Any letters we get in response to this website, we consider letters to the editor and publishable. That said, primarily for the right wingers who we've been filing in our crocks and hate mail file, we would also love to see your comments, suggestions, rants, tirades, observations, opinions... We will give preference  to publishing your letter if  you include  your full name, address and phone number.

We won't publish any contact info, unless you specify that you want your e-mail listed. But we will list the town and state, or country you are from. If you do want your e-mail listed, please include it with your note. (We recommend it, so you can get feedback.) We'll be publishing a lot of what comes in. Who knows, once you get the taste of being published as a letter writer, maybe you'll take the next step and write an op-ed.

October 23

From: Stephen Johnson
Sent: Sunday, October 24, 2004 7:56 AM
To: contact@opednews.com
Subject: How Sad

 

I ran across your website for the first time. At first I was amused, then amazed, then disgusted.

 

I read that gibberish by Paul Levy in which he attempts to label Bush with some New Age psychiatric diagnosis to explain that he is a walking contagion of disordered thinking.

 

Only a liberal would turn to a tried-and-true Soviet tactic of using psychiatry as a political tool to marginalize someone with whom they don't agree.

 

I also found it rather cheap and intellectually lazy that negative letters to your website are simply responded to with the verbal back of the hand by referring anyone counter to your "ideaology" as "people who parrot right wing radio talking points."

 

Its obvious that these right wing radio talk show hosts, as boorish as they are, have caused an epidemic of shaking knees among those on the left. What they present is the logic of conservative thinking, no matter how badly its packaged, and this is the most destructive element for the left.

 

As for the "arguments" proposed on your website, I have seen so much sloganeering since I attending a meeting with a group of frayed Trotskyists during the early 1980s as they smoked hand-rolled cigarettes and muttered bitterely about Ronald Reagan.

 

Your counterpoints are nothing more than putdowns and will keep you positioned solidly on the fringe.

 

As for psychiatric profiling: A good psychiatrist could examine those on the left and determine that the term "liberal" does not apply, since there is not a more intolerant group in America. The problem of course, is one of true arrogance -- the false assumption that a liberal mindset is correct because it is born of a superior intellectual firmament and allows the dismisall of all dissenting views.

 

In the 20th century, power was always most rabidly and murderously abused by those cloaking themselves beneath "socialism" be they Nazis or Stalinist.

 

You reveal an intellectual immaturity that is somewhat worrisome. I found your response to one reader most revealing:

 

"Seven more GIs died yesterday. I guess you feel good about them because we got rid of Saddam. What about all the other creeps who are running dictatorships. We don't go after them with pre-emptive warfare because America never worked that way. But Bush broke pattern because of the idiots who advised him and his spineless strategy to ride a war to re-election success." (Rob Kall)

 

You've revealed an absolute black hole of historical knowledge. But forget that, for a moment. Listen , America lost nearly 292,000 soldiers killed in battle (and a half-million maimed) to liberate the world, including Europe , in a war brought about mainly by spineless nations who are assuming the same role they hold today.

 

America could have found a thousand reasons for not liberating Europe and leaving the Soviets to the full force and fury of the Wermacht and the SS. We could have sat back behind the Atlantic and the Pacific and accelerated production of the atomic bomb. We would have been invulnderable, although we would have sacrificed the rest of the world to slavery and murder -- something your friends in Europe were willing to do in Bosnia until even Clinton had to rise up and bomb Milosevich out of power.

 

Instead, the United States took the hard road as it is doing today. In 20 years there will be an accurate assessment of what is being done now. I have a strong belief that America 's actions will be viewed in most positive light.

 

Grow up. Hate and ignorance of reality do not a policy make.

 

Stephen Johnson

Editor's Reply

The US stayed out of WWII until Germany declared war on us. We did not preemptively attack. Communists may have used psychiatry wrongly, but Bush is, if not a psycho, with major problems, at the least,  an asshole.

 

Let’s face it, Bush’s supporters are a blend of the rich who don’t feel a responsibility to pay back for the benefits the US gave them, the under-educated, racists, bigots, and religious extremists.  

There’s also a smaller group of white men, mostly those who majored in Business, who are more loyal to business and to the republican party than to the US .

As far as reality goes, your lying, stupid president is so out of touch with reality, the majority of the world feels he is the most dangerous person on the planet. Moreso, the stats are in. Bush supporters are out of touch with reality. They've listened to propaganda lies too long. Reality? What do Bush supporters know about reality.

 

By the way, most of us on the left feel a similar feeling about your side—not quite disgust. We feel that your support of Bush and his policies is despicable.

 

Rob Kall   

www.OpEdNews.com

August 25 letter  with Sept 7 reply

 From: Raymond Warren
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 5:38 PM
To: contact@opednews.com
Subject: The Traitor, Kerry

 John Kerry---Traitor

 I have just finished reading the book by the Swift Boat Veterans, “Unfit for Command”.

As everyone now knows, it is a blast against John Kerry and his military record. What most do not know is that there are 2 parts to the book. Part one discusses Kerry’s 4 months active duty in Vietnam . Part 2 covers Kerry’s antiwar protests while still in the service on “inactive duty” after returning from Vietnam . Although Part 1 is very enlightening, I want to cover Kerry’s actions as discussed in Part 2.

 I know that at least the major points discussed in Part 2 are correct since I have seen and heard Kerry’s testimony before Congress where he states all our servicemen were war criminals who tortured, raped, cut off heads and acted like Genghis Kahn in Vietnam. I also have heard and read the testimony of our veterans who were held captive in Vietnam and the tortures they were put through while Kerry was accusing them of being war criminals. Based on this factual information, I believe Kerry should be tried for treason in time of war! One other item covered in Part 2 that I believe to be the truth due to the references cited is the fact that Kerry was on the executive committee of the “Vietnam Veterans against the War” and this organization discussed murdering a number of our U.S. Senators in an April 1971 meeting.

Based on just this information, I cannot believe anyone would want a person who gives propaganda and solace to the Country’s enemies in time of war to become the “Commander in Chief” of the Country’s armed forces! Based on these FACTS would you still vote for Kerry? If so, why do you ignore the facts I just covered??  

Editor's Reply

I don’t give detailed replies to people who parrot right wing radio talking points. As long as you keep listening, your brain will keep shrinking and you will continue to live in a world very different from the reality you think exists. I will say that there are numerous articles on this website showing what liars and partisans these authors really are. As far as Kerry's post Viet-Nam actions. I supported them then and now. DIdn't you ever hear of the My Lai massacre? Kerry's actions probably saved the lives of thousands of American GIs. It will take similar courage to pull us out of the mess Bush created in Iraq. Seven more GIs died yesterday. I guess you feel good about them because we got rid of Saddam. What about all the other creeps who are running dictatorships. We don't go after them with pre-emptive warfare because America never worked that way. But Bush broke pattern because of the idiots who advised him and his spineless strategy to ride a war to re-election success.

Re-electing George Bush will send the founders of this nation turning in their graves. You and your way of thinking was what they fought against in the revolution. Read my reply to the letter below, on taxes.

Rob Kall    www.OpEdNews.com,

 

From: Michael Onorato

To: rob@opednews.com

Subject: 37 Ways Democrats Will Make the USA Better

 

 

Mr. Kall:

 

I thank God (yes, I said God) every day that job destroying communists such as yourself will never make it to office.

 

If any one of your economic plans were to be implemented, the economy and strength of the USA would be in serious peril.  Like most left-wingers, you take an arrogant, spitefull view of business which provides jobs.  No poor person has ever paid my or your wages.  It is mathematically impossible to tax any society into prosperity.

 

Think Mr. Kall, use your brain and not your emotions.  This may be hard for you to accept:  life is not fair.  Deal with it.  Leave business alone to provide jobs.  We did not become the most powerful nation on earth in a short 228 years by being communist or socialist.  Face it, profit motive provides incentive for innovation.

 

Editorial Response

Actually, I've been an employer for over 25 years, as a small business owner.

 

I guess you forgot that Reagan raised taxes. So did Bush Sr. (the non-drug using Bush with a brain and spine.  But would that be too much REALITY intruding on  your brainwashed state. You don't tax a society into prosperity. You use tax revenues to create an environment that nurtures prosperity. You use tax revenues to pay for a legal system that allows contracts to stick, for roads, education, communications, zoning, funding for long term research, responsible long term management of environmental resources... Unfortunately, the math works WITH taxes, not against them. You are calling for corporate anarchy and we know that this does not work, though the idea of trickle down economics is an urban legend, or more accurately, a right wing lie, that has been proven not to work.

