Letters to the Editor, September 8, 2003

Test No. 1: This test is designed to see if Our George has been taking care of business in the three years since his brother elected him. Has he been keeping our nation's infrastructure in good repair? Or have the neo-cons just been pocketing the bucks?

Here's the deal: On September 19, 2003, let's all turn ON everything electric we can think of: Our air conditioners, photocopiers, appliances, table saws, whatever -- and keep them on all day long (well maybe not the table saws). Then, at exactly 6 pm PDT, let's all make toast, vacuum, do the wash and blow-dry our hair. If the grid holds, we'll know that Bush has been keeping it maintained and repaired and hasn't sold America out to Enron, First Energy, etc.

Test No. 2: Take your holiday vacation in Columbia, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, the Philippines, Nigeria or Afghanistan this year. If nobody shoots at you, calls you an "Ugly American," throws rocks at you or holds out their dead babies for your inspection, then you'll know that Bush's foreign policy might be on the right track. PS: Don't take a camera. The thugs we pay to kill people in these places may think you are a reporter and fire their made-in-America rocket launchers at you. And, if you select Iraq as your travel destination, be sure to bring extra food and water to share with our under-supplied troops (And while you're there, ask Bechtel and Halliburton where the money for our GIs' ration supplies went off to).

Test No. 3: No longer have a paycheck? No longer have a job? And is your child's school floundering on a sea of debt? Is your state about to go bankrupt? If you criticized your government, might you land in jail? Are the gasoline prices at the local pump skyrocketing? Is the national debt up in the stratosphere? Are you worried that your vote is not being counted? Is your son or daughter in danger of "waking up dead" in Iraq due to neo-con ineptitude? Are you upset that Halliburton's Swiss bank account only contains 12 billion dollars? If you can give a negative answer to all of the above, then George Bush is still your man.

If, after taking these three simple tests, you begin to suspect that Our George is not passing Go but is still collecting YOUR $200, then click on http://www.bushrecall.org/petition/ and sign the petition.

Let's impeach Pinocchio and bring our soldiers home

"A dream is a wish your heart makes."

I wish with all of my heart for us to throw Pinocchio and the 40 Thieves out of the White House and bring our wonderful troops home ASAP -- where they can protect America instead of trying unsuccessfully to loot the world for the likes of Halliburton and Enron.

Best regards,

Jane Stillwater

Berkeley, CA

Drop your pretense to objectivity

Dear Editor:

It is evident that you don't intend to present a balanced view of the clash between the West and Islamic world... Your website is nothing but a propaganda sheet! Why else would you not publish my letter to the editor of Aug. 27 in which I examine Islam and Arab culture in light of its anti-intellectual nature which is responsible for the Islamic nations' lower standard of living compared to that of the West and the reason for Islam's violent acts aimed at the West being a feeling of enviousness and inferiority. It's not like you have limited space--web sites are fundamentally different front print journalism in that web sites can be any length whereas print journalism must sometimes limit the length of their articles due to the limit of space on the printed page.

At least someone at your enterprise read the truth, even if your audience didn't get the opportunity to do that.

I am sorry to have to sign this message "disrespectfully"...

William Morrow

Charleston, Oregon U.S.A.

Editor:

Your letter as you describe above, with all due respect (as a Muslim I have to be polite), could not be published for a simple reason. It is not the truth. You're just blaming the victims without any attempt to think. Here is a brief introduction to help you see the world in a more objective way.

We are living in the third stage of the development of capitalism, which is imperialism (the other two were mercantalism and colonialism). This stage has started in the second half of the 19th century by the European capitalist invasions of Asia and Africa.

World War II resulted in the emergence of the US as the world super power inheriting the European imperialist legacy. That is why it has been involved continuously in hundreds of little wars around the world in addition to the four big wars of Korea, Vietnam, 1991 Gulf War, and 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The major objective of all imperialist wars (as capitalistic endeavors) is control of raw materials, labor, and markets.

Since 1990, the US has completed the occupation of all countries producing oil in the Middle East, except Iran. With the occupation of Afghanistan, the US has consolidated its oil interests in Central Asia.

As you see, there is nothing related to religion here. It is not a conflict between Muslims on side and Christians and Jews on the other. It is between the capitalistic developed northern hemisphere and the forcibly underdeveloped southern hemisphere. Religion is the last thing in the world oil corporations, military industries, and Israelis think about. I hope that this is enough as an eye opener for you. Just think and read more and you will more and more objective. (If you want to know more, read "Development and Underdevelopment," by Andre Gunder Frank, and "The World System," by Immanuel Wallerstein).

