Letters to the Editor
Baldie McEagle
Published Letters: 992 Editor's Choice: 3
-
Damn
[Read the article: The difference between Jeremiah Wright and radical, white evangelical ministers]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]LWM left the building before I could ask him exactly what he thinks is incorrect about Wright's statements.
I agree that there is likely an aspect of demagoguery to Wright's sermons. The black community has suffered from preacher-cultist-dictator-politician types since at least the Reconstruction. Any well-known black American preacher is going to be a "firebrand" and a populist.
However, I'm not in a position to tell you whether Wright believes in or merely finds convenient the myths he propagates. The myth about AIDS is a common one among moderately and less educated blacks. How can any of us tell? And why would we be surprised if Wright does believe? Don't white people and their preachers also share a few myths? Ah, but they don't usually get them exposed and rubbed in their faces, do they?
As far as I can tell, Wright is pissed off but dead on aside from the above. Can anyone 'splain to me different?
-
Well said
[Read the article: The last rendezvous with Arthur C. Clarke]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I still have all those books---every single one. And not just on my bookshelves but in my brain as well.
I didn't know about the Rendezvous with Rama project, however. Thanks.
-
Wait for it ...
[Read the article: Obama's faith in the reasoning abilities of the American public]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Salon readers don't want a 'unifying' figure any more than they want a 'moderate.' If Salon wanted a moderate, it would have supported people like Joe Lieberman and John McCain.
And there it is. Bah-dump!
-
Let me help, odog
[Read the article: Obama's faith in the reasoning abilities of the American public]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The key word is "objectionable."
Set that against "fierce," "controversial," and "disgreed."
I think your problem is that you don't see you want Obama to object to what YOU find objectionable. Good luck.
-
@rambling rose
[Read the article: Obama's faith in the reasoning abilities of the American public]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You sure do ramble.
-
odog
[Read the article: Obama's faith in the reasoning abilities of the American public]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You figured it out! Good boy!
-
@odog
[Read the article: Obama's faith in the reasoning abilities of the American public]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Would you deny Obama every one of his denials?
-
Oh no!
[Read the article: Obama's faith in the reasoning abilities of the American public]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]A political calculation.
From a politician?
Running for president?
The sky is falling!
Walter, you're sounding a little mealy-mouthed. You pretend to want Obama to have a chance, but you don't want him to defend himself.
???
-
@lastname
[Read the article: Obama's faith in the reasoning abilities of the American public]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Thank you. I needed an excuse to fall off my office chair.
-
odog
[Read the article: Obama's faith in the reasoning abilities of the American public]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Not very nuanced. Stick to barking.
-
@bystander
[Read the article: Obama's faith in the reasoning abilities of the American public]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Criminal Justice.
-
at least 2 decent questions are probably being missed here by the M$M
[Read the article: The media's special relationship with John McCain]
[Read more letters about this article: Here](1) Why didn't McCain's own staff correct him after one of these misspeaking occasions? Has this "caused some to wonder whether this is indicative of his administrative style"? Are they afraid of him? Does he prefer to be surrounded by yesmen?
(2) Is he too old and easily fatigued to be running around campaigning? Do "some voters wonder whether he is too old to be president"?
These questions "remind voters that while McCain may stand for toughness," he may also be a doddering old incontinent fool.
-
@ Bill
[Read the article: Lessons not learned]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Your main point is valid: that America's primary source of dissatisfaction with the Iraq war is its failure. Fair enough.
But I remember a time, not so long ago, when everyone in America was for the war.?
Everyone?
-
Don't know whether anyone else commented on this
[Read the article: Lessons not learned]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If you hate yourself enough, the people who hate you, who you want to love you, will love you. Works every time.
This is absolutely absurd. Certainly such behavior can win you fame and favor. But it's not love.
Our new blank friend is apparently no keen observer of the world he lives in.
-
he's right though
[Read the article: Lessons not learned]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Outside GG's blog, Salon posters can be very very dumb indeed. That's why I rarely go there.
-
@Morris
[Read the article: The Obama passport snooping and the unchecked surveillance state]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Friend of Dorothy's"? Yeah, we know all about it.
Folow the Yellow Brick Road into the white van, Twinkletoes.
"Moral Turpitude," you know.
-
Let's treat them as Serious then
[Read the article: War advocates like Anne-Marie Slaughter demand that you forget the past]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Everything would be perfect if all the mean partisan people stopped harping so negatively on their war cheerleading and started treating them again as the Wise and Serious Experts that they are.
The gibbet awaits.
-
mcgupta
[Read the article: War advocates like Anne-Marie Slaughter demand that you forget the past]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It would seem that the actual exercise of power diminishes it.
Correct. Force is the translation of power into something physical. Force costs power. The more force you use, the less power you have left.
-
Martin Gifford almost got it
[Read the article: War advocates like Anne-Marie Slaughter demand that you forget the past]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]AMS's observation is correct if it is understood to apply to the media. You can't read the M$M and get the impression that there is serious debate to be had about what to actually do. Instead, there is a lot of smoke-blowing.
She's wrong, however, to separate what's wrong from what's right, and who said it from what was said. These are all necessarily part of the debate, even though they should not dominate the debate. Those who do not want the debate to move forward, or who are consumed by a routine corporate tribalism mentality (i.e., the media) will focus on who said what rather than use it to break down the options.
For my part, I have never considered a troop pullout in 6 or 12 months to be a fully fleshed-out plan. It's more useful as a sentiment, if taken as such (and I do).
The fact is, much of what was done over the past 5 years needs to be reversed or undone if the troops are to pull out is any sort of responsible manner. For one thing, the counterinsurgency was utterly incompetent at first, and only slowly have our forces learned how to operate in that way. The "new" approach of repairing infrastructure and gaining trust (I know, "duh") needs to have the full support of the administration. To me, this is the first thing for a new president to do (after throwing out all the civilians and contractors). With any luck, it could achieve actual internal stabilization (meaning a situation that can sustain itself without a "surge" to protect it).
Only then can any military commander assess the time needed to pull out, and what condition we could leave Iraq in when we do.
-
@ Comrade Scooter
[Read the article: War advocates like Anne-Marie Slaughter demand that you forget the past]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Please post said list here by Monday so the committee can review it ans consider possible action.
-
scooter engages in fake thought
[Read the article: War advocates like Anne-Marie Slaughter demand that you forget the past]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]the way certain beetles invade ant nests, protected by pheromones. it's a little creepy, like watching an AI trying to pass the Turing Test.
Scoot, all of your "questions" are false thoughts designed to deflect rather than seek answers. You're not fooling anyone. And the sad thing is, you're hurting yourself most of all. You're on the verge of collapse.