Your [3/15/15 TPP] really opened up the discussion on our latest problems with relevant reference to historical precedents.
All our recent technologies make communications faster and simpler (i.e. at the push of a button), but, unfortunately, it takes time and energy to be educated in subjects that will give us knowledge and understanding about things like cultures, languages, religions and man’s history.
The places and people that express the greatest unhappiness with “The West,” for example, don’t seem to realize that most of us here in the West hav e lives that are our own, having nothing to do with them, the same as most of their lives. And to most of us, just the languages in places like China, Russia, Israel, the Arab countries, African countries and even European countries require much study and interest to people in the US. Their anger and frustration — if they have any — too often takes us by surprise, and a response is hard to formulate. It’s not willful, usually; it’s ignorance.
To follow the precepts of our own religious beliefs — should one be trying to — is as absorbing as those of other faiths. And each faith believes it is the best/only faith good for everyone.
We generally, in the US, feel we’re trying to lead good lives, and wish the same for everyone else. If we’re considered evil because we don’t follow the same beliefs as someone else, and therefore should be killed (!), wouldn’t anyone faced with this situation fight back to save their own life? The trouble is, everyone will disagree on something no matter what. So are we then to kill each other because of that? Human beings will be gone from the Earth — all because they didn’t believe the same things. Is that what is really necessary for us to have peace in the world between people? No people?
Here we have all these ways of communicating. Unless we use them to use communication for our mutual benefit it’s all a waste of time, energy and resources.
You can’t shoot reason into people, or love or caring or knowledge for living. People have to understand that, no matter what religion, language or culture they came from.
All three Abrahamic faiths say they listen to men in the Hebrew Bible. OK. Let them all read — at least — Proverbs, Chapter 2, at least sometime in their busy lives. The whole Bible, Old and New Testaments, would be better, but one chapter is better than none. It would be a start.
There are too many talking and too much nonsense.
Cheryl Lovely
Presque Isle, Maine
I read Wayne O’Leary’s column, “Cautionary Tale for Our Times” [3/15/15 TPP] with great interest.
Although religion has in many cases guided people on a path of righteousness, it has all too often become an instrument of violence, death and suffering – and an insurmountable obstacle to peace.
Let’s not forget that back in 1903 (following the massacre of Jews in Kishinev, Russia), Great Britain offered Uganda to the Jews as a place in which to establish their homeland.
Uganda, a large, fertile and beautiful land, was sparsely settled and undeveloped at that time.
In spite of Theodor Herzl’s eloquent efforts to persuade his people to accept Britain’s offer, the Zionist Congress members insisted that only Palestine would satisfy them – because that was the land God “gave” to the Jews.
Well, the rest is history … written with rivers of flowing blood.
I only hope the day will come when people abandon their tribal myths, and place their trust in reason to bring forth a better world.
David Quintero
Monrovia, Calif.
President Obama recently reminded Americans to stop this “Holier than Thou” attitude when discussing the atrocities of ISIS and look back in history for our own shortcomings. When Islamic forces took over the “Holy” Land, the Christians, after a few decades, decided to wrest it back from the Muslims (a.k.a. infidels). The Crusades were launched — we have no visuals (unlike the ISIS) and no proper records of how many human beings lost their lives in both the above ventures. Surely there must have been the usual amount of pillaging, looting and raping — known as “spoils of war” in both instances — and to think it was blessed by the clerics on both sides.(the ISIS adventure is condemned however). President Obama also reminded that we had official slavery in our not so distant past and thus have forfeited our rights on the subject of atrocities.In words of an eminent philosopher “we do evil most cheerfully when we do it for Religion.”
M. Askarian
New York, N.Y.
