Letters to the Editor
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You are missing the forrest for the trees !!!
Hi,
One of the reasons I left the US is because it's such a hopeless place. And no one seems to talk about it. I'm so "proud to be an American" and can't wait to get my new citizenship.
America's number one export is guns and ammo. You can't make a car and must buy the high technology for hybrids from Japan. Did the US auto industry learn ANYTHING after being bailed out after the first oil crisis? NO. The only other thing the US exports are worthless financial instruments and low paying jobs. Wow.
I now live in a country with about 20 million people. Our troops are "helping" people in two other parts of the world besides Iraq and Afghanistan. In effect we are policing other parts of the world to make up for the power vaccum the US is leaving behind in our part of the world. I think we are in the Solomon Islands and PNG. I don't recall our status in SriLanka off-hand. I'm sure we have business interests here, but I can assure you these areas were also strife with violence.
The best part in all of this is that the "real" debate isn't happening in the US. There are business men and foreign governments that are making money off the status quo and you Americans are footing the bill with increased terrorism and dimunition of your civil liberties.
For an interesting read on how this works read "The Isreal Lobby". The names Glenn mentions here are chicken feed, and the book itself is based on a paper published first in the London Review of books because it couldn't be published in the US. Talk about censorship!!! When you read Walt and Mearsham's work look at the roll of Lantos and Schumer in foreign policy ... and they are prominent Demcocrats. This will help explain Congressional apparent impotence when dealing with getting out of Iraq. I would also ask that others look into text of Edwards' comments to AIPAC. And he is the most extreme of the Democrats.
The above mentioned book will help explain current Congressional activity in the middle east better than any team of Washington pundits, even though that's not saying much!
Let me say right now The Isreal lobby is acting in full accordance with US law and are entitled to their actions, with some possible exceptions for spying. They are using tactics honed by other lobbying groups like the NRA and other industrial lobbies. But we should be able to debate the policies the promolgate and their impacts on US policy.
As I joke with the cadets at my institution, we in the US think that all problems can be solved with guns. And if the problem can't be solved with the gun at hand that means you must get a bigger gun. If a gun won't work that means you must get a cannon, and if that won't work you have to get an A-bomb. Therefore all the world's problems can be solved through weaponry.
I know many of you don't beleive that for a second. but what does your government believe?
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Russert tanked?
Did anybody else think old Tim Russert was "under the weather" tonight on NBC evening news?
His stellar prognostications always make my day...
And yet tonight I was left hanging, not unlike a maraschino cherry in a hi-ball.
Damn those ice cubes!
C'mon Timmy, whose gonna win it all?
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On the Buses
All that gushy crap from slappers like Margaret Carlson leads me to wonder who's screwing who in those five-star bedrooms and whose hand is in whose pants at the back of the bus? Might make interesting reading.
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Bush
I've read about Bush and how he manipulated the press. Apparently, if you didn't chuckle at his jokes, he had ways to make sure you were "ostracized" just like the popular kids did back in high school (to continue the author's metaphor).
I also recall reading about how President Reagan, also a lefty like Gerald Ford, took steps to make sure the media would not portray him as clumsy. His handlers said straight out that if a reporter did, he/she would have a very short career covering the president.
Democrats are just too nice, if you ask me, when it comes to trying to get along with the press. But that's just my opinion.
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Huh?
Anonymous... For an interesting read on how this works read "The Isreal Lobby". The names Glenn mentions here are chicken feed, and the book itself is based on a paper published first in the London Review of books because it couldn't be published in the US. Talk about censorship!!!
Censorship?
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Obama=Bush
Regardless of whether or not Hillary is cold or didn't caucus or what ever, the Main Stream Media has zero credibility.
They lost credibility when they didn't examine GWBush even for a second in the run up to the 2000 election and trashed Al Gore up one side and down the other and did the same thing in 2004 to Kerry.
And now they are treating Obama like the Golden Boy. Same sh*t, different day.
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OT (or not?) - Joe Klein sighting
Glenn,
I was dismayed to see Joe Klein pop up in the promo materials for season 5 of "The Wire."
Chances are, this wasn't David Simon's decision, but still.. Joe Klein? Boo.
I hope you write something about this last season of "The Wire" after the first 3 or 4 episodes with your take on it, since it is exactly about a good deal of what you talk about on UT.
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FISA Fight
Glenn,
Now that Dodd has dropped his presidential bid the real work begins. His personalized withdrawal email to his thousands of supporters clarifies and reaffirms his commitment to defending our Constitution by any means necessary. With all the Hullabaloo (h/t Digby) about Obama's historic Iowa victory, I don't want this issue to fall wayside as I'm sure Bush and Co are hoping.
Tell us tomorrow (actually today as this is written at 1:18 EST) what WE need to DO to HELP Mr. Dodd do what needs be done.
Let's keep the eye on the ball here. New Hampshire and Feb. 5 will take care of themselves.
We need to get in front of this and 'frame' the issue for the masses. We need a slogan perhaps. I'm not in Advertising but 'Those that break the law must face the law. Say NO to telco retro immunity. ' Surely some other Greenies out there can channel their inner MAD MEN and nail the right tag!!!
Anyone have Reid's cell # and does he have SMS capability???