Letters to the Editor, August 24, 2003

I waited with high hopes. You have met all expectations. I feared a bias in
your reporting, an unfounded fear to date. Keep up the good work and the truth will triumph.

Thank you for all your hard work in such a grievous climate.
Have faith that the truth will come out.

Marcel Canuel

People of aljazeerah.info you have to keep this website so people can get
informed.
I live in Australia and I have a lot of difficulty accessing your information.
But thank you , and do not let the oppressors of the world shut you down.

If I can contribute somehow, I will work for free.

Sincerely

Andres Caycedo
(A citizen of the world)

Editor: Thanks Andres. It's a worldwide collective effort. Welcome aboard.

Dear Editor:

I am touched and even a little proud that you have time occasionally to respond personally to comments I cannot help but make.

I hope such comments and also the rest in your site and other news sources may be read not only by people who feel as we may but also by those who may not...

What to do with the results of one's analysis, of course, often is not even easy to say, much less to accomplish. But you do much simply in providing access to such analyses (and to the day to day reporting which might stimulate them).

My present hope is for (rapid) evolution to more or less representative government working not in local (national) interests but rather in global, world (human?) interests. That idea, however, seems not yet to have caught fire even though the Internet is a wonderful model of the idea and could become a powerful vehicle in its evolution.

Regards,

Nelson Campbell

Editor: If we succeed using the internet, the dream may become true. But it has to be a collective effort from everyone with the same interest all over the world.

Sir,

As an American citizen, I am quite concerned that the policies of the Bush regime may lead to a regional conflagration. That is a war not between nation-states but simply continual warfare between various factions throughout the entire area.

Do you think that is a danger. I would appreciate an answer from you and an answer on your site so that others who share my concern may also learn your views.

Thank you.

Eugene Jones (Dr)

Resist American Empire

Editor: It may well be the plan of the neo-conservatives. Many of them wanted to see the war extending to the entire Muslim World (60 countries), not just in the Middle East. Many articles about their vision have been published at aljazeerah.info.

Dear Editor:

Israel receives billions of dollars from USA and this loan is written off thus totally wasting American Tax Payers’ money. Not only that but this money is used to kill innocent children, women and elderly. Sharon planned and assisted killing of thousands of unarmed innocent human beings (Mostly children and women) in Shatilla and Sabra camps on 16^th September, 1982.

When people tried to take out candle light vigil in memory of this sad happening, Israel demolished World Trade Center and put the blame on Islam and Muslims. This put off the marches organized by Muslims against Sharon’s Hitlerism acts.

Of course Israel sides with USA in UNO voting because in the first places these votes are to provide all sorts of illegitimate and criminal acts of Israel. Israel on several occasions even killed USS marines and citizens e.g. crew of USS Liberty and Rachel Corrie.

The US government could not even lift a finger. Now Israel is using US Army to occupy Afghanistan and Iraq. Israel is the main beneficiary of this occupation but the price is paid by non-Zionist American soldiers. America needs freedom from Zionist slavery.

Doctor Sahib

we will continue to suffer

Dear Editor,

The suicide bombers who gave their lives in places like Palestine and Iraq
are often easily dismissed as crazed and disgruntled members of society.

Instead perhaps they should be seen fighting the demise of society
which, led by American aggression, has carried out some of the greatest
attacks by a people against other peoples' human dignity that this planet
has ever seen.

Abdel-Hamid Misk was neither crazed nor any more disgruntled than George
Bush is about the world. Instead, he was a logical thinking scholar and
devoted man of religion who evaluated his options and decided that the best
strategy against Israel, a foe that knows only violence and terror, is to
show the Israeli people what violence and terror means. Yes, this is a
harrowing lesson, but no more so than a government that systematically
tortures and extra judicially kills civilians. In fact, there is much more
sense to Abdel-Hamid's message than to Sharon's. Sharon is head of a country
and not a merely private individual. He has the authority of a state on his
side and recourse to all the tools of the international community.
Abdel-Hamid, as a private individual, has only his own courage and
conviction. He did not strike out wildly or turn a grossly disproportionate
armed force against innocent people. Instead, he struck out with the only
means left to him since the Israeli government has denied Palestinians
human rights and their right to decide their own destiny.

