Following is a selection of recent letters sent to the World Socialist Web Site in response to the comment, “The Nation joins the campaign against Julian Assange,” published on December 30.
David ... This is a superb truth-telling piece, the best of its kind I’ve read. As one of those in close support of Julian Assange, I thank you.
John Pilger
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My own experience growing up female in a profoundly misogynist environment has affected me for life. But it’s the whole of life and of the world that needs to be addressed, not just the narrow bit of it seen through the lens of bourgeois feminism. The machinations of these so-called ‘feminists’ have nothing to do with the real sufferings and struggles of women in this world. They distort and cheapen them, using them in the service of the basest and most reactionary agendas.
KV
British Columbia, Canada
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This is so disgusting, but not surprising. These “limousine liberals” that are put out as what constitutes the “left”, are like you say, Mr. Walsh, beyond a joke.
This phony case of sexual assault is so obviously a frame-up, that anyone who is taken in by it has to be either gullible or actively duplicitous in the frame-up operation. I mean, how can this Nation journalist be that stupid?
The liberals know that their program through the Democratic Party sucks, so they have to come up with this tripe and whole lot of other swill to justify their existence, and to keep the working class at bay. Also, they get to serve the corporate state at the same time. That is duplicity.
Thank all that is good and decent for the World Socialist Web Site! Please keep up this excellent journalism.
Mr. Walsh, you are my favorite writer here, thank you!
Edward E
California, USA
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Brilliant article—well done.
Dino P
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Thank you for David Walsh’s 12-30 article.
Walsh’s commentary does not go far enough, insofar as describing the effect of the so-called Progressive Movement. More than “changing the subject,” the Progressives seek out and blame the victim.
Recall California’s Proposition 8 vote. When the proposition failed, I observed in a variety of media that many in the gay community blamed African Americans for the proposition’s failure. The black community—of which I am a part—is the same community that suffered through hundreds of years of slavery, Jim Crow and—of late—it has been hard hit by loss of jobs, foreclosures and overloaded social services. Progressive outlets, by throwing virtually the entire blame for Prop 8’s failure on the African American community sought, in my opinion, to further their own goals by aligning their movement with the most reactionary forces in the country.
Jonathan G
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Here is exactly why I read WSWS: “... Katrina vanden Heuvel, is, after all, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a leading ruling class think tank...” as well as the rest of what the article presents.
The Nation’s article is another in the mounting character assassinations, as though the entire situation is about the person who stands in the forefront of WikiLeaks, rather than a current showing of the crimes of the US military, in its lies for war, its destruction, condoned torture of prisoners by American soldiers and Iraqi soldiers, weaponry use, and occupation of Iraq and subsequent business deals for the natural resources.
Is all that dismissed? Is the citizenry to be denied knowledge of what its government does? If so, license is given to people to criminality before and during their involvement in government and outside of government.
There must be a very big threat to the capitalist system here, for banking, national and international, for governments, domestic and foreign, for news sources likewise to be locking step against WikiLeaks.
Among other reasons, I quit the magazine when it urged Ralph Nader not to run for president. To do so for the good of the Democratic candidate was such a pandering to that party, was such a limiting of issues to consider, was such a contrary plea the whole principle of open debate that I couldn’t read the magazine for what it had to offer otherwise. The magazine may as well have been an organ of the Democratic Party.
I know the SEP has shown ‘faults’ in Ralph Nader, has taken issue with, et cetera, but I admire what he has done for the benefit of the citizenry, against such adversity that my credit will remain.
Michael S