The following is a selection of recent letters to the World Socialist Web Site.
On “US Senate declares English the ‘national language’: a boost to chauvinism and racism”
I have never considered myself a socialist but I find that this article is one which I agree with most heartily. Thank you for your article and your (in my opinion) correct observations. I am an American (living in Mexico) and I have trouble with using good English. I wonder what it is like for an immigrant to try to communicate adequately in English.
MO
Las Cuevas, Michoacan, Mexico
21 May 2006
Thank you for the great analysis of a classic example of the elite, business-centered hypocrisy of the Democratic Party. It is always so refreshing to read an honest critique of what is considered by the mainstream to be the extreme left of US politics. We need this sort of great analysis to continue to break the spell of propaganda created by the US ideological and media systems.
PS
23 May 2006
* * *Nice piece on McGovern’s comments. But the top one percent’s share of the nation’s wealth is even higher than the new Federal Reserve report indicates, as a follow-up paper by the Fed’s top wealth researcher acknowledges. For more, see a piece on the new Fed’s numbers from Too Much, a weekly online newsletter I edit for the Council on International and Public Affairs.
SP
24 May 2006
On “Kosovo ‘final status’ talks break up without agreement”
I just read your article and found it very informative. Since the UN had information that the KLA members were not the freedom fighters they claimed to be, then it is ridiculous to appoint former KLA members to critical leadership positions and security forces. Corruption seems to be everywhere and yet many superpower nations have an interest in Kosovo. What do you think UNMIK’s true intentions are? Are they after a strategic piece of real estate? Do they see Kosovo as a country rich with resources to harvest? Money is always involved and I see most participating countries spending millions with minimal return. If the mission is geared toward peace and economic growth for the people, then why are they just looking at Kosovo? There are many other areas of the world in worse political and economical situations than Kosovo. I hope there is a light at the end of this corrupted tunnel. The UN needs to make a decision and move on.
JN
23 May 2006
On “A Little History is a dangerous thing”
I have just come across your kind, reasonable and learned review of my grandfather’s book. It is scandalous that Andrew Roberts was allowed to get away with such words (and incompetence) without a public apology. But that is shock-jock journalism for you. I wrote to him before the worst of the reviews (in the Telegraph, I think) but after a milder version had come out in another paper, to point out his errors and prejudices, but only received a short and unsatisfactory reply.
All good wishes,
Carl Gombrich
23 May 2006
On “Reports expose myth of upward social mobility in US”
I have a few reactions to your article: Mobility is a two way street. How many people in the top one percent find their way in the bottom fifty percent of society, or the bottom one percent?
A sinking tide lowers all boats. Since Bush Jr., the only profitable sectors of society have been oil, military, and housing. The stock markets have traded lower, and when inflation is tacked on, they have traded much lower. So no one is escaping this soft depression (except the chairman of Exxon).
My final comment is that young people (like myself) are already in a Great Depression, and have been for some time: Little or no job opportunity or security, unreachable costs of home ownership, rising prices everywhere ... in short, the Baby Boomers sold us out completely. In these conditions is it any wonder that so few are marrying and that many of those who do marry divorce? When you can’t afford to have kids, it’s economic genocide.
OZ
23 May 2006
On “Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and the Pacific”
All the ruling governments, not only in India but also in other countries, are adopting anti-labour policies. I have read today how employees, teachers and labourers are demanding their paychecks and assurances given by their governments in the past. I appreciate the WSWS for supporting labour movements and their agitations. I have never seen any other web site that highlights this.
GKS
Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
21 May 2006
On “Unanswered questions remain about the killing of Sri Lankan foreign minister”
You have raised some pertinent questions, which the Sri Lankan government does not want to address, because as you suggest they are engaged in a cover-up, which their Western patrons find convenient for their designs. I would draw your attention to an article by a prominent Indian Defence analyst, Col. Hariharan, entitled “Sri Lanka-who cares for Kadirgamar?” on April 15, 2006 in the journal called Indian Defence (www.india-defence.com/reports/1753). It raises the same questions and in addition references forensic evidence challenging the official version. He states on page 3, “In fact, ballistics found that a .45 calibre weapon was used. Analysts argued that snipers do not normally use this heavy calibre weapon for their shots. Considering three shots found their mark, the heavy calibre weapon was probably fired from a close range. The conduct of Kadigamar’s security staff and police has also been questioned. While they rendered first aid to the victim, police established no road blocks to trap the killers.” He too suggests a cover-up, although as a member of the Indian defence establishment he is certainly not a friend of LTTE. He too emphasises the political dimensions of the murder in the context of the presidential election.
SK
23 May 2006
* * *As a long-term expatriate resident in Sri Lanka, I am so pleased to have read your article on the assassination. As soon as the assassination took place, I and many others questioned whether the terrible murder was carried out by the LTTE for many reasons. Too much stank, to put it bluntly. The most obvious cause for suspicion was the modus operandi, which, as far as I am aware, has never been used by the LTTE before or since. (For example the assassination attempt, almost certainly by the LTTE, on the army commander recently, used their traditional grisly method of the suicide bomber.) Although many Sri Lankans, both Sinhalese and Tamils, thought that the foreign minister’s killing was the work of the LTTE at the time, I have now found few who believe this to be the case. Thanks for a marvelous article which I hope will get wide publicity and serve to bring the real culprits to book.
TV
23 May 2006