 

You're a programmer. Imagine trying to write your programs without having programming tools and an operating system to start with. Well, taxes provide the basic operating system for operation of business-- the factors I mentioned above, the internet was created by gov and gov-funded entities. Of course you could start from scratch...

 

We became the most powerful nation on earth because the middle class produced small business innovation and jobs. Bush's America is total class war. It is attacking the middle class and the people who have raised the US by its bootstraps. Big megacorporations are not where the jobs come from. They are outsourcing to India and the Dominican Republic. But big business is where Bush's loyalties lie.

 

It's not about emotion, it's about you being brainwashed.  Frankly, I've come to believe that the right wing is Anti-American-- at least anti the America fought for and created by the founders.

 

The founders took great efforts so no individuals amassed vast wealth, so they could have excessive power. The founder were very cautious about preventing the intrusion of religion into government. The US revolution itself was a rebellion against the biggest corporation of the time-- the East Indies Company and it's use of taxes to hurt small businesses.

 

You're no dummy. Stop listening to right wing radio and Fox-- that's the first step in becoming de-programmed from your brainwashed state. Then start reading news that is generated by alternative media and outside the US. Most of the mainstream media in the US are right wing propagandists who no longer care about being unbiased.

PS Just because you thank God doesn't mean God agrees with you. And don't go thinking I'm an atheist. I'm a Deist, like Jefferson and Franklin.  

Rob Kall   

www.OpEdNews.com

 

 

-----Original Message-----

August 20

Subject: ARE MoveOn.Org, Michael Moore "FRONT GROUPS" FOR JOHN KERRY???

   

EXCUSE ME?

 

Are MOVEON.ORG and MICHAEL MOORE "FRONT GROUPS" for the KERRY CAMPAIGN?

 

What are journalists suggesting?

 

Why is that that George Soros and MoveOn. org

and Michael Moore can SAVAGE the President with

documented LIES, and that's okay?

 

MOVEON.ORG has spent $117 million viciously attacking

President Bush with untruths and lies.

 

But when Vietnam veterans who served their country want

their children and grandchildren to know the truth

about Vietnam , you savage the veterans?

 

Why don't journalists investigate MoveOn.org?

 

Michael Moore?

 

George Soros?

 

Once again, the liberal news media is caught in HYPOCRISY.

 

 

The only time anyone is upset about independent ads

is when the are hurting the DEMOCRAT candidate?

 

It's okay for MoveOn.org to spend $117 million in vicious

attacks on President Bush. But not for anyone to set

the record straight on John Kerry.

 

This reminds me of a family story. When I was 4, my

parents heard me crying from the basement: "Greggie

hit B-A-C-K !" I was surprised that when I hit

Greggie he would actually hit me back.

 

John Kerry is being just as childish today.

 

Jonathon Mosely

 

editor Rob Kall's reply

Very good. You are parroting right wing media—FOX news, Limbaugh, Hannity, etc, very well. Your brainwashing is proceeding as they plan.

The difference between Moveon and the swift boat ads is the swiftboat people are liars and it’s even coming out in the networks, which, while you right wing extremists call them liberal, are really owned by republican corporate management.  What a joke—draft evader Bush against a hero, so you slime the hero. And while you are at it, you bring into doubt the whole system or awarding medals. Nice work.

But don’t worry. Soon you will totally forget about an America where the truth can be told, where people have the freedom to criticize government. Listening to enough right wing propaganda will do that. How many hours of mind control programming do YOU listen to. That’s what it is.

Rob Kall

OpEdNews.com

August 9

The advantage the conservative right has is not intellectual.  If making the most logically sound argument won the day, the liberal left could easily stand it’s ground.  Yet it seems no reasoned argument, no matter how eloquent and persuasively delivered can ‘crack’ the great political divide. 

College professors, artists, scientists, college educated people in general, are most likely to be found to the left of the great political divide.  One might think that with this seeming advantage in intellectual firepower we could devise a winning strategy.  What can it be that keeps the left from discovering the secret to the simpleton George Bush’s inpregnentable advantage? 

Taking a step back and looking at the current situation in historical perspective might help.  A liberal will quickly see that issues once vigorously dwelled on now must be recognized as long ago resolved.  Being highly intelligent, the liberal will wish to dismiss as juvenile some topics once considered decisive political positions.  The intelligent liberal might even consider it primitive and ignorant to even consider discussing certain “self-evident” propositions not even worthy of consideration.  This is the liberal fallacy.  The mistake being made here is that liberals make an assumption.  We should know it is not intellectually sound to make an assumption that can not be definitively proven empirically.

One thing that can be known definitively is that humankind has a long history.  Some may say that it reaches back three or four thousand years, others may suspect that human history goes back many hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of years.  However long it may be, all can agree that times were often brutal in the past and that the concept of representative government is fairly rare and spotty throughout the millennia and relatively new.  Seen as a continuum, the portion of humanity’s behavior defined as the enlightened liberal intellectual side, cognizant of the concept of social justice, must be considered a recent development.  The more warlike, primal, instinctual, brutish portion of human behavior has a much deeper heritage.  Perhaps 90%, or maybe even 99.99% of what goes into what it has taken to produce we modern human beings is that per-civilization portion, that pre-enlightened social justice portion.  Perhaps this begins to reveal just what an advantage the political operative has who taps into non-enlightened side of the human equation.  Or does it mean that liberals should dare to take a look at some of their taken for granted base assumptions?

Taboo is a word that describes something so universally taken for granted it is so out of limits that it is not even considered acceptable to even bring up in conversation, ever, under any circumstances.  The incest taboo is the most pure example.  No higher level primates, not even field mice practice incest.  Most other taboos are less instinctually based, rather they are implemented by society or religion, and most eventually fade away.   For 500 years after it first became evident, it was taboo to consider that the earth travels around the sun.  Today there is a word that is taboo to discuss except in politically correct terms, a word so explosively charged that there is simply no way to even consider approaching it.  Due to the terrible atrocities of Nazi Germany for fifty years ago, and due to the horrendous Civil War that so rendered our nation apart fifty years before that, the liberal party of the United States has adopted a rigid taboo, impossible to even consider considering around the word race.

Eugenics aside, and without arguing against the obvious correctness of civil rights for all sentient creatures, what if racial differences did exist?  What if certain racial groups could run faster and jump higher than another?  What if one racial group was more likely to defeat the other in heavyweight boxing?  What if one racial group could tolerate being out in the sun better than another?  And what if one racial group scored differently on standardized intelligence tests than another? What would the impact be on education policy?  And what if one racial group’s capacity for chain of causality reasoning landed them behind bars more often than another? 

Due to the course of recent history, specifically the eugenic holocaust of Nazi Germany (ten years before the discovery of DNA), liberals in the United States are simply incapable of brooking any discussion along these lines of thought.  For all their intellectual firepower, the extreme taboo against considering the possibility of racial differences extends to forbidding considering the possibility of ethnic differences, (except in the case of the French).  Taken to absurdity, liberals in the United States must now extend the same logic to homosexuals.  Like a Ptolemaic solar map showing excruciatingly elaborate convolutions to prove an earth centered solar system, this could be an example of taking a non-truth, in this case racial equality, and projecting it out into an entire world view.  As is well known, homosexuality has been around as long as mankind, but interestingly, never in history, in any part of the world, has the homosexual lifestyle ever before been openly accepted.  Along with the incest taboo, and the taboo against performing sexual acts on pre-pubescent children, homosexuality has long been (always been) considered best kept less visible.  If not instinctual, a less egalitarian acceptance of homosexuality has a long heritage. 

The word conservative implies staying true to long held, traditional heritage, whereas enlightened liberalism implies running out ahead of the herd, accepting change and thus giving up long held beliefs, uncomfortable and wrenching as that may be.  But, running out ahead of the curve and testing new ideas doesn’t necessarily mean that the new ideas are correct every single time.  We live in the time of Einstein’s theory of relativity.  We look back at Newton ’s conception of the universe as quaint and naïve.  At yet there are few who are certain that Einstein’s model is perfect or complete.  Just last month Stephen Hawking  had to concede that his description of Einstein’s universe had a few holes in it.  Deep down liberal’s know that racial differences are just as real here as they are in Northern Ireland , or Rwanda , or Bosnia or Kurdistan .  Until the enlightened liberals and progressives can be intellectually honest with themselves they will have trouble regaining the confidence and acceptance of the vast unwashed masses who may not be more sophisticated intellectually, but at this time they may be closer to the truth.

