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Posted May 30, 2002
Races
[Regarding Kevin G.'s letter of May 27, "Immigration Hits Home":]
It's been some months since I wrote to you my first letter which you posted under "Brilliant Readers." Just recently I wanted to write to you again on the subject and let you know just how much I enjoy reading the letters at Backtalk -- most so very informative and insightful. Tonight, however, I am amazed at the importance you have granted a very mediocre reader's letter. You have even honored him with two personal replies -- Mr. Raimondo's and Mr. Montgomery's, no less.
If I understand him correctly, Mr. G. seems to think that "white, black, Asian and Arab" are ... "races"? He probably considers "Jewish" another "race" and probably, "Slav," too, since there is an "etc." there. I wonder just how many more than merely skin-deep races does he think there are -- racial groups with (in his view) profound genetic differences and mores and religious views that haven't changed through the centuries....
I was going to suggest that your reader start reading some physical anthropology, but actually, I think he should start reading, period.
Property Ownership
I noticed a bit of a spat over the ubiquitous Immigration Question, as a result of the issues raised in Christopher Montegomery's essay, "Let Them In".
What precisely is meant by "property ownership"? Is there not a dichotomy apparent in the laissez-faire economics of universal free trade as opposed to the "anti-liberty, anti-freedom doctrine" of a closed immigration policy by some so-called "libertarians", etc., etc., etc.?
What is legitimate property ownership? Does planting the flag of a nation state in some conquered soil lay claim to ownership of that land? Indeed, are water and air also "property of ownership"? How about human beings? Are they a trade commodity? If the Government and/or a Private Corporation tattoos your S.I.N. on your very genes does that make you the legitimate property of the State or the private owner? If the Earth, the Air, the Water and the abundant treasures and wealth of a region are legislated as "property" to be owned, who lays claim to them? the flag? the army? the Constitution? the People? the Body Politic? the Mighty Dollar? the Biggest Stick?
Immigration
and property ownership are part of the chaotic order in the "yin
and yang" of the socio/religious/political/economic spectrum we call
culture. It's a Natural Law thing; everyone "owns" a piece of
the pie so to speak of the Earth's natural resources, in a very real sense,
despite the property ownership ideals of Common Law as often proclaimed
by Libertarian Philosophy, aka Classical Liberalism.
Every person could neither exist nor survive without the fullness of the
Earth freely given to all, rich and poor alike. It's a matter of Holism,
if a philosophical ideology is evoked, whereby the Whole is greater than
the sum of its parts. The Whole in this context is likened to laissez-faire
economics representing the free, open market, that is, commerce reduced
to the dynamics of the law of supply and demand, unfettered by the governmental
accouterments of statism and its tyrannical host of regulatory, protectionist
regimentation. Certainly property is a commodity of free trade including
the natural right of immigrants from any nation, as part and parcel of
that laissez-faire free and open marketplace.
~ David d'Apollonia, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
River of Egypt
[Regarding Justin Raimondo's column of May 17, "Israel's Taliban," and Joel B.'s letter of May 21, "From the Nile to the Euphrates":]
A minor correction: the term "River of Egypt," as part of the Zionists' proposed biblical boundary for "Eretz Yishrael," does not refer to the Nile. The River of Egypt is today called the Wadi al-Arish, a minor river roughly dividing Israel from the Sinai peninsula.
Afraid of Truth
[Regarding Martin Dillon's guest column of May 28, "Truth, Hollywood, and War Games":]
Great reporting about Hollywood and the war. I am a World War II Marine Corps combat machine gunner – 2 1/2 years of Pacific jungle fighting against Japanese soldiers. I agree 100% with your assessment of the secrecy behind our governments handling of this Osama-oil"war". Truth is the absolute defense, and that is what Bush and company is afraid of.
Support
Financial support would not be tax deductible for me, I'm Canadian, and God knows I need every cent to pay my own taxes, which are completely out of control. However if this constant talk of war escalates tax deductions will be inconsequential so I may be forced to contribute. I will however continue to visit your site if that's possible. I pray peace will prevail and peacemakers wherever they are will stop being viewed as wimps. This war on terror seems hell-bent on stripping us, citizens of Canada and US of our rights.
Organizations of Shirkers
May I suggest that you contact every news organization that endorses a war on Iraq to ascertain the number of children/grandchildren of the senior management, editorial staff, columnists and reporters that are on active US military duty. You can have an honor roll feature listing the news organizations and their serving offspring. Of course there is the chance that most will prove to have none and that you will display a list of organizations of shirkers. Imagine that: they want to throw a war to which no one wants to come.
Unbiased Journalism
I have been very impressed by the quality of the unbiased journalism and articles that have been selected by the Antiwar.com group. Lately I have found with great reservation and to the dismay of a lot of moderates on either side that the coverage being given to the Indo-Pak conflict has been heavily one-sided in favor of the Indian viewpoint, which is not necessarily the viewpoint of a lot of the moderates and intellectuals in India and Pakistan.
India, let me remind the readers, has also been actively involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan. India is the only country other than Iran and Israel where a fundamentalist religious party is in power. The problem here is to divert international media's attention from the atrocities being committed in Gujarat with the support of the BHP government. Problems in Kashmir are India's own misdoings, like the creation of Bangladesh was Pakistan's own misdoing. I look forward to reading the quality journalism that goes beyond borders and barriers of human minds.
~ Amajd Tareen