Letters From Our Readers
April 1, 2004 - April 30, 2004
By Editors
Apr 6, 2004, 06:32
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LETTERS FROM OUR READERS
We receive hundreds of emails daily from our readers. We publish some of the many letters received that we believe add value to the commentary and news already published on Axis of Logic. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we cannot publish many of the worthy letters we receive. - LMB
Dear Mr. Ratsma,
This is to thank you for the stupendous article The Power of the Reverend, which I first read in the April issue of Northstar Compass, but later discovered was originally published on the web by axisoflogic.com
This is to kindly ask you if I might re-publish the same article in my publication Freethought Perspective for the month of July 2004? It is an article, which I'm sure, would greatly appeal and inspire the readers of this publication. This is a free publication. I'll be more than glad to send you the most recent issue (April 2004) to a snail mail address. My name is:
Leland W. Ruble
833 Orchard St.
Toledo, OH 43609 USA.
The publication is progressive, liberal, and mainly concerned with the tragedy and nonsense which results from the widespread belief in phantom gods, and other irrational beliefs which have been promoted for centuries by the major supernatural religious establishments.
With best regards,
Leland W. Ruble,
Editor & Publisher of Freethought Perspective
From: Amir Naghshineh-Pour
April 11, 2004 2:54 PM
language@iran-heritage.org
Subject: Persian
Dear editor @ Axis of Logic,
In reference to your article "Still Dreaming of Tehran: Iran now on neocon/Likudnik cross-hairs -http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_6312.shtml" dated April 8, 2004, although Juan Cole an expert on the Shiites of Iran and Iraq from the University of Michigan clearly referred to the official written and spoken language of Iran as Persian, following that the term "Farsi" was used to refer to exactly the same language.
Please be advise that the word "Farsi" has no background in English and its usage misrepresents the language. The correct reference to the language is "Persian". As you may clearly see in you article one might not be able --to-- observe the connection between "Persian" and "Farsi" and that would be very misleading.
Please be kind enough and correct the mistake and avoid future errors.
Sincerely,
Amir Naghshineh-Pour Public Relations Director Iran Heritage Organization: Dedicated to preserve Persian culture and history http://www.iran-heritage.org/
To Axis Contributing Writer, Dom Stasi
Bravo! Great article! Your analysis is excellent and timely. Thanks for a great article. Karen
Karen S. Bond, J.D.
Director of Government Affairs
Federal Prison Policy Project
Columbus, Ohio 43068
Office - (614) 501-6897
Fax - (614) 573-6388
Cell - (614) 595-6400
From: Harry Abrams
Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 10:25 PM
To: contact1@axisoflogic.com
Cc:
Subject: Re: Adbusters
Axis of Logic
Finding Clarity in the 21st Century Mediaplex
Dear Editor (s),
This is to advise you, that the author and the article that you have reproduced on your web site titled:
Whose interests are furthered by the neocons, America's or Israel's? Neocons and their pro-Israel leanings are put under the microscope by Adbusters
By Kalle Lasn
Apr 7, 2004
...are currently under investigation pending possible legal action under Canadian Law. If you continue to re-post this article, the management and owner (s) of "Axis of Logic" may be co-named as respondants in a legal action.
Sincerely Yours,
Harry Abrams
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Hello Mr. Blough,
We have some laws in Canada that apply to defamation against people on a series of prohibited grounds. Among them, ethnicity, gender, age and degree of disability.
In my opinion, (and I have been a media publisher for 20 years) Adbusters has more crossed than crossed the line of satire and/or reasonable commentary (not to mention the ethics of journalism) to gratuitously incite hatred against persons identifiable as Jews. By republishing defamatory material, you and your publication are now also potentially liable. Kindly govern yourself accordingly.
See: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/H-6/30707.html
If you are in touch with Mr. Lasn, kindly convey the above message . I phoned the Adbusters office last week and have also sent one emailed warning. To date there has been no acknowledgement from Mr. Lasn or his representaive.
Meanwhile, An investigative official with the CHRC in Ottawa has already been assigned to this issue.