No one, not even redneck NRA fundamentalists, will admit to questioning racial equality.  Everyone knows that no one should judge another by appearances, but over many eons the fight or flight imperative has conditioned people to make split second decisions on the basis of external evidence.  Such deeply rooted behavior can not be so quickly washed away.  Black skinned people, given the opportunity, show a natural preference to those of a similar shade no less often than anyone else.  The black race, which comprises as many ethnic divisions as the white race, has fragmented.  Some elements have made great strides in assimilation.  At the same time, this has left another segment of the black race further ‘behind’ if white society be considered the standard.  While the social conditions of the past fifty years have led to unprecedented levels of miscegenation, perhaps someday leading to a unique American race, the reality is that social racial mixing is still very uncommon.  In the process, unspoken racial issues, as they have since our nation’s founding, have managed to render our nation’s political dynamic asunder. 

Racial tolerance is espoused by the enlightened liberals and country club republicans alike up until the time it comes to send their precious little baby to school.  A parent’s biological mandate to provide their offspring every possible advantage supercedes all else.  Whether it’s true or not, whether it’s fair or not, white parents will pay ANY price to see that their children do not go to schools with anything but a token black presence.  The entire suburban geography of our nation has been formed by this non-negotiable priority of every white parent who can afford to make a house payment.  Liberal progressive think tanks may try to overlook this glairing reality, as has the democratic party and focus on finding a cunning “values” message, but they do so at their own peril.  The republicans know all the code words to connect with this overwhelming majority.    Until the enlightened liberals and progressives can be intellectually honest with themselves they will be playing a losing hand.

I am not suggesting that John Kerry make a racially insensitive remark (even though we all know that it would gain him more NASCAR Baptists votes than any reasoned policy position ever could).  But for a liberal to win the democratic party has to somehow shift to acceptance of the reality that racial differences do exist.

Curtis Rhodes

editor reply:

Racism is racism, no matter how eloquently you dither around it. Accepting it is selling our principles to baser instincts.

July 28

Cc: DOUG ANDERSON
Subject: Cuckolded for life.  (referring to the article Cuckolded by Bush

 I guess I’ll be cuckolded for life.  I wouldn't vote for Kerry if you held a gun to my head.  But since liberals don't believe in guns, I don't need to worry.  I take that back.  I would vote for Kerry if he guaranteed to cut my taxes more than Bush.  I guess I'm just a tax whore.  He with the biggest tax cut wins my vote.  The rest of the liberals can kill babies, hug trees, and go try to love the Islamic terrorist until we all get along. Not!  I like having a liberal to argue with.  I can't find one done here in the redneck south.  Doug 

  Editor's Reply 

First, Liberals do believe in guns. We just don't think violent criminal should be allowed to have them. I know, that seems silly to you. I guess you think it's a good idea to allow a guy who beats up his wife to buy a gun.

ON finding a liberal; Find a major city. There are people there who are not tax whores. There are government employees, Blacks, Jews, college educated women (who won't take it if you try to beat them up or bully them) people who care about other people, people who care about the environment… people who think other people are more important than money.

At first, I wrote some nasty stuff to you. But frankly, I did my standard test and you spelled every word right. That puts you in a class I treat differently than the 95% of hate mail I get, where there are usually several words misspelled.

Liberals don't kill babies. Liberals believe women should have the right to control their bodies. The church has never been very nice to women. Neither have the men who try to control them.

Yes, liberals want to protect the environment. We know that spending money on the environment creates more jobs, better paying jobs and reduces medical costs. Medical costs are killing business in this country. I know I write the checks for the medical insurance for my business.

We liberals don't like terrorists. Me, personally, I think you have to stop terrorism at the roots, in the madrassa schools that the Saudis (friends of Bush) fund throughout the world. I mean they fund tens of thousands of them in dozens of countries. I think George Bush is a real uniter. He's united Osama Bin Laden with tens of thousands of terrorists who might not have enlisted if George hadn't invaded Iraq. Your support of George Bush increases the danger of terrorist attacks throughout the world. Bush has made the world more dangerous, increased the problem of terrorism.

Believe me. There are plenty of liberals down there in the south. Maybe not enough to throw out scumbag bush this time, but enough to make him work harder for votes. In November, we'll have Kerry, but you'll still be the tax whore and all that it implies.

There. I deleted the last of the nasties I could have written.

Frankly, you're no dummy. You can write a better sentence than your president. I've concluded that guys like you are in need of de-programming, just like Moonies or Branch Davidians. You've been brainwashed. How often do you watch FOX news or listen to Rush Limbaugh or someone like him?  Consider them to be like bad drugs that have impaired your brain and more important, your heart and soul.

Rob Kall   

www.OpEdNews.com

July 28

Subject: How many neocons & Michael Moore and your opinion

 I have read your recent article re the subject. You are what you preach. A hate monger, blind with rage, and ill informed. You preach against the vast right being liars and fools, not being fair etc etc, and do exactly what you accuse them of doing. That sir is a hypocrite. You are either intentionally dishonest, stupid, or unwilling to face the truth of what you do, Exactly what you accuse those idiot vast right (left in your case) wing conspirators, and a stupid president of doing". 

 I have read opednews.com, and moveon.com, and find them so far more biased than anything I have seen on Fox News. Your groups are full of hatred, vitriol, and propaganda which only emboldens the main stream of America to stand up and defeat you and your ilk. I am looking forward to GW Bush being re elected, and we do appreciate your help. Each time you spew your hatred, I use it to simply find more voters to vote republican.

 God Bless GW Bush, and God Bless America . .... Jack Smithart, Grass Valley , CA

Rob Kall replies

You are a typical example of a Fox brainwashing case, and exemplify what Aldous Huxley wrote about

A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude. To make them love it is the task assigned, in present-day totalitarian states, to ministries of propaganda, newspaper editors and schoolteachers...."

~~Aldous Huxley Brave New World foreword to 1946 edition

 If you ever decide to wake up, you’ll need to be deprogrammed, like a member of a cult.  Otherwise, you will NOT be able to see the toxic poison spewed by Fox.

July 15

Subject: completely biased op-ed - "buzz words"

I read your 4^th installment of suggested buzz words and I can’t say I’m completely surprised to hear such language out of you.  I am just wondering if you have ever taken the time to sit down and really openly discuss issues with what you call a “right wing @#*, etc.  I am a die hard conservative and as patriotic as they come – but what you described when you were speaking of Republicans doesn’t describe any republican I know, which makes me think that you’ve just taken your opinion from the rhetoric of every other leftist media pundit out there.  Contrary to your opinion, Republicans are not the top 5% of the economy – they tend to be hard working, middle class Americans that have strong moral values.  We don’t support things like homosexuality, abortion, gay marriage, etc. because those things hurt people and #1 we care about people.  When I say care, I mean like care about how these destructive behaviors really do hurt people.  Anyway, it would be great if you would take the time to really hear the heart of a conservative, instead of just trashing them because you don’t agree.  I agree I don’t understand liberals either – I don’t understand how someone can support murdering children and people having sex with someone of the same gender, much less marrying them – this is a complete abomination and if you really thought about it long enough, you couldn’t help but agree.  Anyway, I know I’m probably wasting my time, but had to reply.

W. England

Colorado

[editor Rob Kall's reply]

 I’m pretty familiar with the demographics of the conservative right.

 Sounds like your more in the religious category than the wealthy one.

 I don’t see how you can support a president who has sent soldiers to die and murder thousands of innocent civilians, who has executed hundreds of fully formed humans, not embryos that were never viable outside the womb. There are tons of rules in the bible that I’m sure you don’t buy—like slavery, for example.  As far as sex goes, it’s none of my business what two men or women do in the privacy of their home and none of yours either, but they should have the same rights as any other citizen when it comes to hospital visitation, retirement benefit sharing, etc. I am convinced that under the rejection of gay marriage is homophobia. The abomination and hypocrisy is in treating live, fully formed humans so badly. You say strong moral values. I disagree. They are cruel, self-righteous, xenophobic values and nothing to be proud of.

Frank G.