Rush Limbaugh keeps dwelling on the subject of American “exceptionalism” and has even written a children’s book on the subject. Yet he hardly mentions that along the way we have done some “heavy duty’” mistakes and unjust behavior the world at large blames us for. Domestically we have almost decimated the Native American populace and have gone through the shameful period of “slavery” that in some milder form still continues to this date. On the international scene we have waged wars on other Nations or interfered in changes that suit our way of our capitalistic system. Maybe Mayor Giuliani had this in mind when he said that “you and I” (read as Republicans) were brought up in love of the country (possible only when you ignore the shortcomings of the nation) whereas President Obama was overly cognizant of this history. Hence he apologizes a lot.
Indeed we consider this exceptionalism so much part of our life that we have named a game called “American Football,” which is not played with anything shaped like a ball and except for two people in each side nobody is allowed to touch this (un)ball with their foot. We have moved from exceptional to audacity.
G.M. Chandu
Flushing, N.Y.
I am disappointed that you would publish a cartoon that equates climate deniers and creationists with anti-vaxxers. That demonstrates ignorance about the truth behind vaccinations, which are a huge profit center for the drug industry. There is a growing list of well-trained, intelligent medical professionals who understand the dangers of the present over-emphasis on vaccinations, and who guide their patients in learning how to boost their immune systems so they can recover quickly from an infection such as measles with natural long lasting immunity the result. Perhaps you were not aware that the drug industry was facing so many lawsuits related to damage from vaccines that they threatened to stop production, but Congress took them off the hook by granting them immunity from lawsuits and opening a Vaccine Court, funded by the government, to deal with vaccine complaints. There is plenty of credible information at the National Vaccine Information Center (nvic.org). Or study this site (vaccineimpact.com/2014/doctors-against-vaccines-the-other-side-of-the-story-is-not-being-told).
The science is there. Please study it before you put “anti-vaxxers” in the Luddite category.
Kris Johnson
Williston, Ohio
In support of Clifford DeVoy’s “I’ll Vote for Bernie” letter in your 3/15/15 issue, my sentiments precisely!
Don’t care who runs. My vote goes to Bernie.
Judith Redding
Bellevue, Wash.
Nothing angers me more than when a so called liberal like Robert Borosage names [former Sen.] Jim Webb [D-Va.] as a challenger to Hillary Clinton in the primaries.
Jim Webb`s social values make him a foot soldier of the radical right.
He is against gun control.
Although he voted for Obamacare he now opposes it and voted with the GOP 18 times to amend it.
He is opposed to women in combat and in the service academies.
He loves Ronald Reagan.
He opposes climate change.
He fought proposals to curb carbon emissions.
He has defended the display of the Confederate flag.
He is opposed to everything that the democratic party stands for.
He was a Republican who was Reagan`s Secretary of the Navy. If he is interested in running for President he should be running as a Republican which would be a better fit for his rightwing extremist views on social issues.
Reba Shimansky
New York, N.Y.
I am obsessed by the idea of Elizabeth Warren as president, and I’m afraid the Democratic hierarchy has concluded, erroneously, that Hillary Clinton is more electable than Warren.
There is an enormous pool of frustrated non-voters out there. They are understanding that many of our problems, as individuals and as a nation, are due to the over-weening power of large financial institutions.
A Clinton administration would change nothing.
The Republicans are realizing that they all must now stand as populists. Nothing could be more fraudulent.
It is their 30-year-old policy of supply-side, tinkle-down economics that has produced this plutocratic republic.
Elizabeth Warren will run for president, if enough of us rally around her, beginning now—not tomorrow.
Walter O. Jones
Lake Crystal, Minn.
Thanks for printing Ted Rall’s column on the murderous rampage that has been let loose on the people of Libya and congratulations to Mr. Rall for writing it.
The actions in Libya are just one more reason not to vote for Corporate Dems and to urge, and support, leaders like Sens. Warren and Sanders to run for president. TPP is a beacon in a dim world and no writer consistently shines brighter than Rall.
Randall Kendrick
Winston-Salem, N.C.
From The Progressive Populist, April 15, 2015
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