Letters From Our Readers
June 1, 2004 - June 30, 2004
By Editors
Jun 3, 2004, 12:36
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Exchange with a reader from South Carolina whose friend is with the U.S. Military force in Iraq
From: Marilane
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 11:50 AM
To: 'contact2@axisoflogic.com'
Subject: Attn: Editor
Perhaps you should consider changing your name from Axis of Logic to Axis of Absurdity. How dare you depict our American troops as aggressors who thoughtlessly "break cease-fire agreements" and assault local "resistance fighters." How foolish of you! These "resistance fighters" are cold-hearted terrorists who use brutal tactics and have by no means kept their side of the cease-fire agreement. Are you suggesting that our troops should continue taking fire from insurgents armed with AK-47s who fortify themselves in mosques and hospitals, and that our troops should not fire back at them? These "resistance fighters" even use children as decoys to set traps for Americans, and then rain fire on them. They are by no means heroic for their actions. Now they are known to have chemical weapons that they might unleash on our troops any day. There is absolutely no "clarity" in the duplicitous spin you put in your articles. You mine as well report for Al-Jazeera. And to think that American troops are putting their lives on the line to protect your freedom to make these idiotic statements. You should be ashamed. If these "resistance fighters" are so glorious, maybe you should go to Fallujah and award them medals of honor. Then maybe you would see the truth and run for protection to the nearest American military base.
Marilane
Charleston, SC
From: Les Blough [mailto:rmcmail@speakeasy.net]
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 12:22 PM
To: Marilane
Subject: RE: Attn: Editor
Dear Marilane
Thank you for taking the time to write to us. I'm not sure about which article you are addressing, but I think I can sum up my response this way:
You asked, "Are you suggesting that our troops should continue taking fire from insurgents". No, we believe our troops should not be in Iraq in the first place and should be brought home immediately.
You obviously hold passionately to your views of the war. We think that the biggest dangers to America are the antipathy, anger and even hatred that Americans feel toward one another - contributing to the "great divide" in our country. We think the only thing that can save us as a nation and as a society is healing the wounds that divide us. The only way we know to contribute to that healing is begin communicating with one another in a civil, courteous manner ... and by truly listening to one another. In the case of your email message, I am listening to you. Last month at a large anti-war protest in Washington D.C., I interviewed Michael Berg, father of Nick Berg and several parents who lost their children, U.S. soldiers who were killed in Iraq. I did my best to listen to them as well.
Thanks again 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
Mr. Blough,
Thank you for your quick response. I was referring to the "Iraqi Resistance Report: Friday, 25 June 2004 through Saturday, 26 June 2004" by Muhammad Abu Nasr. I was startled by the slant he used to portray the American forces as the guilty party who broke the cease-fire. He also depicted them as uncouth "aggressors" descending on valiant "resistance fighters". Whether you agree with our troops being in Iraq or not, it is simple to see that Mr. Nasr is more than bending the truth here. I know this for a fact because my boyfriend, [deleted name], is currently stationed in Fallujah. I have heard many first-hand accounts from him that directly refute the position Mr. Nasr is taking. The Americans are not attacking Fallujah, but are doing their best to single out dangerously armed men who are out to kill the Iraqi police force, behead innocent foreign hostages, as well as take the lives of Americans. The hatred of these "resistance fighters" knows no bounds. They show no mercy to their fellow Iraqis or their foreign captives. Obviously, I want Tim and all of our men to come home as soon as possible. I can't even sleep at night knowing the danger he is in at this very moment. But if you are sincere in wanting to do away with the "great divide" in our country, I suggest that the Axis of Logic be more careful not to spin articles in a way that will only contribute to this divide. The rhetoric Mr. Nasr uses is extremely offensive to me and anyone who knows what is really going on in Fallujah. If my response was overly hostile it was only because I found Mr. Nasr's article to be very provoking. Support our troops because they are doing the best they can with the situation they've been given
Thank you,
Marilane
Charleston, S.C.
Dear Marilane,
Thanks for your kind reply. It is not difficult to understand your anxiety and frustration, having a loved one in such a dangerous place as Iraq. I would only add that credible "first-hand accounts" by U.S. military, honest as they may be, are also credibly countered by others who also observe what is happening in Iraq. It is difficult for any of us to know the truth from afar off. People see different things from different vantage points. I would add that if the U.S. were invaded by a foreign country as Iraq has been invaded, there would be a powerful response by the resistance to the invaders. One thing I can write to you with certainty: The only sure way to support your loved one and all U.S. military personnel in Iraq is to abandon the folly and tragedy of this invasion of another sovereign nation immediately and bring all U.S. soldiers home to their loved ones and families now.