July 7 subject heading: Fahrenheit 9/11

Rob-

I'm an evangelical Christian, pro-life, and voted for Bush in 2000.  Even before seeing Michael Moore's film I had made up my mind to vote for Kerry.  It's my protest vote against Bush, his deceptions about Iraq, the human rights vilolations in Iraq and Cuba.  Michael Moore's filmed confirmed for me why I will not vote for Bush.  How can I be pro-life and a Christian whose Bible says to love my enemies and justify the total disregard of human life this administration has demonstrated?  I can't, and while I may not agree with Kerry on a lot of social issues he will certainly get my vote. Pro-life & Pro-Kerry.  I'm going to be recomending this movie!  Thank you Michael Moore for the many thought provoking questions you raise and an artful film!

Mick Watson-Philadelphia, PA

From: Allan SimnowitzSent: Monday, June 28, 2004 9:05 PM
To: contact@opednews.com
Subject: Backing Kerry

 I have been voting Democratic all my life and find after the Election is over its business as usual I'm opposed to the War and the Democrats voted for the War When the Black Caucus needed one Senator to sign the petition regarding the 14000 black voters turned away in Florida for Gore no one signed. This time I'm voting for the person who does what he says Ralph Nader. This is not a wasted vote this is what every Liberal should do.

OpEdNews.com reply

IF you’re in a definitely red state, voting for Nader makes sense. If you’re in a state where there’s a chance of beating Bush, I think you’re making a mistake.

 Kerry is no magic elixir, but bush is toxic.

 I went to a Moveon.org meeting tonight, after Fahrenheit 9/11, and we agreed that the scene where the Black members of congress were blocked from speaking was very moving.

 I also don’t think it’s going to be business as usual for the democrats anymore. Kerry raised more money than Bush last month. Moore’s movie broke records for mainstream movies—selling more per theater than Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ—it’s a new world. The passion that is energizing people to oppose Bush will not stop in November.

 Rob Kall   

www.OpEdNews.com,

May 11

May 9 It's amazing how similar these screeds from right wingers are. That's because the right wing messages are so effective and so uniform.

April 6

Breeding Terrorism

Radical Shiite cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr is just the latest name of an American hating, Islamic fundamentalist with thousands of followers… who has used the U.S. occupation of Iraq as a rallying cry for protest and violence.  I am still haunted by the pre-Iraqi invasion statement by Egyptian President Mubarak… (paraphrasing) that invading Iraq will create 1000 Bin Ladens.  Sadr could be one, and noting all the young men and children feverishly rallying to his support, there appears to be a whole new generation of recruits.  Perhaps 1000 new Bin Ladens is proving to be too conservative a number.  I can’t imagine anyone in the Bush Administration coming clean about their reasons for invading Iraq because “imminent threats”, Weapons of Mass Destruction” and a “cause” of freedom seem to have nothing to do with it.

We need to find some leadership and vision that will actually make Americans safer… before it’s too late.

Ken Olufs Blanchardville, WI kgo@tds.net

They say the difference between mathematicians and physicists is that physicists are interested in what the physical entity behind the equations looks like.  Let's take a look at what the physical phenomena represented by the wildly high Medicare projections might look like.  But first, let's get the math right.

Medicare is 3% of GDP today, while overall medical costs are 15%.  If the same ratio holds 75 years from now, and Medicare reaches 15% of GDP, overall medical costs should rise to 75%!  Assuming per capita output quadruples over that stretch, we would be spending $100,000 per capita on medical care - leaving us $35,000 per capita for everything else; a slight improvement over where we stand today.

Now, if medicine costs that much by then, that will only be because medical technology will have furnished us what aviation has provided us over the past 75 years: more choices than we can afford to buy.  Everyone cannot afford a private jet.  Whole countries cannot afford stealth bombers.  That hardly means we are worse off aviationwise than in 1929.

By the time medicine costs $100,000 per person, per year the young may - or may not - be able to afford two pairs of legs: one for dress and one for work out; and some old folks may be sprouting personal propellers.  The only thing that may be left for medical science to improve at that point will be our imaginations.  :-)

Denis Drew
Chicago  (San Francisco, after Monday)
Ddrew4u@aol.com

March 20, 2004

This a letter OpEdNews.Com disagrees with in almost every aspect. Our commentary follows.

AN OPEN LETTER TO IMMIGRANTS (AND PRESIDENT BUSH):

 What happens when people come to America to find a "better life"?  What happens when they come to the land of the free and the home of the brave, the "country of choice", because they want a choice in how to live their lives?  I'll tell you what doesn't (or shouldn't) happen and that's come here and complain about the way Americans do things, complain about the way we live.

We are Americans, our flag is red, white and blue and, yes, we call it the Star Bangled Banner (long may she wave). 

When you CHOSE to come to this country, you CHOSE to be an American.  That includes following American customs and American beliefs, adapting to US, not having US adapt to YOU and not having us bend over backwards to make sure this country conforms to YOUR beliefs and YOUR customs.  We're not asking you to stop practicing your religion or stop believing in your customs and background.  But we are asking you to stop asking us to stop believing in OUR customs and background and we are asking you to stop asking us to stop practicing OUR religion.  If we went to your country, we would have to learn your customs and learn your language in order to survive. 

When I go to a restaurant, I would like it if I didn't have to take a translator with me in order to understand the waitress when she's trying to tell me what the special of the day is.

Our National Motto is, and has been, "In God We Trust". 

Christmas is a Christian holiday, Christians are being denied the right to publicly practice the birthday of the God they believe in.  Isn't that the same thing as asking you to stop publicly worshipping the God you believe in?  We're not even allowed to say the word "Christmas" anymore.  I've even heard (I don't know if it's true) that radio DJ's have been banned from using the word on the air.  The same rule applies to Easter.  And why is this?  It's because it offends the ones who don't celebrate those holidays.  It offends me that I'm being asked to stop celebrating my lord's holiday because there are some who don't believe in it.  I've also heard (again, I don't know if it's true) that our children are not going to be allowed to sing Christmas carols or have their annual Christmas celebration in school because not everyone believes.  Do you know how long children have been singing Christmas carols and do you know how long parents have been going to see their children in that Christmas play in school?

The children are also not allowed to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school anymore.  Again, this is AMERICA and that is our pledge.  When you moved here, you also became (or will become) an American and that will (or should be) your Pledge also.  The American flag will (or should) become the symbol of YOUR country, the country YOU chose to live in.  If you don't want to say the Pledge, that's fine, that's your right.  That's the beauty of this country, we have Freedom of Speech here, nobody is going to arrest you if you choose not to say it.

Of course, the FCC is now censoring TV and radio.  They're taking away their Freedom of Speech.  They're telling them what they can and cannot say.  If you're familiar with the Constitution, Freedom of Speech includes freedom of the press.  But, because there's this great fear of offending someone, that's being taken away.

Soon, we'll be just like the country you left behind.  We won't need laws or elections, we'll just have the government tell us what to do, when to do it, etc.  You know how that is, right? 

President Bush is trying to rewrite the Constitution I think.  And my opinion on this is that he's after votes, this being an election year and all.  The majority of the people living in the United States are immigrants now.  But hey, come to think of it, immigrants can't vote, right?  Only American citizens are given that right.  Maybe he'll change that law next.  Of course, when you live here, you should become a citizen but I've heard that's not mandatory anymore. 

Allow me to give you a brief summary of some parts of our Constitution, some parts that I find noteworthy:

 Article I states:  "Congress shall make no law respecting and establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press......"  We are not allowed to practice our religion openly anymore, open prayer is not allowed (you're still allowed to have silent prayer), we're not allowed to talk about our beliefs (Christmas, Easter, etc.), and the FCC is taking away our freedom of speech.  The freedom of religion:  The freedom to practice the religion of your choice (and this includes Americans) is no more.  We can still do it in the privacy of our homes but we don't dare talk about it in public, we don't want to offend anyone...God forbid.  Oops, did I just offend you by saying God?

 Article V speaks of treason.  To me, treason is going against your country.  This would include burning the American flag, spitting on it, stomping on it, etc.  And I watch the news, I see this happening a lot.  Denouncing America by denouncing her flag is the same thing as treason and should be treated as such.  Again, you chose to live here, this is your country now too and that star spangled banner is your flag now.

 Article XIV states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States of America are citizens.

Therefore, if you are born here or if you become a citizen after moving here, you have the right to vote and you have the right to complain when there is something that you don't like.  Otherwise, you don't have the right so kindly keep it to yourself.

 The bottom line is this, this is America.  Love it or leave it.  Learn to adapt to American ways and customs.  Learn the language.  We don't expect you to give up your culture, don't ask us to give up ours.

 There's one right that's not mentioned in the Bill of Rights and that's your right to leave.  If you don't like the way we live, you do have the right to go back to wherever you came from.  And don't let the star spangled banner hit you in the butt on your way out.

