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Posted November 28, 2001
Happy Birthday
[Regarding Justin Raimondo's column of November 23, "Retro-Reality":]
Happy birthday, Mr. Raimondo! I read your articles at least twice a week, they are always superb and informative. You also have a great sense of humor! Thank you for keeping us informed in this world of misinformation!
Just an Excuse
I saw Harry Brown on Fox TV being interviewed by a two man team including Senator Damato and I was really pleased by what Mr. Brown had to say. The senator would not shut up and gave a diatribe of rhetoric which we can hear on the media or out of dimwit George Bush any time.
We have had a war on poverty which has done nothing except reduce almost everyone to dependence on government. The war on drugs has suspended due process in the confiscation of property under the guise of "it may have been purchased with drug money." Now we have a war on terrorism. These undeclared wars are just an excuse to expand government.
Keep up the good work and keep me informed ... of your ideas.
Television
[Regarding Justin Raimondo's column of November 23, "Retro-Reality":]
Justin
Raimondo has given us some
of the history of his conversion
from an eager supporter of
foreign adventures to what
some call "isolationism,"
others call "non-interventionism,"
and I would call not being
a busybody, and minding our
own business instead of that
of others'. But he . . . was
misled by the tendency to
accept as reality what we
see on a television screen.
He says, "I remember
seeing the famous execution
of a hapless Vietcong sympathizer
by one of our noble South
Vietnamese allies: the gun
put right to the side of the
guy's head, and BLAM!, his
brains were blown out as cameras
clicked and whirred...."
Unfortunately, what the television
did not capture is the reason
for this summary execution.
I spent a few minutes searching
on the Web, and I came up
with . . . a letter to USA
Today . . . ["Brave
Vietnam officer,"
July 20, 1998].
This is a good example of why we all must make every attempt to verify the truth and completeness of any information that we receive from any source, especially from sources such as the American television news programs. Broadcasting companies are in the business of selling the news, and they all have political axes to grind. This was as true in 1968 as it is now. You cannot trust the immediate impressions that you get from television news, and you must dig out information if you do not want to be deceived.
Little Boots
[Regarding Justin Raimondo's column of November 19, "Death and the Wall Street Journal":]
...The sadistic author Boots might share his name with a nickname of Caligula -- Little Boots. Can't remember if I read that in Quo Vadis or The Robe (I think the former). It fits though, don't you think?
That Photo
[Regarding Justin Raimondo's column of November 23, "Retro-Reality":]
Hey, you look good for 50!
Seriously, how old is that photo? Well, whatever you're doing, it's working!
Eric Garris replies:
I can tell you that photo is only about a year old. I was there when it was taken. Honest.
Exile
Thanks for publicizing my remarks ["The Larger Picture," November 19] and editing my ramblings. I almost cannot believe I wrote that as it reads after your editing work. :)
To Nebojsa, who replied: "Thank you. Such thoughts make Balkan Express worth writing."
You are always welcome. And I also think your column is worth writing with or without my voiced support. Think of the silent readers. Also, consider all those people whose attention you are attracting towards issues they never thought of. Stirring people's minds is the point of good journalism, not actual persuasion.
I am sensitive towards people, among them many of my friends, who have been forced to leave their countries by the circumstances. I have also considered leaving Bulgaria for a while, but finally I made my choice to stay. I decided that the problems will never end -- whether I am here or in the US. There is one more thing that also never ends -- our opportunities to help people, wherever we are.
So to anyone like you who is far from home, experiencing all the problems connected with exile, I would say: your only shelter is serving others, doing good. So keep writing.
DU
As we all can see, the "coverage" of this war in Afghanistan is, if you'll pardon the turn of phrase, shot full of holes. Of the many mysteries, the extent of the use of DU munitions has gone totally unmentioned, at least as far as I have been able to see, even on your own excellent site. What coverage, or mention of this penetrating issue has been given to the public? When this occurred to me the other day, I was a bit shocked. It struck me that this too has already been stuffed down the "Memory Hole."
~ Shane Donahue