Sincerely Yours
Harry Abrams
*** April 7, 2004: It is my policy to never publish emails, either negative or positive, that readers to my articles send me. This is out of my belief in the virtue of privacy, of respecting those who entrust me with their words and thoughts. What gets sent to me remains between me and my readers, including pleasant or unpleasant exchanges of ideas and beliefs. I have, however, made an exception to this policy with the following email exchange between myself and a reader who took offense with my March 23, 2004 article "A Malignant Tumor onto the World: Israel and its self-defeating actions." With the prevalence of labeling someone as anti-semitic when one dares criticize Israel's harsh and self-defeating policies, usually by defenders of Israel, the absurdity of such intimidation is losing much of its luster. Here, then, is my email exchange with such a person.
Solidarity,
Manuel Valenzuela
steve ornstein <email withheld for privacy> wrote March 24:
Subject: Re: Do you have your head screwed on right?
If it walks like a duck then just maybe it is a duck. Or rather an anti-Semitic rant in the guise of a concerned human rights activist
From:manuel valenzuela
To: steve ornstein
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 5:28 PM
Subject: Re: Do you have your head screwed on right?
I understand your frustrations, I really do, and I write in order to help avoid, at least in some small way, another horrendous wave of anti-semitism from exploding that will affect us all. Please don't confuse anti-semitism with anti-zionism. Two completely different things. It gets rather old when critics of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians get labeled with the too often used up term "anti-semitic" when the criticism being espoused has nothing to do with being critical of Jewish people. This term is used so much for any and all reasons that it has acquired a "boy who cried wolf syndrome". It no longer works to intimdate or criticize. Please stop using it.
What is going on in Palestine is horrific, and all I am saying is that if it continues major trouble will follow. I feel your passion and if anything, I write in order to wake the world up to reality before it is too late. I have nothing but admiration for Jewish people, which in a way is why I have written this article. Yet I can divorce what is happening in Palestine with the lives of millions of ordinary Jews worldwide. Sometimes the truth hurts, but it must be learned.
Thank you for writing, and for having the courage to read that which you do not agree with. After all, it is rare that we learn anything new from people we agree with. I respect that.
Sincerely,
Manuel Valenzuela
Steve Ornstein wrote:
Manuel,
First of all, anyone that is an anti-Zionist has embedded in that message the elimination of the Jewish nation. You may want to believe that you are justified in wanting to eliminate the Jewish state but implied in that view is an anti-Semitic, anti-Jewish call for the destruction of the heart and soul of the Jewish people. In spite of what you say they are in fact one in the same.
I agree that what is going on in the West Bank and Gaza is terrible. But I find it incredible that your heart can't see beyond your prejudicial thinking and see that the complicity of Palestinian organizations that want to destroy the Jewish state precipitates the lack of progress toward a Palestinian state. May I also remind you that your assertion that the Palestinians have been living in "their" country for ever is just not an historical fact. It may fit into your belief system but in reality it just isn't so. The horrific situation is as much a political decision of the Palestinian leadership then a premeditated desire on the part of Israel to oppress the Palestinians. This line of thinking is simple minded and clearly shows to whom ever is willing to see the truth, that you have not seriously attempted to understand or come to terms with Jews living in Israel.
I find your comments that you have only "admiration for the Jewish people" alarming. Don't you get it! That is like saying some of my best friends are Jews. It is a red flag to Jews that the other foot is about to come down on their head. So it has. In your unwillingness to accept the fact that there is a Jewish nation called Israel and that it has a right to exist like every other country in the world clearly shows your prejudice. Your blatant elimination of Israel on your web site at least conveys your political motives and desire which unfortunately puts us in different camps in this struggle and in the right circumstance would find us as enemies. Sad as all this may be it is clear that your struggle is to destroy our people and our nation. No rhetoric of admiration for the Jews will pull the wool over our eyes. You can try to couch all of your "truths" in lambs clothing but underneath all that I am sure to find an angry self-righteous Jew-hater. It is not what you say that is the test of a real bigot but the actions you take. Your actions clearly show any clear thinking person that you want the elimination of our people and that is just not going to happen. So live with it and make peace with it.
One thing I do find hopeful is that you may some day see the light and repent for your bigotry. Having compassion for the Palestinians is one thing blaming Israel exclusively for their plight is blatant radical left wing thinking.