 Robin Roberts xinherownwritex@yahoo.com

Reply from Editor Rob Kall, OpEdNews.com

While we may agree on the FCC’s restriction of free speech, that’s about all I could find in your letter that I didn’t disagree with.

My grandfather came to the US about 100 years ago. I know plenty of people who are more recent immigrants. Most immigrants become citizens and they can and do vote.

America love it or leave it was a popular saying in the sixties and seventies by rednecks and right wingers.

I want to thank you for inspiring an OpEd article in further response to your writings. The article is here (coming soon)

March 5

From: Steve Steffy
Sent: Friday, March 05, 2004 10:30 AM
To: rob@opednews.com
Subject: Bush is steady..

 

Rob,

 

I am a conservative who enjoys reading your rants.  Is the President perfect, not by a long shot, but give me the name of a politician who does not spin news to favor their situation. You make that statement like we do not know what the definition of is is.  Spin is what all politicians do.  But please do not talk about wavering then ask to give support to Kerry. 

 

Some truths are: the bear market started under President Clinton; the unemployment rate at 5.6% is lower than the 10 year average of 5.8% in the boom of the 90’s.  (By the way what would be an acceptable unemployment number be?), the debt is unthinkable; government has increased in size; (which is why I am looking at the other Presidential options); and the world was duped by Iraq (the UN, Israel , GB, France , Germany , and of course the US all thought he had weapons.  All he had to do was prove he didn’t.);

 

As far as job loses go, is it okay for a person to sell his/her services to foreign companies for a higher wage?  If that is the case, then why is it wrong for a US corporation to find the cheapest labor possible, even if that goes overseas?  (by the way I work for a Canadian company.)  To a liberal, if we have to use a military operation, it must be multinational, but our corporations must keep jobs within our borders.  And Bush is hypocritical?

 

Have there been actual, documented accounts of abuses of the hated Patriot Act? (this is an actual question, I honestly have not heard of one, but I have not researched the matter either.)

 

Why would you want a President who gets his policies from the news papers?,  We elect a President that will stand up for his convictions even if the opponents do not like it, that does not make him evil, it makes him different.  I am quite sure President Clinton did not do the things the way I would have liked it, but I support the institution, not the person.

 

Your statements about lying and protecting those around the President are vindictive and divisive. Perjury was committed by the last President, which instantaneously lowered ethical standards in America today.  As far as being the worst all time President, please look to those who have resigned or been impeached before you tell me about the current administration

 

Again, I enjoy your rants and the site.  There is little we agree on, but it is good reading.

Steve

Editor Rob Kall's reply

Fair questions all. I’m publishing your letter to the editor.

>.  Is the President perfect, not by a long shot, but give me the name of a politician who does not spin news to favor their situation. You make that statement like we do not know what the definition of is is.  Spin is what all politicians do.  But please do not talk about wavering then ask to give support to Kerry.<

When it comes to spin, the distortion the Bush machine has perpetrated on Kerry’s voting record is almost as bad as what they did with Yellow Cake uranium. Kerry has not waffled. Bush, on the other hand has constantly re-spun why we went to Iraq. The bottom line is he was either misled, and should take responsibility as a leader for getting and using bad advice, or he chose to cherrypick the intelligence. Either way, Iraq was not the solution to dealing with terrorism. It has been used as a massively successful terrorist recruiting vehicle. Kerry voted against one boondoggle military bill that was loaded with pork and bad projects. How can you buy the Bush spin on Kerry after seeing what he did with WMDs.

> Some truths are: the bear market started under President Clinton; the unemployment rate at 5.6% is lower than the 10 year average of 5.8% in the boom of the 90’s.  (By the way what would be an acceptable unemployment number be?), the debt is unthinkable; government has increased in size; (which is why I am looking at the other Presidential options); and the world was duped by Iraq (the UN, Israel , GB, France , Germany , and of course the US all thought he had weapons.  All he had to do was prove he didn’t.);<

Economics. You can throw around statistics, but under Clinton, peoples assets grew, jobs exploded, and we had a very healthy budget surplus. Under Bush, we’ve lost millions of known jobs, and that’s considering that he has his spin experts running the relevant government agencies playing with the numbers.  Now, the country’s debt has exploded. Greenspan is recommending that people under 55 have reduced social security benefits. Gas prices are way up. Local taxes are up. Wait until after November fourth to see what happens to mortgage and interest rates. When Kerry takes his oath as president next year, he will be inheriting an economic disaster.

I don’t have a problem when a person in the US sell his services to another country, if he pays US taxes. After all he developed his skills and knowledge in an American school. But the US is the best market on the planet, and there are good reasons why other countries should pay for the privilege of having access to it. The  US industries that benefit from exporting to other countries have pushed the US to be a part of NAFTA and the WTO treaties that require the US to allow the organization rules to supercede laws that US citizens have voted upon. This is wrong. We need to deal with globalization, but NAFTA and WTO are not the way to go. .

>> To a liberal, if we have to use a military operation, it must be multinational, but our corporations must keep jobs within our borders.  And Bush is hypocritical?<<

Wrong. To a liberal, pre-emptive war should be multinational. George W.’s father knew that and put together a real, genuine coalition for Iraq I in 1991. George W. Bush failed to do so and it cost us our reputation in the world. Reputation may not be worth anything to independent cowboys and leaders of banana republics, but it is worth a lot if you want to be the leader of the world, and set positive examples for freedom, democracy, human rights, justice….   Bush is a cowardly, shallow, stupid, characterless failure in these regards.

>>Have there been actual, documented accounts of abuses of the hated Patriot Act? (this is an actual question, I honestly have not heard of one, but I have not researched the matter either.)<<

There are plenty. Just plug the words abuses patriot act into google. You’ll find plenty. The main abuse is that police are using the changed rules on cases that have nothing to do with terrorism.

>Why would you want a President who gets his policies from the news papers?,  We elect a President that will stand up for his convictions even if the opponents do not like it, that does not make him evil, it makes him different.  I am quite sure President Clinton did not do the things the way I would have liked it, but I support the institution, not the person.

The point is he doesn’t do any independent reading. There’s no curiosity, no in depth processing and integration of information. He only gets pre-digested opinions from the people who have passed his loyalty tests. Kerry thinks for himself. He uses advisors as elements of his decision making process. Bush is an intellectual pygmy, and now, after the WMD lies, it is clear he is an irresponsible liar and fraud.

>Your statements about lying and protecting those around the President are vindictive and divisive. Perjury was committed by the last President, which instantaneously lowered ethical standards in America today.  As far as being the worst all time President, please look to those who have resigned or been impeached before you tell me about the current administration.<<

True Nixon was also awful, but Nixon actually did some good things for the country.  Bush is a total sell-out to megacorporate interests and the wealthy. I’m not alone on the lying issue. In a recent pew poll 21% of respondents called him a liar. But Clinton lied about a peccadillo that hurt no-one. Bush’s lies have caused the deaths of thousands and have cost the country hundreds of billions of dollars. I stand by my comments. Bush should be in jail.

Rob Kall   

www.OpEdNews.com, www.futurehealth.org, www.brainmeeting.com, www.storycon.org, www.positivepsychology.net, www.quotationscentral.com

211 N. Sycamore St.   www.futurehealth.org 

Newtown, PA 18940 215-504-1700, fax 215-860-5374

Winter Brain, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology, StoryCon Summit  Meeting Feb 6-10, 2004 

-----Original Message-----

As more information comes in about the depth of intelligence failures leading up to 9-11, The Bush administration has come under increasing pressure to come clean with what they knew and when they knew it. They continue to stall the investigation and have effectively delayed the report until well after the November elections. Despite the fervent warnings about al Queda from the outgoing administration, the unprecidented amount of intelligence chatter in the days before, plus the fact that Minnisota FBI agents caught one of the suicide pilots in August, I think it's very interesting that Bush stratagists have decided to use the burning World Trade Towers as a platform to sell his re-election. The fact is, Bush has dramatically raised the threat of terror because of his corporate assault on not only, third world and Middle Eastern countries, but on Americans themselves. And he has the nerve and total lack of conscience to exploit the victims of 9-11 just so he can have 4 more years to steal our freedom, integrity, honor and money. I vote NO!

