Letters to the Editor, November 16, 2004

See photo of the twins here (one named Yassar and the other Arafat): http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/041111/481/akcf12511112216

Another Palestinian lady , Raghda Hassan , also named her newborn Yassar Arafat. See: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/041111/ids_photos_wl/r2408842087.jpg

Can Democracy filter out dictators?

During his press briefing at the White House together with the visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the main drift of US President Bush’s reason for preferring democracy for all Middle Eastern countries was his strong belief that people in a democracy do not want war and they always root for peace.

If that is the case, how come a democratic USA itself chose a President that has no hesitation in declaring war on other states? At least his own case does not support his deeply committed doctrine of democracy and peace.

A similar case can be made of Israel. It is routinely touted that Israel is some special country in the Middle East, as it is a vibrant democracy.

However, we have seen its people, who should, as per Bush Doctrine, root for peace, but have chosen Ariel Sharon, whose life-long ‘achievements’ around war and terror. He has blood of the innocents on his hands in the case of Sabra and Shatila, for which crime, his own judicial commission found him guilty and forced him to be sacked.

How does democracy in the US and in Israel promote world peace, when their chosen leaders manifestly do not believe in peace and are ever ready to shed blood of the innocent?

Even Hitler was duly chosen by his people through fully democratic processes.

GHULAM MUHAMMED, Mumbai – India

How to withdraw from Iraq without losing our shirts -- and our social security too!

By Jane Stillwater http://jpstillwater.blogspot.com

Let's see. Bush invaded Iraq shortly after Saddam Hussein changed over from the dollar to the Euro.

If the purpose of the war on Iraq was to keep the dollar strong, Bush has been defeated already -- no matter how many Iraqis he kills.

Bush is like one of those gunfighters in the Old West who swaggers into town to rob the bank and steal the land. But apparently Bush didn't count on the local ranchers, townspeople, school morms (and bloggers) organizing against him.

Sure, we got a bunch of corpses on the ground in Fallugah. Sure, we got a cowered population in Afghanistan, Palestine and (sort of) Iran. But has Bush "won" his war on the Middle East? Hardly.

With China, Latin America, Africa, Russia, Japan -- and even me -- contemplating switching to the Euro, I would say that Bush has lost it completely.

Thank God for Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, the Lone Ranger and what was the name of that dude in Toy Story -- Woody! As for me, I'm just glad that Bush will soon be in the hoosegow. He may not acknowledge it yet but Bush has LOST his bid to take over our town.

If Bush is losing the war on the Middle East, then who is winning it? The sooner we get out of Iraq, the sooner AMERICA will win that war! And, as part of the spoils of war, we may even get to keep our Social Security.

THE O'REILLY PHONE SEX TAPE

http://pulpnonfiction.blogspot.com/2004/11/oreilly-tapes.html

Fox News anchor Mr.Pinhead Himself Bill O'Reilly was sued for sexual harassment by Fox News producer Andrea Mackris. Now you can hear, word for word, what O'Reilly allegedly suggested to Mackris during a steamy late-night phone call. What follows is from the transcript of the alleged tape recording that Mackris made of Bill O'Reilly's call to her on the night of September 1, 2004. We haven't changed a single word. (Yes, he did say "falafel".)

Art Bishop