Letters

Now what?

No matter who sits in the Oval Office, our society is plagued with problems: the gap between the Haves and Have-nots grows exponentially. Our prison system is bursting at the seams with mentally ill people and addicts. They need treatment, not incarceration.

I let apathy win in my younger years. Now, as I have become a great-grandfather, I realize how we are responsible for our government. We must participate in the process.

Cletis Harry Beegle?Tucson AZ

Bush will ‘win,’ then be impeached?

Someone just asked me what my latest prediction is. “As of today, who do you think will win on Tuesday?”

My prediction is this: George Bush will win. Why? No-brainer! Even as we speak, members of the George Bush fan club who are willing to do anything to see that their guy wins have been embedded in positions of influence in every electoral board, registrar of voters’ office and secretary of state staff in America. I predict that we will see innumerable election dirty tricks — from the precinct levels on up, not to mention Diebold data manipulations, corporate welfare’s huge campaign contributions, Sinclair’s misrepresentations, the misleading swift boat/wolf ads, a partisan Supreme Court, etc. Bush will win again but, like in 2000, it will be another coup.

Then what happens? There are two possible scenarios.

(1) George Bush will continue doing what he does best — fouling up, making mistakes, mismanaging so badly that he will be impeached by popular demand, if not run out of town on a rail. Tarring and feathering is a possibility.

(2) Americans will continue to put up with the neo-con stumbling, bumbling and greed. Like sheep, Americans will settle down to accepting the end of the Grand Experiment and the beginning of becoming just another part of the Third World.

But if most of America follows Scenario Two, what will the rest of us — the unlucky ones who are not addicted to Limbaugh and Fox — what will we do? Move to Ireland or Peru? Take to the streets? Pray a lot? What can we do?

For whatever reason, ballots cast at our local precinct no longer seem to count. But real Americans will still want to vote. We are used to voting. We like to vote. And if no other recourse is available to us, we will vote with our feet.

Jane Stillwater?Via e-mail

Bush and the election?

I predict that if Bush and his evil right wing in Congress win this election, either honestly or dishonestly, the country of Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson will be no more. In its place will be a government that will have a society similar to the religious-dominated societies in the Middle East.

John Borowski?Via e-mail

GOP suppresses Florida voters?

An attitude of voter discouragement is rampant at polling places across the state. The Republican Party plans to have their “poll watchers” or “poll challengers” to disqualify as many Democratic votes and voters as possible.

J. Corlett?Via e-mail

Federal Reserve is the problem?

You will find this odd coming from a conservative Republican, but I recently visited your web site based on a friend’s recommendation. And while I disagree philosophically with the majority of your content, I am impressed by the professionalism of your web site.

One hint: You could focus less on Bush and tone down that rhetoric. Historically presidents have had very little impact on the economy, one way or the other.

In reality, the Congres in concert with the Federal Reserve, dictates our economic booms and busts. When the money supply is loose, i.e., low interest rates, the economy grows as it is now. When interest rates set by “the Fed” are high, i.e., Jimmy Carter, we have some of our worst economies on record.

Under Carter for instance, interest rates were nearly 20 percent, unemployment was 9.8 percent, the stock market had lost 50 percent of its value, and we had soaring energy prices. And Carter had little control over those circumstances. He presidency was destroyed by Congress and the Fed.

The Federal Reserve is neither federal nor a reserve. It is a private corporation made up of member banks, solely chartered to lend money to the U.S. taxpayer through a congressionally funded debt service. Look at any “dollar bill” in your pocket if you doubt me. Look at the top of the bill. What does it say? “Federal Reserve Note.” It is an instrument of debt creation, as it states right on the front of the bill, “good for all debts public and private.”

The Federal Reserve drains about $400 billion a year for debt service interest payments from our budget. This is the issue you should be fighting. And the Republicans and Democrats are in bed on this issue.

Keep up the good work. Even as a conservative, I would never deny anyone their convictions. We need to hear all voices.

Jeff?Reading PA