The following is a selection of recent letters sent to the World Socialist Web Site.
On “A reply to supporters of ‘humanitarian’ intervention into Burma”
Another magnificent response from the WSWS, carefully setting out the issues at stake in this, as in all other scenarios. The angry letter writers demand that “politics be set aside” in the name of a higher humanitarian concern. But this is to miss the point that the ruling elites of the earth never, not even for a moment, even in situations such as this, set aside politics, and so neither should the working class. The demand for “politics to be set aside” is in reality a demand for the working class to set aside its own politics while the capitalists ruthlessly continue to prosecute theirs.
If the working class cannot fight for its own independent perspective in a situation like this, then it will never be able to do so when the chips are really down.
As Peter says, there are no short cuts.
AG
7 June 2008
On “US: Republicans prepare to play terror card in 2008 election”
Be afraid, be very afraid ... and I am, and yes, of the terrorists: I’m talking about those terrorists who affected a coup d’état in 2000 and have held the reins of American power ever since, with no effective opposition—at least on the public plane. The remarks of Cheney and especially of the Gingrich that stole America are, frankly, insane, yet stem from the objective contradictions you cite.
I truly do believe that they allowed 9/11 to happen and covered it up so far, and I further believe they are willing to let it happen again—to do anything, to serve their ends.
Franz Fanon in his Wretched of the Earth said: “Decolonization is always a violent phenomenon.” Yes, point to Iraq as external example and the US as internal, a people held hostage, colonized by their own government. We (Americans) are all expatriates in our own country.
If another one “gets through,” the klaxon should, and I think will, sound, resounding instantly as false in the collective consciousness and sound the death knell for these criminals. Their risk is that they would expect Americans to buy it and this is far from certain. (Americans hate these people and don’t believe a word they say at this point. Surely they recognize this?)
A reckoning is at hand and the “many” should remind them that we are just that. When the upheaval comes (I can’t see how it won’t), leadership and direct action will be required to harness the energy in effective directions and bring these hideous people to heel. We should be prepared for this, to orchestrate these powerful vectors of change.
Keep up the good fight.
RM
4 June 2008
On “US Air Force purge: Growing tensions within a militarized state”
Are not these maneuverings part of the Bush Administration’s plan to create a military emergency, suspend civilian government, invoke martial law and cancel the elections slated for next November?
I wonder why we don’t say out loud that the Bush Administration likely has no intention to surrender power after having taken the martial-law scenario as far as they have. What about the deep underground military bunkers (DUMBs) that they have built and the surface concentration camps? These have been built for a purpose.
President Bush recently gave a speech in which he talked about world peace. Is that not something he does to calm the populace before a “terrorist” attack forces him to declare a national emergency? He will be taking his vacation in August, but is martial law any further away than September?
SB
8 June 2008
On “Obama clinches Democratic presidential nomination”
In the event any regular reader of the WSWS had any illusions about a President Obama changing America, Patrick Martin has presented telling evidence that Obama is both controlled by and a member of the USA’s ruling class, the mysterious power elite. An Obama presidency will make no changes to US policy save changes that benefit the establishment or at the very most won’t harm the establishment.
To call Obama a sell-out wouldn’t be accurate. He has devoted his entire adult life preparing to be accepted as a member of the USA’s ruling class. Martin shows how Senator Obama prepared to be accepted by the ruling class and how, after being accepted, has become a de facto member of the ruling class. We’ll hear much of Obama, but we won’t hear of or see any substantive changes to US policy or changed and improved living standards made by Obama.
LL
5 June 2008
On “Sex and the City: A joyless affair for the most part”
You’re quite right about the shallow, greedy characters in the stories. My question to you is: Now what do I do with all my shoes?
CZ
San Francisco, California, USA 5 June 2008
On “Chicago youth violence: An indictment of the US Democratic Party”
Thank you very much for writing this article. Speaking as s a parent and victim of the crack-cocaine explosion, I think that these tragedies are the results of a well-planned extermination of African-Americans. I am not a conspiracy theorist, but I have done my homework. This is thought-out planned set in motion murder, mayhem and disintegration on an unprecedented scale.
So many lives were lost after 1983. We do need a solution to this problem. Elected officials cannot help us, because they feel they are above us. The mass of our young has given up on the system. The system hates us venomously, and we hate it also. We are just powerless to do to it what it has done to us for no other reason than the color of our skin. I don’t believe African Americans will ever recoup our moral standings in this society again. I could go on-and-on but I will end it right here.
SH
Chicago, Illinois, USA
7 June 2008
On the Iraq war
Accounting is always conditional and creative, but it is possible to argue that the US’s commitment to its militarism is well over a trillion dollars a year. Consider that any servicing of debt is linked to the military-intelligence-security apparatuses because it was their spending that created most of the debt. Also, there are various hidden or disguised budgets that contribute to intelligence and ‘national security’ beyond the nukes at the Dept. of Energy. The US federal government does little else now besides spend money the US doesn’t have on its military, intelligence and servicing their debt. You can smell the rot in Rome.
CJ
Fukui-shi, Japan
7 June 2008