Respectfully,
Steve Ornstein
| Date: |
Thu, 25 Mar 2004 08:34:17 -0800 (PST) |
| From: |
"manuel valenzuela" <manuel@valenzuelas.net> |
| Subject: |
Re: Do you have your head screwed on right? |
| To: |
"steve ornstein" <email withheld for privacy> |
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Steve,
It is unfortunate that you and I disagree over this issue but it prevents me from calling you my enemy. Perhaps that line of thinking explains the essence of the problem in the Middle East, and your black and white rhetoric of good versus bad, friend versus enemy according to difference of opinion shows me how you think and how much you have yet to learn about the world and yourself.
To associate anti-zionists with anti-semitic blame games is to live in delusion, and to impute onto all critics of the racist and dehumanizing colonization and oppression of a native people with the real hatred of a religious and ethnic group is to do yourself and the Jewish people a disservice. There are, you no doubt know, a significant number of Jewish critics of Israel's actions in Palestine. These well intentioned individuals are immediately labeled "self-hating Jews" by people like you. It seems that nobody that has a bonafide criticism of Israel can escape the well thought out marketing campaign to intimidate and suppress valuable voices of truth and dissent. Get over it! When I criticize the US I am not labeled anti-American. When I criticize Europe I don't get labeled anti-European. Why then do people like you insist on ignorantly labeling critics. Surely it isn't to quiet and suppress all dissent and criticism, all truth and reality, right?
The fact remains that Israel is a colonial power, that it is an apartheid state and that it has encaged and treated like animals an entire race of people. Anyone who possesses an ounce of humanity can feel nothing but empathy for people who were washed away of their lands and homes and now live in cesspools of misery. Perhaps this reason explains why so much of the world has such a problem with Israel's policies, not its people and certainly not the 13 million Jews worldwide. When a nation, such as apartheid South Africa in the last decades or the civil rights movement of the US, subjects its native people to the worst in humanity, a global crusade of fairness, justice and equality prevails, eventually helping to change the atrocities taking place. This, Steve, is what is happening today with Israel. A global consciousness is fully aware of what is happening to the Palestinians, and a humanity movement has spurred strong criticism of Israel's policies. It has nothing to do with bashing the Jewish people or hating who they are but rather fighting for justice and freedom. Can you not get this? Humanity is all basically the same, and when billions see what evils are being committed to a race of people feelings of empathy and fraternity solidify into a giant wave of support for the oppressed and criticism and anger for the oppressor. The case of the US invasion of Iraq is such an example. Fundamental priniciples of fairness led 80 to 90 percent of the globe's population to realize the US was flat out wrong, leading to strong criticism, opposition and outright animosity against us. Did all these people get labeled as racists and bigots? Please realize that there is more to this world than racist and bigoted people hating all Jews. Open your eyes to this reality.
It seems you have this insecurity that the entire globe is out to get your people, which is why you call us racists and bigots. It is insecurity of knowing the truth of what happened and what continues to transpire that assaults your mind with self-preservation mechanisms of ignorant labeling. The moral high ground is non-existent for the kind of dehumanization Israel is subjecting the Palestinians. The world knows this, which is why hatred of Israel only continues to grow. If this continues, all Jews worldwide will suffer, which is what I hope to avoid because nobody deserves the kind of persecution your people have been subjected to for centuries. But what Israel is doing today is exactly what history has done to Jews, and you would think that "Never Again" would resonate strongly in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
For you to believe that Israel does not commit acts of terrorism is to give away your blatant bias in favor of its atrocities. Your mind has decided to hide and live in delusion because the fear of knowing reality would implode your beliefs of the greatness of the Israeli government. Is collective punishment terrorism? Is daily humiliation? How about economic genocide? How about encaging millions to reservations? Missiles from the air, IDF heavy-handedness and Abram tank shells are not terrorism? Three times more innocent Palestinians have died than Israelis these last few years, or do you not care to acknowledge this fact. Babies and children are killed, women and their homes demolished, the elderly and their crops razed. Water and land are being expropriated and given to Israel, thousand year old olive trees are being destroyed. Towns and cities are under constant siege, IDF soldiers happily shot indiscrimately. What part of terrorism do you not understand? What is terror in your eyes? Obviously not the crimes against humanity Israel is committing, in violation of more than 60 UN Resolutions.
