One of the wacky things about the Boston Globe is the strange choice of letters to the editor which end up published. Letters expressing conservative points of view are often borderline illiterate. Here is one published today from the Looney Left of Massachusetts, which is simply shocking for its lack of thought. It reads:
"Terrorism is not an enemy; it is a tactic that relies on creating fear in its targets. In this sense, there is little difference between Vice President Dick Cheney threatening us with attack if we vote the wrong way and Osama bin Laden threatening us with attack if we do not do as he says.The Bush/Cheney Crips and the bin Laden Bloods have a lot in common. They both threaten us with death/destruction if we do not do as they wish.
Franklin D. Roosevelt said, memorably, 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.' There were many things to fear in 1933: unemployment, poverty, hunger, a failing economy, Nazis, genocide. But Roosevelt's point was valid then, and it is valid now. The enemy cannot defeat us but fear can, by paralyzing us and making our lives into a nightmare.
A nation that lives in fear, although physically intact, is a nation vanquished. If we allow either gang to do this to us, we have lost the fight."
So in the mind (such as it is!) of this poor lady there is little to distinguish between a dictator who builds a Stalinesque terror state over 20 years while killing more than 1 million of its citizens out of paranoia and pure sadism, a terrorist who is responsible for the murder of thousands of westerners simply because they were regarded as Infidels, and Dick Cheney, the Vice President of the United States. Sadly, this lady is not able to draw the simplest of distinctions.
Article comments
1 - Jim Carruthers
I presume at some point you had an idea you were working towards? So what was it?
Or is it as simple-minded that there was a letter in the newspaper you disagree with, but can't figure out how to use your words.
As far as I can tell, the letter makes a number of valid rhetorical points.
But then, presenting anything which makes sense or requires thought isn't a big point with the 'murrican wacky right. But keep on what you're doing, because I expect to clean up big time on the close-out liquidation sale.
2 - Marc
Sorry Jim, if memory serves correctly you're not "murrican" so you're not invited to the close out sale.
Besides Kerry flip-flops may not fit you.
3 - Jeff
So in the mind (such as it is!) of this poor lady there is little to distinguish between a dictator who builds a Stalinesque terror state over 20 years while killing more than 1 million of its citizens out of paranoia and pure sadism
Considering that the letter mentioned no person that did any of this I would wonder what is wrong with your mind that you have to invent fictitious arguments to shoot down. Does this "poor lady" have such a good argument that you need to do that?
4 - Bill
When the "left" speaks of intellectual gray areas, the "right" begins their tired un-American rant. One wonders what Mr. Harry Forbes might do when confronted with the philosophical logic of someone like, say, Bertrand Russell. Would he implode?