I wish only the best and a safe return for your friend and all U.S. soldiers in Iraq, many of whom do not want to be there.
Les Blough, Editor
Axis of Logic
Boston, MA
617-787-3498
rmcmail@speakeasy.net
Dear Editor,
Syed Shahid Husain, in the article "Will the US survive Bush?" (June 4, 2004), makes the mistake of using nominal GDP (which is not adjusted for inflation) rather than real GDP for calculating US economic growth. The figures presented in the article are, therefore, completely inaccurate.
Real per year economic growth rates for each administration since 1929 are given below. Calculations for each president are made by dividing real GDP for the last year of the administration by that of the first year, then raising the dividend to the 1/[number of years] power and subtracting 1. An administration is considered to run from the year in which each took office through its last full year.
Hoover: -7.1%
Roosevelt: 9.1%
Truman: 1.3%
Eisenhower: 2.3%
Kennedy: 3.4%
Johnson: 4.0%
Nixon: 2.9%
Ford: 1.7%
Carter: 2.1%
Reagan: 3.1%
Bush: 1.2%
Clinton: 3.4%
Bush: 1.7% through 2003 (if the economy expands by the predicted 4.5% this year, the figure becomes 2.4% for the term)
The nominal vs. real GDP problem is especially apparent with respect to the Carter administration, under which inflation was very high. The "impressive performance" to which your writer refers under that administration will likely be eclipsed by the (rather unimpressive) performance under the current one.
As the author takes our current administration specifically to task, I think it bears noting that he or she ignores a number of significant shocks to the economy during the second Bush administration, as well as the simple fact that the economy is cyclical, and was in a downturn at the time Bush took office. Also note that while the Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report indicates that more than 1 million jobs have been lost over the past three years, the Labor Department's Household Survey indicates that more people are working than ever before, and that several million jobs have been created since the end of the recession. There are competing explanations for this divergence, but the most reasonable one appears to be that the BLS report systematically undercounts self-employment.
Mark Morgan
Saint Louis Univeresity
I was totally and permanently disabled at age 45. I had a wife and four children to support. I qualified for Social Security Disability Benefits and after receiving benefits for several years ... Reagan STOPPED benefits to ALL tthe 800,000 disabled people in America. He more or less said, If the're REALLY disabled LET THEM PROVE IT.
He caused 800,000 families to be without ANY income for six to ten months while they had an attorney fight for justice. What suffering that bastard caused ... and to attack the disabled ... how low can you get?
Kind regards,
Chuck Brucks
i dont know if you have recenlty been to venezuela, but its a living hell here, and you dare to speak of a great leap forward in the country thanks to chavez?....its like mao zedong's GLF.....a great leap to repression, corruptness and totalitarian govt. he has completly wrecked democracy and freedom of speech and he is iaming towards a comunist cuba alike country, im here, fighthing so that me and my peers can have a real good future, not of a comunist regime, that would send us stragiht back to the dark ages, just becuase he can say "usa" and "imperialism" in the same sentence you give him unconditional support, how about you go to venezuela live among the poor and those who suffer becuase of the crisis that chavez created, look into the eyes of the people and see the hatred that he has created between venezuelans, i know i have, and will do evryday until venezuelans can unite to find solution to our nations problem, not go and start speaking of what we dont know like you....saying, oh lets balme everything on the US, how bout you start beign part of the solution instead of part of the problem, the moment you do that, i will give u my unconditional support and gratitude, but until then, shut up, and dont speak of what you do not know
Luis Hernandez
Dear Luis,
Thank you for taking the time to write to us. I read your letter with interest. For every Venezuelan who writes what you write about Hugo Chavez and the condition of Venezuelan society, the economy, etc., I receive 5-10 letters from Venezuelans who praise Hugo Chavez and support the president they elected against the tyranny of the U.S. backed rebels who attempted the coup last year. We defy any U.S./CIA interference in any other nation-state - including Venezuela. If you want to overthrow Hugo Chavez, the best place to do it is through a democratic process - one that appears to be alive and well in your country. If you do not believe you have a democratic process in Venezuela, the best way to build one is not through a violent CIA-instigated coup.
Very truly yours,
Les
Les Blough, Editor
Axis of Logic
Boston, MA (USA)
617-787-3498
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