The following is a selection of recent letters sent to the World Socialist Web Site.

On “Anti-G8 demonstration violence in Rostock: questions and contradictions”

Thank you for the excellent article, “Anti-G8 demonstration violence in Rostock.” I have been watching the G8 demonstrations for years now, and have noticed an increase in violence on the part of the police in every country in which they’ve been held, and the rising questions about the “participation” of the black bloc. It has been proven repeatedly that they act as provocateurs in every instance. Their “uniform” makes it difficult to ascertain who they are—i.e., do I know you from peace work or activist circles, or are you a newcomer? This, obviously, makes them easy to infiltrate or imitate at the last minute.

I have also noticed, even on the local news here in the Pacific Northwest, the downplaying of demonstrator injuries and the exaggeration of police injuries. Our local newscaster announced gravely, over shots of water cannons being deployed against scattering demonstrators by large mobile police vans, “Nine police officers were injured.” This was the only mention of injury at all during the report. Previous to this announcement, it was said that “The demonstration turned violent.” A more accurate reporter would say that violence was turned on the demonstrators.

In any event, I thank you for the excellent questions raised regarding pre-demonstration infiltration by police forces and the resulting violence committed by these same forces.

CMS

Portland, Oregon, USA

7 June 2007

On “US antiwar protest groups silent on Cindy Sheehan’s resignation from Democratic Party”

The item on Cindy Sheehan’s resignation is especially appreciated because it provides so much information that omitted from both mainstream and alternative news media. I read that she was stepping back from her work as an activist, but this was the first I heard about her renunciation of the Democratic Party. All I can say is, “So?”

In a few short years, via our Democratic leadership, the whole of the social safety net was stripped out, and the results, as we can see today, are some of the harshest social inequities in the Western world—and yes, Americans are dying as a direct result of these Democratic Party policies today.

Following this, we have seen the Democrats work hard to push the agenda of the ultra-right on point after point. The response from the progressive community was generally nothing more than a yawn in between the “We know the Democratic Party is flawed, but they are our only viable option.”

The only difference between the two parties today is that, as they say in the media, “The Democrats have better hair.” The Democratic Party has kicked its base—that mass of Americans ranging from “ordinary working class” to impoverished—square in the face. We can no longer say, “Vote for the lesser of the two evils.” A great many of us renounced the Democratic Party years ago.

DHF

Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, USA

2 June 2006

On “World Socialist Web Site publishes Chinese translation of ISSE resolution”

I am absolutely excited about the Chinese translation of the ISSE document. Congratulations! This will help greatly to get access to Chinese workers and students. It will help them to understand the essence of the politics of the Stalinist bureaucracy and they will be able to learn from the disaster of the Stalinist politics in the USSR. And last but not least it will give me a tool to contact a number of people whom I could not reach before.

Fraternal greetings,

PH

7 June 2007

On “Former Cheney aide sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison”

Surely Libby is not being punished for lying, or else most of the Bush administration would be in jail. He is being punished because his action led to the disclosure of the identity of a CIA operator who happened to be the wife of someone (a former ambassador) that the administration did not like.

Why therefore did the judge not declare the true reason for the charge: disclosing the identity of a CIA operator—something that defeats the great secrecy attached to that questionable organization? How many persons could properly be charged with falsehood, from the highest to the lowest?

When will the great United States return to the virtuous character that it held at its inception in 1776?

GW

Ontario, Canada

6 June 2007