English

Letters from our readers

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

On “Northwest and Delta executives to make millions from bankruptcies”

Great articles you have, especially about the airline bankruptcies. And everyone wants to know where worker morale has gone in this nation. How can we call this nation a free democracy when the admirals of everything in this nation (from corporations, to unions, to politicians, to media giants) all go to the same school, all are from the same class in society, all grow up in gated communities, all work for government to pass shady laws, and then they return to the private sector to grow rich on the laws they passed? What kind of human being can not just witness but participate in the looting of pension funds that citizens work 40-50 years building up—saving, not living it up, so that they can retire one day and live it up, or just retire and get by. This is one of the ugliest actions to be perpetrated on any nation. Nothing aggravates me more, accept the law not doing anything to stop this—forget Osama, the elites are a greater threat to the future of this country than anyone. Or maybe I am just too far on the left?

IA

New York

19 September 2005

On “Delta and Northwest airlines declare bankruptcy”

It is unfortunate the “leadership” of these bankrupt companies can “legally” take their ill-gotten gains at the expense of all those, both internally and externally, who sacrificed, built and supported Northwest and Delta through out the years. Allowing top executives to reap such extraordinary levels of compensation for their utter incompetence and poor performance is nothing less than criminal.

Our legal system allows this type of criminal activity. But then again, all one has to do is to look at who writes the laws.

DP

21 September 2005

On “A scientific milestone: mapping of rice genome”

It is truly a wonderful event to have reached this far into the understanding of the make-up of the rice plant and by implication into the other grain crops. We, the human species, can when given the time and the resources reach great heights. But we must remember and make very clear that this research is done on the behalf of all members of this planet. All human members, all other animal members, all plant members. Each time we make a move or change any aspect of this environment we are affecting all other parts and members.

The very idea that Monsanto or any other corporation or individual can “patent” and thereby own any aspect of the life of this or any other world is completely and utterly ridiculous. Each part of this world is fully interconnected with each and every other part and as such every part is linked and inseparable. These “patents” will not be used to further the good and improve the overall welfare of any creature on this planet but the very few and elite who care not for this environment except for what they can steal and grasp. These are the same people who introduced us and many sick and dying creatures to the wonders of Agent Orange. These are the people who bring litigation against farmers who try to use other seed than the “improved and modified” type. These are the people who would own every molecule of every organism and claim that they then have “rights” to control these organisms.

The rice plant has been a part of this planet longer than we have been using it for food. It belongs to all of the creatures and other plants of this planet. We the living organisms of this planet hold title to all of this planet and have from the moment that the first living cell came into existence. The waters belong not to us to waste and foul to a level that they can no longer sustain life. The waters belong to the fish and whales, the squirrels and fox, the llama and elephant, the penguin and robin. Thus also the air and the minerals and every element of this planet belong to every part of the planet.

We are the ones who have the ability to manage this environment for the best welfare of all of the planet, or to destroy this environment and therefore all of the planet. Will caution be taken with this new knowledge? Will the ramifications to all of the environment be considered? Look at the track record of these corporations and think again. Would you buy a used environment from these people?

I laud the research yet rue the results.

RAV

Upper Marlboro Maryland

16 September 2005

On “German government bans Kurdish paper and Palestinian organization”

A surprising thought just came to me on this subject. If a media organ can be declared to be part of a terrorist organization because it repeats the statements of that organization, then wouldn’t it be fair to claim that a media organ is a part of the government if it repeats the claims of that government? Thus most of the “free press” would be shown to be a sham.

KP

18 September 2005

On “Germany: the career of Christian Democratic Union leader Angela Merkel”

This is the best of all articles I have read about “Angie.” If the German voters had read this story, and had not been pumped up with stupidity by most mass media, she would not have had the glimpse of a chance.

Politically, I am conservative environmentalist, but I have to say that your analysis is somewhere about 96 percent correct. Unfortunately.

Greetings,

BvW

Zurich, Switzerland

16 September 2005

On Bush’s policies

If Bush continues on with his policies, there will be a major uprising among the people who have been affected by them. Namely, the poor and the working class. Forget the Democrats. They are in bed with the corporate ruling class. I have voted for Democrats all my life, but I am totally fed up with the Democratic Party. It is time that the people of this country take back our country and get rid of all those who have been bought by the moneyed interest in Washington.

MO

Guerneville, California

21 September 2005

On Corporate fraud, theft and treason

On Tuesday, June 7, 2005, C-Span 2 covered a congressional inquiry into the activities of Halliburton and its subsidiary in Iraq. There were three witnesses. One was a civilian lady in charge of protocol on contracts. She testified that Halliburton received the contract in Iraq with no competition. It was simply handed to them with a stated cost of $400,000. They ran it up to $1.2 billion. They charged for thousands of meals they never delivered. They charged three times the value of the meals—delivered or not. There were at least 5,000 meals they never delivered.

They also served out-dated food to our fighting troops. (Do we really support our fighting troops?) Another witness who had a competitive contract with Iraq and Kuwait to deliver gasoline from Kuwait to Iraq, charged 18 cents per gallon. Halliburton charged $1.30 per gallon. Halliburton also pulled strings to impede the competitor’s ability to cross the Kuwait-Iraqi border. They had to cross their trucks at five in the morning. When they arrived at delivery sites they found that there were practically no coupling, hoses, etc., that Halliburton was supposed to supply.

Halliburton made a separate contract with said competitor to deliver building supplies to locals in Iraq, a job that Halliburton claimed were combat free. Not so. When they arrived they were subject to attack. Some of their personnel were killed and some injured. Halliburton instructed its employees on the site to not help anyone. Our combat troops had to come to their rescue.

I submit that such activities in the time of war are traitorous. Vice President Cheney is a part of Halliburton and should be tried for treason. Prior to that he should be impeached. The buck stops at the presidential desk. Bush should also be impeached. We have an oil baron for a president, and regular gas is $2.60 a gallon. That’s no coincidence. There’s plenty other reasons to impeach him including his lying to get us into a war.

VV

21 September 2005

Loading