Ken Olufs Blanchardville, WI  kgo@tds.net

March 3

march 1

I have read Linda Webber's letter,(Bush Admin Pushes Grabbing Babies From Poor Women So Wealthy Can Adopt by Linda Webber,) on adoption, and feel that she has done a great job expressing us moms, who lost their child to adoption.  I hope that many more people come aware of our life time of grief caused to us, and our children, due to the adoption. My pain, and grief will never end.  I pray that somehow, in the future, more young moms are not coerced into relinquishing their children to the adoption industry. 

  Reunited Mom. Maria Santos

Feb 26

Feb 25

Feb 13th

Subject: Fundamental question

Okay Rob, I have a fundamental question for you...

If, in this country, all men (and woman) are supposed to be treated equally under the law, why is it that tax laws unfairly require a wealthy man to pay a higher percentage of his income than a poor man? Should this not be unconstitutional?

Think about this carefully before simply responding with the party line.

Keith Decker

editor's reply

It’s simple. Wealthy people use more of the resources of the country—people, energy, courts, educated citizens, airwaves, etc. And most important, the US provides the location, the economic environment that creates the OPPORTUNITY for wealth creation and maintenance. Wealthy people who fight taxes are parasites who would kill their host. If you don’t like it here, go make and keep your money somewhere else. That’s the way markets work.

Rob Kall   

Keith Decker replies

Rob's reply

People on Welfare are supported by the nation. IF they can work, then perhaps it wouldn't be a bad thing for them to earn their keep, though many, if not most, are not able to do jobs for various reasons. So perhaps we have some agreement there.

Investors who take risk do so in the environment of laws, markets and commerce that this nation provides. They could take risks in other countries too, but the parameters would be different. So I disagree with you totally here. They don't create the environment. They put their capital into it and make use of it, of course, having an effect upon it, but not creating it. 

Lastly, wealthy people should pay more taxes because they use more of the resources, as I said-- and they should pay more, not just in sales taxes. I also feel businesses are under taxed. And I'm a businessman. 

So... your reply is published, and you can keep on thinking that it's okay to be a parasite, or that you're not a parasite. But your parasitism will exist and drain and hurt the US just the same. It will take tough choices by patriots to make decisions to raise taxes to properly and responsibly husband the health of the US.

Feb 2

Jan 21

Subject: War don't even think of it.

Jan 16

Subject: Feedback on "Two Waves of Change; Dean AND Kucinich" seen on OpEdNews.com

Jan 15

Suggestions for a Crew to Mars

There are some great progressive talk radio shows that you can access via the web. Next time you write to your local right wing talk radio station, or even clear channel, pick your new favorite from among the internet talk radio hosts and ask the station to syndicate the host you like (my favorites-- Hartmann and Malloy.)

Dominic Jermano

Subject: Asking The UN For Help

No WMD's have been found. No links to Al Qaeda or the events of 9/11 have been found. Saddam has not been found.

9/4

8/29

subject: Call From Congressman

Rob,

I just finished reading one more of the many articles you have written. I wanted to take a moment and thank you for using your incredible gift as a writer to convey the outrage of the masses. Not all of us have the talent to put these feelings into writing...

When I read your words it is a comfort to know that someone is taking the time to concisely build the word picture of what is happening in a way that it can be understood, inform the misinformed, and most of all not be easily brushed under the rug and out of public view.

I am a veteran of the first Gulf War and I can tell you that in my way of thinking, your efforts are those of the true patriot. I thank you more than you can ever know. Don't for one minute, think that you are alone in this fight. I think you are brilliant. I know without a doubt, that I am not alone in making that assessment.

Craig Lester

Northhighlands California

8/26

subject: Your site..... Brilliant!"

Rob, i found your site through a link at Peter Werbes' site.  You are doing an
awesome job.  Here is my take on the Blackout of 03'., the Bushinstas did
this to cover up something.  Me and my friends say so.  Nothing that man,
or his administration does surprise me anymore.  You did an excellent
job covering it.  You should also get Bartcop to promote your site, too.
He is all set to go after the media whores.  Keep up the good work."

                                                                                     Joan Pasley
                                                                                  Detroit, Michigan.

Subject: How True!

 Mr.Kall,

I have just finishing reading http://www.opednews.com/kall_world_is_waiting_for_americans_t.htm

and it brought goosebumps and tears to my eyes. I am a Canadian who has not been "asleep" and have thought about the world we now live in every day,hoping and praying, for the TRUE American people, the patriots I know are there to rise up,to speak up and to stop the machine which is clear cutting through your country and the world.

   The silent majority must become the most vocal, they must sit up and take notice of what is becoming of their fine country. Speak Up and hold your heads high amongst the winds for only you the AMERICAN SOUL can change the direction of the world now.

Thank you Mr.Kall for your wake up call and GOD BLESS!!

I got the same sort of call from DeLay as you write about in OpEdNews.com. So strange, and I, too, am a progrssive. I suspected that this was a fundraising scam, so when my partner called back, the person who answered the line got quite an earfull. DeLay ought to be hung by his toes and other appendages, if he has any. Thanks for the article. Jay Hatheway, Stoughton, Wisconsin

    Dear Rob,
        Congratulations on sussing out the Tom Delay business award call explanation.   I too received one of those calls in early April.   My wife figured I got called due to having a business phone listing (probably the true reason) but I was not so sure, having recently spoken out at an anti-war rally.   Had moles ratted on me?   Were the super-"patriots" going to pull off a McCarthyist purge in America?  Etc.  But now it seems that it was all about politicians wanting more money.
     One good thing that came out of it was I developed an extreme hatred of Tom Delay.    I would dance all night on that evil fuckers grave.
      Good investigative work by you that helped me understand a weird episode.
                  Doug

Jerry Doblie, CPA MS Tax
M/S 80-8A
253-773-2094
gerard.o.doblie@boeing.com

Blackout-Guns, Butter and Lights                             

 The blackout is the fault of every American. We are energy addicts and demand energy intensive magic bullets to solve our problems.  Will the blackout lead to a comprehensive energy program that still preserves a healthy respect for the environment? Such a program would include major emphasis on conservation. This is both economically and environmentally sound policy. I live in sunny Palm Beach County Florida and I have yet to see a development approved with at least solar heated domestic water, let alone photovoltaics. Conservation could prevent an all-out assault on our national forests and could reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

Will the Bush administration be the fox or the guard dog protecting our national henhouse? I fear the blackout will become a veil to cover an attack on our natural resources.  Playing on the natural fears of an energy consuming society, the administration will pull out all the stops and finally rid themselves of the roadblocks posed by those “environmental whackos.” Fixing the grid will be the battle cry, but environmental deformation and associated medical conditions will be the major by-products.

Glen Hameroff ghamer4186@aol.com

A Voice Crying Out

What is happening to the United States ? The cheering voices ignited by the deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein do not represent what is best about America . The war in Iraq released ugly demons from the depths of our national character. To see the audience on the Jay Leno show burst into applause at the mention of the two deaths signals a dangerous change in how we view ourselves.

I do not offer any justification for the evil perpetrated by these rather heinous characters. The new government of Iraq could have placed them on trial for their lives. However, the “bring em back dead or alive mentality” frightens me. They died in combat for resisting capture. I can be comfortable with that outcome. However, to insert their deaths into a “Bonnie and Clyde ” environment demeans all those who have made the supreme sacrifice in Iraq .

War is hell and should always be employed as a last resort. Deaths in war are unavoidable. All dead soldiers deserve a dignified burial. If you are going to list their atrocities as a justification for our actions, please recall what your parents taught you about that kind of moral reasoning.

Glen Hameroff ghamer4186@aol.com

8/21

Subject Heading: Terrorist Killings of Americans

Why is it that you liberals never discuss how many times Muslims have killed Americans starting in the early 70's. There are at least 70 events where Americans have been killed by Terrorists (counting Robert Kennedy's assassination by a Palestinian). The total number of Americans is well over 3,000 innocent people who have been murdered. If you had common sense, you should be able to ascertain the simple message given here.

It also does not take a lot of common sense to realize that if America will disown Israel and let the Arabs have it and immediately pull out of Iraq, there are several things that will happen very rapidly. Saddam's old party will regain power in Iraq and slaughter several thousand Iraqi's. They  will form pacts with France, Germany, what's left of Russia and probably China to supply them with all their oil requirements, and a nuclear war will ensue.

If you have ever read Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and Revelations you will agree that today's current events were documented in the Bible a couple of thousand years ago.

It is unfortunate that common sense is not something that can be imparted by another to someone who lacks it, but I wish you well anyway. I will close by saying that if you and others could have seen something I saw about forty years ago, there would be neither liberals nor conservative sitting around typing untrue thoughts.

