30
Mar
2004
The first presidential election season since 9/11 poses a vital question for U.S. voters. What does the leadership of al Qaeda think? Which candidate would do more to further their interests? Consider the following:
• An international survey concludes that popular support for the U.S. has weakened during the past year in Jordan and other states whose leadership is generally thought to support U.S. antiterrorist policies.
• Our disregard for legitimate Islamic and Arab interests, e.g. the Israeli-Palestinian struggle, creates recruits for the fundamentalist cause.
• We have ignored the interests and counsel of our former allies, such as France and Germany, and stand increasingly aligned with countries such as Pakistan, whose officials have sold nuclear technology to Iran and others.
• In Iraq, predictable repression has given way to a chaos in which no one is safe. Our presence fuels resentment and terrorism.
• The blithe assumption that the cost of the Iraq war can be paid for with Iraqi oil exports could not be further from the truth; the escalating cost is coyly kept off-budget, to be paid for by our heirs - if they can.
• The Bush administration's former counter-terrorism chief, Richard Clarke, says that "by invading Iraq, the president of the United States has greatly undermined the war on terrorism."
Another four years of George W. Bush? Al Qaeda must love this mess.
Len Adams
QCAction.org
Davenport, Iowa
Back Up Assertions
First, I didn't read Mike Schulz's review of The Passion of the Christ. (See River Cities' Reader Issue 466, March 3-9, 2004.)
Second, Devin Hansen brought up several interesting points but gave us no background for this information. (See "Schulz Attacked Unfairly," River Cities' Reader Issue 468, March 17-23, 2004.) I spent yesterday on the Net searching "Barabbas." I did find minimal reference to the comment that he was an insurrectionist, but zippo on any history to that. Many references only said he was a murderer and a thief. So Mr. Hansen, please expand upon why the Jews would love Barabbas, please.
As for The Passion, I saw it. If you also saw The Patriot, you have an excellent comparison. Mel never spares the blood! My only negative comment about The Passion was that God-awful flute music while Christ was carrying the cross; what the hell was that? It just seemed inappropriate to the scene. For a movie that Mr. Hansen says "stinks," Mel is making millions, and most viewers disagree with Mr. Hansen's critique.
Doug Heffley
DeWitt, Iowa
• Our disregard for legitimate Islamic and Arab interests, e.g. the Israeli-Palestinian struggle, creates recruits for the fundamentalist cause.
• We have ignored the interests and counsel of our former allies, such as France and Germany, and stand increasingly aligned with countries such as Pakistan, whose officials have sold nuclear technology to Iran and others.
• In Iraq, predictable repression has given way to a chaos in which no one is safe. Our presence fuels resentment and terrorism.
• The blithe assumption that the cost of the Iraq war can be paid for with Iraqi oil exports could not be further from the truth; the escalating cost is coyly kept off-budget, to be paid for by our heirs - if they can.
• The Bush administration's former counter-terrorism chief, Richard Clarke, says that "by invading Iraq, the president of the United States has greatly undermined the war on terrorism."
Another four years of George W. Bush? Al Qaeda must love this mess.
Len Adams
QCAction.org
Davenport, Iowa
Back Up Assertions
First, I didn't read Mike Schulz's review of The Passion of the Christ. (See River Cities' Reader Issue 466, March 3-9, 2004.)
Second, Devin Hansen brought up several interesting points but gave us no background for this information. (See "Schulz Attacked Unfairly," River Cities' Reader Issue 468, March 17-23, 2004.) I spent yesterday on the Net searching "Barabbas." I did find minimal reference to the comment that he was an insurrectionist, but zippo on any history to that. Many references only said he was a murderer and a thief. So Mr. Hansen, please expand upon why the Jews would love Barabbas, please.
As for The Passion, I saw it. If you also saw The Patriot, you have an excellent comparison. Mel never spares the blood! My only negative comment about The Passion was that God-awful flute music while Christ was carrying the cross; what the hell was that? It just seemed inappropriate to the scene. For a movie that Mr. Hansen says "stinks," Mel is making millions, and most viewers disagree with Mr. Hansen's critique.
Doug Heffley
DeWitt, Iowa
