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Letters from our readers

On “Canadians join imperialist assault on Libya

 

As a Canadian taxpayer, I wish to thank WSWS for its excellent articles on the war going on in Libya. More specifically, I am most grateful for today’s article detailing Canada’s role in that war. I have been a supporter of the New Democratic Party of Canada all my adult life. I believed it was the only hope Canada had, because the Liberal and Conservative Parties in Canada are like the Democratic and Republican Parties in the USA (there is little difference between them). Stephen Harper is the worst Prime Minister Canada has ever had. He is a George W. Bush ‘wannabe’ and as I type, his Conservative government of Canada has been found to be in contempt of Canadian Parliament.

 

 

Because of your excellent article, today I am ending my membership (and monetary contribution) to Canada’s New Democratic Party. I no longer wish to support Canada’s decision to follow the USA in its illegal wars against the poor, and the USA foreign policy of propping up dictators until they no longer need them as they steal the resources of any sovereign country they desire. I hope my NDP colleagues follow my decision, and quit the party.

No Canadian newspaper would ever print the truth as you did. Keep up the good work.

 

Ray
New Brunswick, Canada
22 March 2011

On “Obama and Libya

 

What bothers me greatly about this recent military aggression is the ability of the imperialists to deceive and manipulate broad masses and its media. Independent organizations of the people are unable to stop the military machine. Where are the Sarah Connors of The Terminator? True, it is a fictional depiction of a war against the machines, and we are not in that situation now. But, the machines are winning, and winning everywhere. I am not demoralized, but concerned that the military machine of empire clearly has the upper hand, and the masses do not have the organized power, at least do not appear to have it, to win. Our desire to organize an international proletarian organization takes on greater significance in the light of the aggression against Libya and the people of its nation.

 

Steve J
21 March 2011

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Dear Bill Van Auken,

Thank you for your inspiring analysis. Let me take this opportunity to appeal to US masses as an innocent world citizen. Please rise up against aggression of your capitalist establishment on behalf of innocent world citizens to which category I belong.

 

 

Imaduwa
Sri Lanka
21 March 2011

 

On “The case of Fabien Engelmann in France

 

 

It is quite astonishing how processes and events that led to the rise of fascism and World War II are re-emerging in the world about us. As a Jew born in Hungary right after the second imperialist world war, I studied this material with fascination, and always believed that I was studying history. Of course, I had ignored Marx’s prescient warning that barriers to world revolution not overcome return, if only as the farce that the pseudo-left has become.

 

 

The drift of the confused from the left to the right is an old and sad story. In fact the so-called ultra-left and extreme right found a congenial relationship earlier, just before Hitler took power in 1933. It was the red-brown alliance of the Communist Party and the National Socialists that brought Göring to the presidency of the Reichstag, the essential step on the road to power of the fascist beasts. It was a strike of transportation workers in Berlin that sealed the deal. The consequences are there for those who have eyes to see and the willingness to read.

 

 

AL
Toronto, Canada
21 March 2011

On “German Left Party leader votes in favour of military intervention in Libya

 

 

Historically, as is well known by anyone who cares to know, the proposition has two sides. On the front it says ‘No fly zone’. On the back ‘Yes bombing zone’. The Left this and the Left that and all the rest of this political rubbish are quite happy to build their personal political futures on a mound of Libyan dead. And even if it’s Fool rather than Knave this is hardly a qualification for political leadership of the Working Class.

 

 

Chris
Ireland
20 March 2011

On “Japanese government delayed nuclear emergency measures to protect TEPCO profits

No doubt the conclusions you draw are true but the context of the following is, I believe absolutely false: “According to the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper, TEPCO asked the government to permit a full withdrawal of the last workers from the plant because of high levels of radiation. Kan, however, told TEPCO: ‘Withdrawal is impossible. It’s not a matter of whether TEPCO collapses. It’s a matter of whether Japan goes wrong.’

 

“These revelations illustrate the readiness of the entire Japanese ruling elite to sacrifice the lives, health and safety of ordinary working people not only to safeguard the profits and investments of its giant power utilities…”

 

The reason TEPCO wanted to withdraw the workers is to limit the (huge) amount of compensation they are going to have to pay. The company probably has an army a lawyers giving the executives advice on how to minimize payments and concluded the best thing to do is allow a possible catastrophe and write it off as an accident due to the natural disaster. I believe this is why the PM disregarded the company’s request.

 

 

Peter
21 March 2011

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I want to thank your reporting on this matter because it seems the big media, like BBC and CNN have stopped reporting on this, however much it still is a dangerous situation. And I’m sure NBC, which is owned by GE, makers of nuclear power plants, won’t be reporting on it either.

P.S. I hear there is another oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, just great!

 

 

Jesse J
21 March 2011

On “Ohio governor proposes massive cuts to social spending

 

There remains a slots plan for the struggling Thoroughbred and Standardbred racetracks that has a vast chunk of profits earmarked for the state’s general fund, but it appears that Mr. Kasich has lost the documents. I gather he would rather have residents gamble with their health instead of having others betting to bolster social programs.

 

 

Richard C
20 March 2011

 

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