Yes, native Semitic Jews did exist prior to the influx of European ones. They represented a very small number compared to the native Palestinians, however. And you know what? They lived in peace and harmony, just as Arabs and Jews have done for centuries in Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Turkey, Syria,etc.. Is it any coincidence that the troubles started with the colonization of Palestine and the ill-treatment of the Palestinians? Arab hatred of Jews did not begin until European Jews cleansed Palestine and claimed it for themselves. Go back in history and educate yourself to this reality. Again, fundamental global levels of fairness and justice.
We do, however, agree that politicians on both sides have exploited the situation for personal gain. All politicians do this. And it is true that certain elements want to eliminate Israel altogether, but you can find the same on the other side. The tragedy of the Middle East is that, had the level of hatred and resentment not grown to where it stands today, and had the people and not the politicians made the decisions, two peoples would in most likelihood be able to live side by side, without having to resort to apartheid policies, injustice, inequality and dehumanization. It is sad, really, because people are driven to madness by people like Sharon and Arafat, preventing the best of humanity from ever arising.
I hope you see the light of day, and that your veiled support for Israel does not continue to blind you to what is going on in Palestine, or to the millions upon millions of world citizens who criticize Israel not for anti-semitic reasons but rather for fundamental principles of fairness, justice, equality and humanity.
Peace,
Manuel Valenzuela
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Monday, April 4, 2004
jeffT alchemy
[rightsightbrightlight@linuxmail.org]
Visiting your site regularly.
Have some points that ocuured to me about Manuel Valenzuela's "War of Error" and Beth Henry's "vote or revolt"
Manuel is a great analysist, very descriptive writer who writes with heart- but what struck me about this article was in general, and there is too much of this all over so called progressive sites. One can continually point out the corruption and pinpoint the problems with ever evolving adjectives and from many angles- but where are solutions, strtegies, specific legal recourse or methods to organize?
A couple problems with his and many others assumptions-dichotomous thinking, us and them, this is trying to be manipulated into a culture or race war, but what it comes down to is all who want violence are on the same side, all who lust the gold are on the same side-though when one party is brutally overmatched and unfairly attacked, families killed and there is no international counterbalance or recourse, what can one expect except self-defense?
And quit assuming radical jihadists attacked us-we don't know who brought down the twin towers or what attacked the pentagon and whether it was all one operation with just one actor, we don't know and are not permitted to know, there are many unanswered questions, especially with a god-awful defense budget of $400 billion.
But here is a sentence in his article that would be hard to proof or back up, and remember now I generally appreciate the knowledge and insight MV imparts...,with regards to the mysterious Al Queada he writes, "They are waiting for the right moment at the right time. They are comprised of clever and intelligent men with an understanding of patience and the long-term benefits of history. Unlike those in the Oval Office, those "living in caves" envision the larger context of humanity and our history. To underestimate them is to make a grave mistake."
This strikes me as odd- how does he know who they are comprised of? and if he does I'm sure someone would like to speak to him about this and even more how does he know their intelligent or IQ quotient? Is this group even real? who funds them? Is Al Queada a catch all TAG, aren't they convenient? who defines terrorism? is there different kinds? Is anybody the good guy? and who decides? if we can't have open hearings and transparent, unbiased,open reporting, confusion seems to be desired.
with regard s to Beth Henry' vote article, please explain HOW DO WE REVOLT it must be peaceful, spiritual and by the rule of law, where the heck are the lawyers?, the courts? the constitutional scholars?, when and how will decency and sanity be restored?
I conclude by saying I want to hear more from the veterans, military families, active and injured combatants, honorable career military men-namely the people who are paying the price for violence, bloodshed, destruction, poisoning and killing in THIS THE 21st century. Shame on the 'rough men'
time for Love !
truly !
---spacebuddy008
Dear Jeff,
Thanks very much - and I mean that - for taking the time to write this sensitive letter with some very good questions. It may surprise you to know that I agree with many of the things stated here. Just one example, - I don't think we have any way of knowing who executed the attack on 9/11/01. I suspect that there is a world-wide, urban guerilla war in place and that it will strike again - a view that is somewhat consistent with Mr. Valenzuela's article - but I don't know that the attacks were not orchestrated from a place much "closer home" than the mountains of Afghanistan.