The same is true about the anonymous bombers in Iraq. These people do not seek to give up
their lives. In fact, many of them would rather fight a fair battle on a
battle field away from civilian casualties or on a battlefield of peaceful
exchange of views where the legal principles that society has agreed to are
the deciding force. Like Abdel-Hamid, the Iraqi bombers to have been
deprived of their right to fight a fair fight or to have their cases decided
according to the rule of law. It may even be true that they were deprived
this previously by a few Iraqis who benefited from others, but now they are
deprived of their human dignity by a foreign force that treats the Iraqi people
with the contempt of wild animals. In such situations all that Iraqis have
are their own humble courage, their belief in God, and their willingness to
defend their pride and dignity at all costs. Of course, they realize that
this might mean giving up their lives, but they are willing to do so because
the price of slavery to America will be even greater for their children and
their grand children. These Iraqis are not cowards, they are not terrorists,
they are Iraqis defending their individual and national pride. And they,
like Abdel-Hamid, are using the only means left to them since the American
government has denied Iraqis human rights and their right to decide their
own destiny.

You might not agree with me, I don't even like to admit it is true, but I
see it in the eyes and the words of the several suicide bombers and
so-called terrorists that I have met in past years. Until we understand that
this is what is happening and address the problem at its root causes of the
inequality, exploitation and the violence of states, we, as individuals will
continue to suffer for the selfish and arrogant whims of our leaders and those who exploit us.

Editorial Note: Like all letters and articles published at this website, the above letter represents the opinions of Dr. Curtis Doebbler, not necessarily those of Aljazeerah.info.

This has to be said. A 32 year old woman has no more right to complain about family trauma and the absence of love that a 69 year old man. The responsibility to love and respect is mutual.

The family is, of course, a feudal institution. Hard to imagine that a "Communist" would be committed to the preservation of this institution. One would presume that the journey to communism would have commenced with a reading of Engel's treatise "Origin of the family, Private Property and the State" and an understanding that the family cannot be "saved."

After the grieving there should be a return to the job of studying.

Much respect,
Aduku

In my previous communique, I raised the idea of a Joint Chiefs of Staff approach to dealing with men who find it necessary to beat, maim, or kill black women or, for that matter, any woman.

As I said before, my heart goes out to Mr. Baraka and his family. However, this tragedy should provide each of with the opportunity to reflect on the issue of domestic violence and get out our bats and "step to" a known brother who is beating his wife, significant other, or daughter. No one should wait another minute.

Let a poem or a healing conference soothe your soul.

Having Bush instead of Gore in the White House has cost Americans approximately $39,233 each...so far!

Oh God, I hate math. But let's give it a try. Here's a thought-problem for you: Suppose Al Gore was in the White House now instead of George Bush? How much money would America have saved in the last three years? And how much money has Bush cost us so far?

Gifts to friendly weapons manufacturers and oil execs? "Put down $10 billion although it's probably more."

The Israel/Palestine foreign policy debacle costing the lives of 700+ Jews and 3000+ Muslims? "$20 billion and counting."

If Al Gore had been in the White House in 2001, he would not have ignored the many pre-9-11 warnings. How much did 9-11 cost us? "No idea."

Cost at the gas pump? "50 cents per gallon. 25 gallons per car. 100 million cars." I'm out of my league here.

I don't know what other costs Bush has accrued. Utilities deregulation pyramid schemes leading to the California disaster and the Great Blackout of 2003? FBI surveillance of our libraries? Anthrax vaccines? Pension plan gouging? Selling off our national parks? Vote tampering? Extra jails? What's all that add up to? I'm not Einstein. You do the math. $980,750,000,000? Close enough.

Now divide that by 250 million Americans. What did you get? I figure that not having Al Gore in the White House has cost every man, woman and child in America at least $39,233...so far.

That seemed like a lot of bucks to plug into a "what if" alternative universe situation so I ran my figures past noted economist Robert Zimmerman. Here's what he had to say: "Remember that there will be interest on current and projected deficits, over $1 trillion over the next 20 years. The costs of new terrorist attacks emanating from the new hatreds resulting from Bush's action -- incalculable. Continuing and future costs of the Bush military build-up -- trillions. Plus you have to add in reduced contributions to our economy from small business as a result of Bush's focus on giant corporations and also our reduced opportunities for legitimate foreign trade resulting from hatreds fueled by Bush military adventurism. Your list, this list, and the entire list are absolutely mind-boggling."