Below we post a selection of recent letters to the World Socialist Web Site.
On “Bush’s State of the Union: Threats, lies and delusion”
Rather amazing stuff.... I picked up on many of the points regarding Bush’s speech that you made in your article. Outright lies about the Kay report; it was rather surreal to hear the “leader of the free world” tell a BOLD face LIE in front of the world. To be sure, Bush has lied previously and often, but for me, each time I hear him LIE it serves to remind me of just how corrupt the ruling elite really are, and their gross disregard for anything resembling morality (sigh).
Dangerous times...
J
22 January 2004
* * *Bill—you’ve got that right. Even my father, an 80-year-old “Goldwater conservative” and retired navy Commander can’t stand the sight of that cretin Bush and despises what he has done to the economy and the environment. I never thought I’d see the day that my dad turned into a Progressive!
Keep up the great writing and speaking truth to Bush’s lies.
Pax,
GW
Richmond, Virginia
22 January 2004
* * *Hi editor!
I am from Amsterdam, Holland. Thanks for writing the truth! Our right-wing president (Balkenende) plunged Holland into a war that 65 percent of the Dutch didn’t want to support!
Through our media we hear daily about the critical position Bush is moving the US towards.... Keep up the good work, let people know!
Thanks again,
MK
21 January 2004
* * *Dear Editors,
First, I agree with the two correspondents who mentioned that King of Hearts was one of their favorite films. It is one of mine, also. Nevertheless, the obituary on Alan Bates was the best one out of all the ones I’ve read and I have forwarded it to many actor friends of mine.
Second, Bush’s line “America will never be intimidated by a bunch of thugs and assassins” was so appealing to him that he used it again last night in the State of the Union address. And the reader’s response to this is entirely appropriate and the same as mine. The speech itself was unbearable to watch, but I felt it was a responsibility to observe. I noticed that CNN (the channel I watched it on), just to make sure that the public received the message “correctly,” highlighted the intended meaning of each phrase and printed it along the bottom of the screen. Again, the jack-in-the-box action in the audience. Not to mention congressional Democrats grinning and fawning all over Bush as he came into the room. Sickening.
CZ
San Francisco
22 January 2004
* * *On “Florida execution of Aileen Wuornos: another morbid media spectacle”
Hello, I just read your piece on the execution of Aileen Wuornos, and yours is the only one I read that was even remotely intelligent and written with a HUMAN touch. The other pieces I read were painfully inaccurate and sensationalistic.
I don’t know if you’ve seen Monster yet or not, but I HIGHLY recommend it. It explains many things that you brought up in your article. I am a 33-year-old MAN, and cried at least three times for her. It’s all too easy for everyone to join the gleeful witch-hunt and proclaim her as inherently evil and “got what she deserved.” No one ever looks at the woman who was once an innocent child, like all of us. It was a painful and cruel journey becoming who she ended up being.
I want to commend you on a great story.
DD
Los Angeles
22 January 2004
* * *On “Former SS member faces trial for war crimes in the Netherlands”
Thank you for publishing what did happen in Holland during the Nazi occupation.
My father was a well-established businessman in Holland, and when I was growing up he always warned me to be careful and watch capitalism. He said, “It is a necessary evil and must at all times be kept under strict control because when the controls turn lenient it becomes a monster.” George W. Bush and his fascist clique proved my father right on the mark. I also had two uncles, brothers of my mother, who in the thirties studied Trotsky’s writings and pointed out to me many things of what Trotsky said and wrote. They also tried to teach me about America, telling me that it was not the land of milk and honey, which was difficult for me to accept, but I learned in the school of Hard Knocks what they were trying to tell me.
I just finished reading your “Letters from our readers” and one shows how afraid the American people are. It reminds me of the German people in the thirties when I went with my father to Germany on business trips.
Please keep up the good work.
As always,
FR
* * *On “‘Stop-loss’ orders prevent soldiers from leaving US Army”
Greetings. I’m sure you are aware of the fact that US casualties in Iraq have extended nearly to 10,000. (“9,675 U.S. troops have been killed, wounded, injured such as in accidents, or become sick enough to require airlifting out of Iraq.” Orlando Sentinel, November 23, 2003) I just wanted to make sure that this was obvious to your site, just in case. Also, on National Public Radio last week it was reported that the Pentagon has finally admitted over 10,000 casualties, but refused to name how many were amputees or spinal/brain injuries leading to permanent disability. I am writing to you in reference to the article “‘Stop-loss’ orders prevent soldiers from leaving US Army,” in which it is stated by Jeff Riley: “The number of US soldiers killed in combat in Iraq since the invasion has just passed the 500 mark, and more than 2,379 have been wounded, large numbers of them disabled, in the growing insurgency.” I simply wanted to insure that WSWS also includes the non-action injuries in a parallel manner, as no matter what the cause of the injury, the injury only occurs because these soldiers are where they should not be. In essence, every injury is as important and devastating as combat casualties and just as relevant to the story. I appreciate the article, and I greatly enjoy the service the WSWS provides. Thank you very much.
BO
Michigan
20 January 2004
* * *I wanted a chance to add something to your article “US consumer debt reaches record levels.”
I have been increasingly angry that about a decade ago, all major corporations began to practice “fiscal responsibility”; all the while the materialistic push has become stronger, credit card advertisement became unavoidable, lotteries and gambling have become so common because no one can get ahead otherwise. There is almost nothing left that has no advertisement placement on it. Even the rebellious youth are still making those purchases which seem carefully plotted out by the clothing and music industry.
They merge, then downsize and expect those same people that were sacrificed for the sake of corporate profit to keep buying insanely. When the corporations started not spending and firing the workers, why didn’t the general public stop spending their money on them? We are forced into Wal-Marts due to our small wages, taking money away from honest small business and putting our money into the arrogant elite who wouldn’t associate with us, the general pubic.
If the mergers continue and the downsizing follows, at what point is capitalism declared a failure? What steps need to be taken to bring true freedom back to the honest workers? The same is true everywhere. I am from Toronto, Ontario, and our economic cultures are virtually identical. Something has to change.
DD
15 January 2004