El Nance

It's tempting to just write you off as a religious kook, but what with the 50 million selling LEFT BEHIND book series, I know you are a member of a large collection of people. Still, here are some thoughts for you to consider: I supported the first Gulf war. Bush the elder got the UN behind him and a real coalition, and Saddam had committed clear offenses that required DEFENSE. I supported the idea of the Afghan clean-up of AlQaeda. Of course, Bush and his neocons botched the job horribly. I could even have supported an invasion of Iraq, if the US had done it through the UN, and if the US had really proved there was a danger. We now know that Bush, Powell and cronies LIED to us.

Regarding this nuclear war... going by your last two paragraphs, I'm guessing you'd like to see it coming, since that will be a further sign of Biblical prophecy being proven in your eyes, and that the messiah is on his way.

 

subject: 3rd try at getting my letter posted. Iv'e included my contact info this time.

Subject: Please post this in your reader comments section under your op-ed re: the power failure.

 

I hope you can convince the whole democratic party to keep going with this

kind of hatefull little ankle-biting of the President. "Waaaa! He lied!

He made the economy slow down! He turned our lights off! Why hasn't Osama

been found, we would have caught him by now! Why isn't Hussein still in

power, he didn't have nukes! Why did we have to do that year-and-a -half

long Rush To War? Why did it take a full three weeks to get into the war in

Liberia, we liked that one! Why hasn't anybody noticed how clever we are

when we spell his name funny, like with odd caps or a dollar sign?"

 

Keep it up! There'll be 40 Republican states in 2004! Man will you guys

be bitchin' about the electoral college then.

 

Matt Gregan, mgregan@haskinsandgregan.com

(281)484-7424

11883 Algonquin

Houston, Texas

(I've included all my contact info in the hopes that you'll print this.)

OK Matt. It's printed. Does it make you feel  bigger? If it does, you can contact Tom DeLay, who's probably one of your heroes and he can offer you a special honorary title if you pay $500 or $5000. Read about how the republican party handles it's financial supporters.  -editor

You Have a Call From Congressman DeLay... (a true story); Is the Republican party in the business of Bilking it's own, and is it using illegal means launder millions in contributions? By Rob Kall

 

8/19

Kudos to you & your review of the neo-nazi network, Fox News. Al Franken gave it to Bill O'Reilly on C-SPAN. Boy, it is nice for once to see this knucklehead O'Reilly get a taste of his own medicine. It is a joke for O'Reilly's network, Fox News, to even think about suing Franken. Their lawsuit is frivolous & they will lose. All Fox News has done now was to do Franken a favor & that favor is give his book much more publicity. These same neo-nazis on Fox said that Hillary Clinton's book was not worth reading & it will not sell. Well, Fox News looks like the imbeciles that they have always been, since Hillary's book has sold well over 1 million copies. I think Franken's book will sell just like Hillary's book or even sell more copies than hers. Thanks to those idiots at Fox News for filing this laughable lawsuit, Al Franken will have a New York Times best seller. Fox News now look like censors trying to shut Franken up with their stupidity. Keep up the good work, Rob!

 

 

8/9

subject heading: Re: OpEdNews.Com Sunday June 29 Chaunce's (in response to the article Chaunce's Garden; Progressives Must Stop Tilling The Field with Spoons  another op-ed in Rob Kall's series on Think Tanks

Robert Lieberman

 

8/6

Subject heading: Bill, Senator Joe LIEBERMAN, D-CT., also made a VERY GOOD POINT...

... RE: The Clinton Admin.'s July 1994 Nuclear Weapons TREATY with NORTH KOREA, just as he announced his campaign intentions on a local Boston Radio station, in that, Senator Lieberman said words to the effect of(And I PARAPHRASE, herein), that : "HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S JULY 1994 TREATY with NORTH KOREA, that NORTH KOREA, TODAY(Sen. Lieberman stated this at-about March 2003)that NORTH KOREA WOULD HAVE, RIGHT NOW, at the least, 18-21 DELIVERABLE NUCLEAR MISSILES and weapons," AND, Bill, this Info. came to Senator Lieberman DIRECTLY FROM US DEPT. OF DEFENSE ANALYSTS.

  Of course NOW, with Stand-off "continuing," the North's Nuclear-MILITARY NUCLEAR Capabilities, NOW DO continue to GROW, day by day!!(******-was this ALL Namely because in Oct. 2002 or thereabouts, Bush Admin. REFUSED to Further HELP North Korea, DEVELOP its CIVILIAN NUCLEAR POWER Industry capacity, as SET DOWN IN THE July 1994 Treaty{!!}, as North Korea, has Little NO Natural, ie OIL Resources for their energy needs, like say Iraq or Iran, and THIS, and other STUBBORN, BULL-HEADED "Bellicosity" on the Parts of "WAR ON TERROR, WITHOUT END" wagin' Bush Leadership, in effect helped-obviously the EQUALLY BELLICOSE and CONFRONTATIONAL North KOREAN reaction along!!

               BRIAN MOORE, P.O. Box 749,  Raymond,N.H., 03077-0749.

 

8/4

7/23

from Sola, subject heading:  My God,

Dear Sir,

 

Never in my life have a read information so limited in its scope of thinking and designed to cause another’s belief harm. You have made me realize that I am less of a man for having donated to your cause. Ignorance is difficult to overcame, arrogance greater yet.

 

I saw nothing to empower people and their spirit. All your solutions to the problems were in some way based upon Marxism, Socialism and Communism. None of those political beliefs have helped any social class or raised its awareness and wellbeing. History has shown that every one of those political foundations have suppressed the right for independence and personal growth. The only one who ‘ever’ benefited out of those political foundations were the leader of such parties. In every single case the social class and all classed were brought down to its lowest denominator. Life, growth and people are not helped when you make them dependant upon someone or something. Life only grows when it’s empowered. You know this. In spite of the obvious I don’t want to believe that the Liberal Agenda is here to destroy what humans need in order to flourish. So for what reason are you doing this? Power and money or ignorance are the only answers – your not doing it for social wellbeing. Such fact does not only disappoint me – in angers me. I hate that I have been blinded by Liberals for so many years.

 

My words may fall on deaf ears or on those of you who do not care for individual, social wellbeing or individual thought, but it heartens me to say – you have shown me the human value of capitalism and I will never go back. We all come to a time of reckoning and Ignorance will not excuse your crimes towards society.

 

A born again Capitalist!

reply: I'm no communist, nor a socialist. I'm a businessman, an entrepreneur, though I lose money on this website.

Hello!!!. Am I speaking to a computer program or someone  programmed by 1950's anticommunist paranoid rhetoric. If you are a real person, then get this... Capitalism isn't about people. It's about corporations. We need a system of free enterprise that takes care of PEOPLE first, not corporations. Big, mega corporations have become the invnetions of mankind that turned on humanity. Forget about Terminator. Corporations are the real thing.

7/22

I just discovered your website and am pleased to know there is a place to get "The Liberal View."  I intend to visit your site as often as I can. 

Your article about Rush Limbaugh is one of prejudgement.  Mr. Limbaugh is an avid and very knowledgeable NFL fan and will have a lot to contribute to coverage of any game.  Also, you sell him short if you think he would use ESPN's forum to inject partisan politics, even subtly, into his assignment. 

While I hesitate to presume, it does seem that you are one dimensional in your perspective, that you are unable to see Mr. Limbaugh as anything but a right-wing partisan.  I think you will find that his focus will be on the sport.  If viewers have problems with him, it will be because of a prior knowledge of his politics and a previously developed dislike of what they believe he stands for.  You would be wise (and fair) if you waited to see if Mr. Limbaugh did indeed inject his politics into his participation as a member of the broadcast team.  I believe he will not.

Your website is indeed excellent.  However, while it is your website and you are entitled to your preconceived notions and prejudices, it is important for you to get your facts straight.  Please, understand and tell the truth.  Resist the temptation to attack the right just because you disagree with them (or really do hate them).  The right, just as the left, is not always correct or fair.  Both sides continually proclaim their love for our country and their desire to do what is best for it.  Let's get real.  It is all about power.

Whoever is in power is in control.  The Republicans have an agenda, as do the Democrats.  Both parties truly believe that their policies are the only answer for the survival and success of the country.  Both are incorrect.  Both of these major parties have so much to contribute to the welfare of the people, and do.  But as each struggles for control, for power, the people continue to lose.

