some social taboo by drinking too much or by travelling-while-Muslim and you are fair game to the police, the immigration authorities and all too many in the public at large. After all, no need for empathy when you brought it on yourself.
And so, we harden ourselves to your despair. We all know rape is common in prison so what were you thinking when you travelled to England with a passport that would expire after you planned to return home? We harden ourselves to the despair of the hapless individuals in Guantanamo, Bagram Airbase, Diego Garcia, and the secret prisons in Poland and Romania. Why should we lose sleep over some renditioned guy wasting away in Syria or Eqypt? Where there's smoke there's fire and those people must be there for a reason, right? What were they thinking, anyway? Tsk, tsk. Let's watch the last episode of Lost or Grey's Anatomy; after all, I have nothing to hide and I have nothing to fear because I am not different or obnoxious. Right?
-
Coming to America
[Read the article: Tony Blair becomes Margaret Thatcher]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Coming to America, he will. Joining the "liberal wing of American foreign policy" he will not. Unless the American Enterprise Insitute and Fox News are part of that wing.
-
No accountability?
[Read the article: What happens to private contractors who kill Iraqis? Maybe nothing]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]These contractors are Americans who are paid by the American government, work for the American government, use American weapons, protect American government officials, advance the goals of those American officials and yet...are not subject to American law. Really?
How about 18 U.S.C. 3261: "Whoever engages in conduct outside the United States that would constitute an offense punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year if the conduct had been engaged in within ... the United States ... while employed by or accompanying the Armed Forces outside the United States ... shall be punished as provided for that offense."
Perhaps former Judge, new AG Mukasey can "encourage" one of the U.S. Attorneys to take this up? Should be interesting.
-
Too bad Bollinger acted as a politician
[Read the article: Lee Bollinger's big moment]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]There was no reason to give Ahmadenijad a warm and friendly reception, especially because he stands for so many things that are antithetical to everything universities are supposed to advance -- liberal thought, freedom of expression and a collective search for Truth.
However, Bollinger's opportunistic hoodwinking of Ahmadenijad in order to score political points was cheap and not consistent with these principles either. At a minimum, Bollinger should have given Ahmadenijad advance notice of his opening remarks or he should have reserved them for an appropriate forum where Ahmadenijad would have a fair opportunity to respond.
Because Bollinger chose the spotlight over accepted ground rules for the exchange of ideas, he came off as that other President -- the one who used the last question at a press conference to slip in some inflammatory comments about a certain advertisement. Perhaps acceptable for a politician but not acceptable for the president of a university that proudly proclaims:
"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies and all slander / As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."
-
Look for an ugly face
[Read the article: Telecom amnesty would forever foreclose investigation of vital issues]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Unless we can humanize the debate by singling out a few individuals who were more responsible than others (and who benefited greatly by breaking the law), this outrage on the American public will remain too amorphous for the public/pundits to care.
-
America, it's time to wake up.
[Read the article: Blackwater's run for the border]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Private military contractors are already providing their "services" within U.S. borders. Blackwater, for example, had heavily armed boots on the ground in New Orleans shortly after Katrina hit (www.blackwaterusa.com/btw2005/archive/090505btw.html).
When interviewed, one of the Blackwater contractors in New Orleans said: "We're on contract with the Department of Homeland Security" ... "We can make arrests and use lethal force if we deem it necessary." (www.alternet.org/katrina/25858/)
Question: is there a U.S. equivalent of CPA Order 17 granting these contractors immunity from state and/or federal prosecution?
Time to put an end to this. Fast.
-
You must align yourself with those who "create" history in order to be Serious
[Read the article: Ron Paul distortions and smears]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The "serious" commentators are continually proving their acceptance of Rove's Straussian paradigm that our leaders "create" history and, unlike the masses to whom these commentators sell the leader's version of history, that they are not subject to it. Such power must be addictive. And why give it up? Anyone disagreeing with this elitist and arrogant premise can be painted by the same commentators as a radical lefty, a fruitcake, nut job, etc., even if such a person simply insists on the "radical" concepts of freedom, equality and the Rule of Law.
-
Essential reading
[Read the article: Jay Rockefeller's unintentionally revealing comments]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Scott Horton has an excellent discussion about the role of the media and Congress @ Harper's. In "935 Lies on the Way to a War," he concludes that the risk of exposure of sloth and error over the past years may have something to do with the continuing lack of oversight and accountability on a number of issues, including retroactive immunity.
-- http://harpers.org/archive/2008/01/hbc-90002235
Sorry if this was posted before.
J.
-
The FISA debate is meaningless
[Read the article: Today]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]because the law is what the Justice Department says it is -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGpWtTJmfvY .
Watch and wonder: what happened to the idea that this is a nation of laws, not men? And why was it replaced by might makes right, even in the case of torture (so let alone warrantless spying)?
Perhaps "yes, we can" should be followed by "impeach."