The following is a selection of recent letters sent to the World Socialist Web Site.
What a perceptive comment: “The whole affair more closely resembles the privatisation of the state itself, which is offering up its resources for finance capital to plunder,” except it could be the logical end result of the whole neo-liberal enterprise. Let’s imagine: Hank Paulson as CFO, Cheney as CEO, with Dubya as a figurehead Chairman of the Board; Congress, the Senate and the rest of the toxic elite as the shareholders. Objectively, it would require the suspension of the remaining democratic processes and imposition of a military dictatorship. After all, all the “legal” elements for such a state are already in place.
MS
Queanbeyan, Australia
26 September 2008
On “US Federal Reserve announces $85 billion bailout of insurance giant AIG”
The US government’s bailout of insurance giant American International Group (AIG) comes as no surprise to intelligence community insiders. In fact, AIG has been at the center of a number of CIA operations for decades. The federal government’s $85 billion “bridge” loan to AIG essentially makes the United States government an 80 percent stakeholder in AIG, a move that will prevent external players from peering into AIG’s myriad intelligence operations on behalf of the CIA, according to an insider who has followed AIG’s overseas (Asia) operations for a number of years.
FBR
Thailand
28 September 2008
On “Democrats take charge of pushing through Bush’s bailout of Wall Street”
Barry Grey’s hard hitting and thorough analysis of the scandal of the USA bailing out careless, greedy, speculating, renegade capitalist firms from the mess of making unwise loans—and using a technique called leveraging to do it with other peoples money—is most informative. All Americans will have to cough up $700 billion to fund the bailout through increased taxes and/or cuts in benefits. To paraphrase the late Wilbur Mills, a power broker in the US Congress, “$700 billion is real money.”
As usual both the Democrats and Republicans are in favor of this gigantic rip off of the American people. Barry conclusively proves that while the USA may have 2 parties, the USA has one policy, which involves beggaring the people to enrich the USA’s power elite. If Jerry White was president, this wouldn’t happen. We need the SEP to gain office, now.
LL
28 September 2008
* * *
I was reading the below paragraph and became very confused. Was I reading the writings of a 16th Century heretic (Bruno) or a modern description of people on Capitol Hill? It does seem that some things never change.
“You will see, in mixed confusion, snatches of cutpurses, wiles of cheats, enterprises of rogues; also delicious repulsiveness, bitter sweets, foolish decisions, mistaken faith and crippled hopes, niggard charities, judges noble and serious for other men’s affairs with little truth in their own; virile women, effeminate men and voices of craft and not of mercy so that he who believes most is most fooled—and everywhere the love of gold.”
PK
28 September 2008
On “Deborah Kerr: an actor with genuine subtlety and integrity”
Though I’ve been around long enough, I really know nothing about Deborah Kerr. This is not the first time that the WSWS has steered me in the direction of seeking out the works of an actor or actress who deserves attention. Thanks to this obituary/appreciation/tribute, I’m going to look for the referenced movies.
Yet another reason to read the WSWS. Keep up the excellent work.
LM
Long Beach, California, USA
28 September 2008
On “Finland: Second school shooting in less than a year”
Was this young man on psychiatric drugs? In shooting incidents of this kind, overwhelmingly, assailants have been on such agents, and many observers are concerned about the potential patients have shown to act out violent impulses while they are on these powerful synthetic chemicals, which are foreign to the body, are difficult to metabolize, arguably are toxic to the liver and brain, and function as “chemical lobotomies,” with predictable, tragic results. (See, for example, “Medication Madness” by Peter Breggin, M.D.)
PC, MD
28 September 2008