I wish you success as you continue to build your liberal website.  All views and opinions should be heard.  Just be sure the information you disseminate is factual and not designed to simply discredit the opposition for the purpose of gaining power.

Rodger

From: M.A.G. [mailto:mistermagda@earthlink.net]
Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2003 10:00 PM
To: rob@opednews.com
Subject: I'M WITH YOU, DUDE.

 Dear Rob,

     This is what I'm doing today to make a difference: I'm writing to you to say thank you for a dead-on article. (The State of The Union Lie Fest )

It's a comfortable 68 or so degrees here in suburban Chicago yet I am shivering because I think I just realized that all of which you speak is NOT A DREAM!

The Busheviks ARE FOR REAL and there are so many directions I want to vomit sometimes I think I am going to lose my mind!!! It is truly mind-NUMBING. As you can see I'm having a little trouble focusing.

     You mentioned not enough cuss words available to throw at Bush, Cheney, et al...that is exactly how I feel!

I'm just curious: what is your opinion of sending truthful, albeit salty, e-mails to the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, etc.? There is this Teri O'Brien chick on WLS-AM in Chicago that is so dripping with this patronizing, pseudosanctimonious Right Wing shit that I am terribly tempted to send her a 4-star 4-letter-word e-mail just as a prayer that she shut the fuck up! But I know for a fact that Sean Hannity has had people arrested for such things. I'm torn, I'm nauseous, I'm fed up, I pray daily for this nation AND THE DEAD SOLDIERS! My God don't even get me started on that. I need to go lie down. Thank you again, and thanks for listening.

                     Sincerely, Michael A. Gallagher

Rob's reply:

A rule I use for sending angry emails is to write it, then sit on it for a day. Of course, I didn’t follow that rule on this article. But I did wait an hour and did tone it down considerably from the first draft. Another good rule. Always edit. Never send out a first draft. The first draft taps your depths. The editing polishes and gets the rules fleshed out.

Pissed Off Patricia's Reply

I have been taught by some of the Top Liberal icons on the Left Coast that we Liberals are really Communists at heart. Instead of rejecting the Marxist labels, why don't we Liberals embrace Socialism, Communism, and authoritarianism, and make the case for the cause? Redistribution of all wealth and the establishment of re-education camps for those who disagree with us as our Communist brothers did in the past would be a good starting point. Can we start to make this a reality? 

Sheldon Wong 

reply: Are you kidding? Or more likely, you're another right wingnut. The right wing is the party that is radically altering the economics of this county. The right wing is the party that has declared class war and is attempting to redistribute wealth. Communism is a loser. Capitalism unrestrained is abused and needs laws and regulations. The right wing fights these restraints. We need to tame capitalism, not replace it. We need to take back personhood from corporations and control them. And we can take a look at wealth distribution and make choices on how it is distributed, just as the ultra wealthy do.

Opednews reply:

We're not patriotic to corporations. We're not patriotic to lying thieves who steal the presidency. We are patriotic when it comes to the constitution and rights the founders endowed us with. We are patriotic when corrupt leaders ruin the good name of the US, when fools support legislators who sell off the resources of the US to the highest corporate bidders. We are patriotic when it comes to looking and thinking and speaking out when elected officials violate the public's confidence entrusted to them. We are patriotic when, respecting  free speech rights, we put up with the idiotic, foolish, stupid, lying hateful rants and screeds of Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter, O'Reilly and others.

another reply from pissed off patricia:

subject heading: Liberal Think Tanks and Celebreties/Telethons

Roger Hoppe

LOST LIBERTY

 

My forefathers were born on this land

they were not white you see

they fought and died for what they had

freedom and liberty

 

My forefathers not born on this land

came from over the sea

they came for religious freedom

and helped to plant the Tree

 

For 200 years the tree has grown

nurtured by blood of the free

It has spread its mighty limbs

This tree called Liberty

 

My Grandfather went to foreign soil

where men died to keep us free

they spent their lives and futures

to preserve our liberty

 

My father went to foreign soil

where men died to keep us free

to destroy the Facist evil

that would take our liberty

 

Foreign men came to our soil

and killed us by the sea

But it is the demand for security

That takes our liberty

 

For 200 years we have fought and died

just so we could be free

tis shame on us, who give into fear

and lose our children's liberty

 

 

This article is copyright by Patrick Fish, Box 172 Roosevelt, MN 56673. It is originally  published by opednews.com. Permission is granted to forward this or to place it on a website as long as the article is included intact, including this statement.

Bob Lupo

We need an articulate person who can tell the story of American needs and dreams.  I hear many speaking and totally missing the main, important points.  Democrats should have a productive think tank.  Republicans say the President is honest and say it over and over.  Not necessarily true but people accept when they hear it so often.  Typical Madison Ave. approach.  Need to insist Harkin books be opened.  The President and brother Neil got a pass when their father was President.  Perhaps there is nothing there, but there is a right to know.  We need gov. in the sunshine.  E.Robinson  Orlando,Florida

A Letter From The Right

This Op Ed column is supposed to contain views from both sides of the fence.  I only see one.  This Website is supposed to be the "Drudge Report, but Designed for People Who Think".  Does that mean only think one way?  I hope not, so I am submitting my letter.

 

I love the disclaimer on the Front Page about how articles with potential bias are highlighted in Pink.  Don't you mean a Conservative Bias?  I see plenty of Liberal Bias, but no Pink on them.  Bill Moyers?  Eleanor Rodham Clift?  I don't quite see them as middle of the road, not to mention the operator(s) of this site.

 

How about the Headline that states that 91.4% of America wants to Impeach George Bush.  This poll is laughable, especially since the OfficialPoll.com site actually says it's only 65%.  Oh, and by the way, according to this service, 100% of America will buy Hillary's book.  I'm sure the publisher will be pleased to know that they will sell 240 Million copies.  I haven't bought mine yet.

 

The type of rhetoric that is displayed on this web page used to frustrate and anger me.  After some time, however, I've come to realize that I shouldn't take it too seriously.  There will always be people on the fringe of the far left.  The Kaczynski fringe, if you will.  The fact remains that the Democratic Party's problem is not that they can't get their message across, as they would have you believe.  The problem is that they DID get their message across, loud and clear.  America is just rejecting it.  No one in the ranks can beat Bush in 2004, we all know that.  So let's all get used to a Republican/Conservative Federal Government for awhile and get on with our lives.  Thank you for allowing me to speak my thoughts.

 

And wasn't Alec Baldwin supposed leave the country after the last election?  Is he still here?

 

Matthew Griffin

Baton Rouge, LA

OpEdNews Reply

You'rw right on the pink bias comment. I've corrected it. The poll did read 91.4 when I posted it. I guess more people responded.

This is a decidedly progressive, liberal site, as stated in the about page.

Republicans probably thought Nixon and his team were going to be around  a long time too.

Craig Lester 7223 Thomas Drive Northhighlands CA. 95660 cbdcraig@usa.net

Bill Noel

Stephen Nickels, Simpson, Illinois

JDries6847@aol.com

Carol Mathers

Josh Reilly , Ben Lomond CA  PER501@co.santa-cruz.ca.us

Subject: Drafted

 No , I don't see myself as an activist, yes someone has to do something.
Count me in.

And I have some ideas, too.  One is bumper stickers that say "Are we safer
now?"

Raymond Payne rdpayne@cal.net

editorial reply:  Great. Now… go make the bumper stickers—which are a great idea—or get someone else to take it and run with it.

I was excited to hear about the Take Back America Conference. I read Bill Moyers Speech.  I see his Now program every week.  I read every thing I could read about the conference and finally got to your op ed Newsletter.I was so encouraged and so I wanted to keep informed about this movement and become a part of it.  I have decided to again register to vote in the Democratic Party, although I have been registered Green for almost a decade now.  I want to first help bring the Democratic Party back to their senses and then we can take back America.  I really think it is possible. I loved your news letter and I want to use it to keep informed. 

I grew up and spent 50 years in Washington, D.C.  I have watched it change over the years and now I live in California.  I grew up with all the wonderful monuments and history which is in D.C.  I learned to love this country and what it stood for.  In the las 20 some years I have seen it go further and further from what it stood for and what made it great, the people, and its spiritual values of equality. 

So I am very interested in finding ways of participating in taking the America I love back from this oligarchy that has taken over unelected.  I want to bring it back to the people, all the people.  I want to bring it back to "of the people, for the people, by the people" as Lincoln, a republican, said so eloquently.

                      Sincerely,

                            Helene Ganey

Amarillo , Texas

Poll: 70% say things going well in Iraq