History’s path
We have evolved through eons of time from slavery, feudalism, capitalism – now into socialism.
Ownership of land gave us power over others in feudalism. Money, gold, silver, paper was the “power-house” over the industrial capitalist system.
The key to the supremely advanced socialist society is knowledge, wisdom and love for brothers and sisters, the environment, and appreciation for life.
During the 1930s Depression, there was a celestial, popular, classical song: “Ah sweet mystery of life, at last I have found thee! ’Tis love and love alone – the secret answer to it all!”
Harry F. BillingsSalem OR
Media ‘programming’ on Haiti
Does it bother anyone else that in this Land which is allegedly Your Land and My Land, where the media proclaims itself “free” and “independent,” virtually all news networks just happen to be conducting a simultaneous blackout on Haiti?
Could it be that in the aftermath of the Bush regime- and CIA-staged coup, which ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the show is not proceeding as its stage writers and directors in Washington intended? Has Haiti been reduced to a bloodbath of warring factions? Or are U.S. troops amassed there in sufficient numbers to maintain a Pax Americana under high-tech steel fists, poised to strike? And if so, for how long?
We don’t know, and may never know, because in this Land, which the economic elite has taken to be Their Land, where carefully crafted distraction is employed to shift our consciousness quickly off verboten subjects and inquiries (hopefully before we can even discover they are off-limits – banned, from us), hard facts take a back seat to “entertainment news.” “Freedom of the press” is actually the freedom of corporate news network owners and sponsors to conceal, distort and disinform at will – all while conditioning us to believe that the “diversity” of rumors, distortions and distractions they promulgate in place of the truth indicates that we live in an “open” society.
But I’ve used up the space allotted for this contraband public service announcement. It’s time to return to our regularly scheduled “programming.”
Eric RayTampa, FL
Thanks for ‘The Jungle’ review
This is just a note to say thanks very much for Al Olson’s useful and perceptive review of “The Jungle: The Uncensored Original Edition.”
You might be interested to know that your review is, to the best of my knowledge, the first to appear in any leftist newspaper or magazine in the country.
Chaz Bufe
Publisher, See Sharp Press
Via e-mail
Blame U.S. companies, not China
I agree 100 percent with Scott Marshall’s article on China (“China-bashing: an election-year mistake,” PWW, 5/1-7). Another thing people should be careful about is not to bash China for human rights abuses in the workplace. I understand that people working for the state have good working conditions, whereas poor working conditions are found in the private corporations, probably mostly American corporations. Our American imperialist corporations in China should be bashed, not China herself.
Betty KalloSan Francisco CA
It’s a different kind of war
The mainstream media have made much of the president’s graduation oration at the Air Force Academy this past week, highlighting his comparison between the campaign in Iraq and World War II. But to make such a favorable metaphor needs some selective amnesia. At this writing, over 800 occupying troops have been killed in Iraq since Mr. Bush’s declaration of victory a year ago, that number climbing daily. However, after VE Day in May of 1945 that ended the war in Europe, not a single Allied soldier was killed out of conflict activities. Nary a one.
This tells us that we have all again been deluded by the Bush cabal as to the true state of that crusade and more, that the very nature of it does not allow for such a comparison. In WWII, there was a well-defined enemy, a constitutional congressional declaration of war and massive public support. Now, the exact opposites are true. The enemy is as vague and ill defined as can be, without nationality or geography. The Congress made no such declaration as constitutionally required and finally, the public swells against the Bush policies are mounting daily.
And lest we forget, the president in 1945 had been given an unprecedented four-term blessing by his grateful people. This president is sinking in the polls and will hopefully pay the price in November after a single ill-begotten term.
Don Sloan, M.D. New York NY
On the Kerry campaign
I agree strongly with Bruce Bostick’s important and intelligent letter (PWW, 5/29-6/4) warning against those in the Democratic Party who are advising John Kerry to run a “cautious” campaign. If Kerry fails to mobilize his core constituencies – organized labor, minorities, progressive-oriented voters generally – Bush can still use his money and power to remain in office. The way this election is shaping up, it looks like New York City socialists in the early 20th century, who had to win a solid victory to make sure that the Tammany Hall machine would not steal the election. It will take a solid victory this time to make sure that Bush will not steal the election again and it will take energized working-class voters to produce a solid victory.
Norman MarkowitzNew Brunswick NJ
Unique coverage
Excellent paper, which has given me unobtainable news from Venezuela, India, Cyprus – not in commercial sources.
Carl HoecknerHemet CA
Comments