To the editor;

The current state of journalism has produced an extremely biased view of our worlds problems.

I find al jazeerah to be practicing journalism as it should be, balanced.

therefore I submit to you a suggestion that I hope will make its way to the letters to the editor.

Jerusalem has and is a major stumbling block to achieving a lasting peace in the Arab world.

visitors of any persuasion literally take their lives in their hands when visiting this important and historical site.

my proposal could go a long way in helping the peace process

#1 I think that Jerusalem could become a unesco world heritage site.

#2 Jerusalem could become a sovereign city or country , like the Vatican for example.

#3 the city then could be administered and policed by Swiss guard.

Implementing any of these suggestions would show a willingness to move ahead with some kind of

peaceful solution, and stop the pain and suffering of so many people.

Ken Suttie

Editor: According to the 1947 UN Partition Resolution, Jerusalem was considered an international city, like you're suggesting. Palestinians would love to have the Partition Resolution to be implemented. This means that the Palestinian state will include Galilee, the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Auja area (See Map in the Documents Section). However, Israelis have resisted so far even withdrawal from any Palestinian area, for 36 years. As long as they have continuous political, military, and financial support from the United States, there is no hope for peace in the Middle East and the world.

Disorganized and Weak, but Not Ready to Surrender

I believe that your correspondent Mr Amr Mohammed Al-Faisal has underestimated the perceptiveness of 'Westerners'. I am a North American, neither Arab nor Jew. What the gentleman has said regarding the 'world media' is correct. However, his assumption that the daily production of the main media networks is received as a child receives its mother's milk - is in error. It is true there are many who do not think much beyond today's headlines, but it is also true that many opinions do not automatically default to the Network (ABC, CBS, CNN et al) pabulum.

Keep in mind Mr Al-Faisal, that our sources of information are now - so far beyond what most could have even guessed as remotely possible - as recently as 10 years ago, that eventually this must and will have a very significant effect upon World opinion. Indeed the very fact that you and I are (indirectly) corresponding speaks volumes as to the transition that has taken place.

Let me reassure you that the credibility of Networks is declining - not improving. Please don't think that Westerners sit down daily to have the wool pulled over their eyes and be force-fed the latest domestic or international 'spin-story'. We know the way the media game is being played but now, thankfully, we can locate factual information, contradictory opinions and alternative points of view with phenomenal ease.

Somebody once said that 'information was power' - let me add to that - information is also like water, it finds it's own level and is very difficult to control water when it is looking for it's level. I believe that 'truth floats' and when it does come to the surface it will be recognised by World opinion.

Sincerely

Ray

Editor's Note:

While I respect Readers' wish to stay anonymous for fear of harassment, I urge them to challenge their fear and potential harassers by declaring their names in full together with the city and country they live in. Aljazeerah provides a forum for freedom of expression, which should be the first step towards confronting extremists in all countries that they cannot intimidate people any more.

The roadmap was a non-starter given its pro-Israeli US/Western bias. The Palestinians lost half of their land when Israel was established because of crimes committed in Europe. The other half is subject to occupation and colonisation. Israel possesses massive weaponry, main battle tanks, helicopter gunships, nuclear weapons etc. It assassinates opposition figures at will (pre-emptive retaliation) , uses torture in a routine manner (physical pressure), fires rockets into densely populated areas and razes dwellings as collective punishment - in a manner weirdly reminiscent of its own Nazi oppressors.

Ironically, it also expects to hand-pick the tame Palestinians it is willing to talk to. Meanwhile the badly-armed opposition - unlike the French Resistance - is conveniently labelled terrorist and dismissed as gunmen. All killing by Israelis is, however, to be tolerated as somehow natural, civilised almost and acceptable.

I would like to ask people in other countries around the world how they would have reacted to such extreme injustice? Would Chinese people have welcomed the foreign occupiers and invited them to seize as much land as they liked? Would British people have moved up to Scottish hills and relied on sheep farming? Would Americans have immediately disarmed and imprisoned misguided militias who fought back against foreign oppression?

OK both sides have much to answer for but the occupation is the basic injustice from which all else flows. We need to move back ten steps to move forward.

Phil G, Hong Kong

"NOTICE THE SHADOWS"
a photo presentation of America's use of nuclear weapons
By SGT Dennis Joseph Kyne, Jr.

These pictures are very graphic and depict the use of depleted uranium munitions.

This is as fast as you can get to the scene of the crime right here.

If anyone is telling you there is nothing to be worried about this will leave you with a few questions for them.

What about a Nuclear Flash?

What about a Nuclear Meltdown?

Melted, Yes Melted

Sent by Angela Badelt

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).