I also agree that we tend to get drawn into that old "us and them" mentality that never solves anything. When we are publishing and writing on the war however, finding balance is a difficult thing. As a follower of Tao and 30 years following the teachings of Buddha (or trying to), I happen to reject all dualistic thinking; it is illusory - but to some, that may not appear to be so from some of my writing. The "true-self" sometimes analyzes, admonishes, and even even wields a sword on occasion. On the other hand, I think most of us do and say things that contribute to the great divisions that embitter others and accomplish nothing in the way of healing and resolution of problems.
I'm going to pass this on to Beth Henry and Manuel Valenzuela. I don't know if they will add anything to what I've already said here or not, but I think your letter is a wise one and one worth reading. I will also publish it in "From our Readers" section of Axis of Logic.
Thanks very much for taking the time to write to us.
Peace,
Les
Les Blough, Editor
Axis of Logic
Boston, MA (USA)
617-787-3498
www.axisoflogic.com
rmcmail@speakeasy.net
From: David Singer [mailto:dsinger2000@hotmail.com]
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2004 9:58 PM
To: contact1@axisoflogic.com
Subject: The tragedy of Palestine
Professor Khwaja Masud (Tragedy that is Palestine, April 5) continues to propagate a series of factual errors too numerous to discuss, as he seeks to blame the Jews for the sorry plight in which the Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza now find themselves.
Their situation is due to no one other than their failure to disown their leaders - Husseini, Arafat, Habash,Yassin, Rantisi, Barghouti and Erekat to name a few, who have urged the path of rejection and the elimination of Israel as the answer to their woes. This disastrous policy has denied them a second Arab State in 6% of Palestine in addition to Jordan, which itself comprises 77% of former Palestine.
This state could have been established in 1947 when it was offered by the United Nations, at any time between 1948-1967 when the area was controlled by Jordan and Egypt, or in 2001 when it was offered to Arafat by Barak.
Regrettably Palestinian society in the West Bank and Gaza has been dehumanized as human bombs are launched at the civilian population of Israel making reconciliation an impossible aim to achieve for at least one if not two generations.
Professor Masud would do better to urge a change in the desire for matyrdom being bred into men, women and distressingly children in the West Bank and Gaza.
Look forward and not back must be the message to the Palestinians. Learn to live with a tiny Jewish State among 23 Moslem Arab States and learn to live not to die.
Yours
David Singer
Dear Mr. Singer,
Thanks for taking the time to write to us at Axis of Logic.
"A tiny Jewish state" - and one with a nuclear arsenal to rival that of the U.S., receiving about $10 billion in U.S. taxpayers funds, instigating wars, suffering and death throughout the Middle East and continuing to occupy and commit genocide in Palestine ... as it successfully did to the Bedouins of the land it stole in 1948.
"A tiny Jewish State" - once again, the tired, worn-out attempt to claim "victimhood", like the charges of "anti-semitism" that have now all but lost their power because of the way those charges have been exploited and abused over the years. But I will give you this: You do admit that Israel is a "Jewish state", i.e. a theocracy, not a democracy as many Zionists claim.
"Professor Masud... continues to propagate a series of factual errors too numerous to discuss ..." - If you are going to lay a charge of "factual errors" but are not willing to list them, your charge has no credibility. I'm sure you can do better than that ... but then, perhaps not, if the ethics, logic and the facts are not on your side.
"... Palestinian society has been dehumanized as human bombs" - How about by bulldozers, snipers bullets, U.S. built Apache helicopters, a sinister, but sophisticated Zionist program designed to take their land via "settlement" building, isolating them from their natural resources and means of food, clothing and shelter and killing their children? And you blame the dehumanization on "human bombs" ... my, my, the human mind is capable of rationalizing anything, isn't it. Sitting smug with your racist opinions while children are being killed signals an empty, bitter soul, Mr. Singer.
Methinks a good, solid trial of self-examination is in order for you. As one who practices it daily I can tell you, it may be painful, but highly rewarding.
Why not get off the dwindling bandwagon of Zionism and join the brotherhood of man, Mr. Singer? It's a much better ride.
Peace,
Les
Les Blough, Editor
Axis of Logic
Boston, MA (USA)
617-787-3498
© Copyright 2003 by AxisofLogic.com
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