Backtalk
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Torture Hits a Home Run
I was overcome with admiration for your March/April 2008 issue. The editors' note was some of the most beautiful writing on the subject of American values that I have ever read and is worthy of being compared to the writings of Thomas Paine. I thank you for bringing these hard truths to our attention, and I hope and pray that more Americans read your magazine. This is what journalism should be.
joan kenneke
Bethesda, Maryland
Just read the editors' note on torture. Well said. Just one question: You say "the nation let out a collective yawn." How, with an indifferent and cocooned administration, do we do otherwise? Most people I know are upset with what America is becoming, but we don't know how to get anyone in power to even listen, let alone change. Request: When you document yet another abuse, can you offer your readers guidance as to how and to whom to speak out?
christopher b. sanford
Durham, North Carolina
Cypress Hell
It comes as no surprise that a state that has been as devastated by nature as Louisiana chooses to ignore the help that nature offers ("Mulch Madness"). The vital, protective role of the cypress forests has been made abundantly clear by their absence, an irony that still appears to be lost on many.
ron thuemler
Tampa, Florida
As a dedicated environmental supporter and a geologist, I am greatly appreciative of the light shed on the devastation in the Atchafalaya Basin. It's true that these beautifully immense trees can be Louisiana's lifesaver and that logging is putting them at great risk. However, if we're going to point fingers at industry for not allowing the basin to maintain its "natural delta" environment, let us look back decades at the blocking of the Atchafalaya River itself by the Army Corps of Engineers. This was in response to a needed rise in the Mississippi to keep ships and therefore industry afloat and was done despite warnings from geologists and biologists. The river was robbed long ago of its natural shape, flow, and ability to sustain its great jungle of cypress trees. Everyone else seems to be just grabbing at what it has left.
jenny hord
West Brookfield, Vermont
Iron Age
"Dumping Iron" illustrates quite well the controversy over iron seeding the oceans in the hopes that it will prompt plankton that absorb CO2. History is full of examples of humans coming up with solutions to man-made problems that turn out to be even more destructive to the environment. If iron seeding is a viable approach, it must be guaranteed to not cause damage to marine ecosystems, and the answers must be found first in the laboratory.
captain paul watson
Founder and president
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Plowed Under
The photo essay "Depth of Field" was just like going home. Everything depicted is true, but the real driver for the exodus from Iowa is not just the lack of jobs—it's the tremendous cost of staying. The price and sophistication of tractors, for one, is astronomical. It's not unusual to find eight-wheel diesels pulling equipment that tills 80-foot swaths and is gps-navigated—costing as much as $200,000. Some people complain about federal farm subsidies. I feel that if they go to family farmers, they are not near enough.
jim timm
Portland, Oregon
Art Imitates Art
I'd like to clarify one of the criticisms raised in your Q&A with artist Shepard Fairey. As an archivist and political-poster scholar, my largest complaint about Fairey is his disregard for formal acknowledgment of source materials. Unfortunately, he's not alone. A casual attitude toward "recycled" images has become accepted practice and accelerates our historical and political amnesia. The simplest act of artistic ethics involves a tiny credit line and is the first step in keeping movement iconography in the public domain. The image credits for the article itself reveal the David-vs.-Goliath stakes: Fairey's photo is from one of the two gargantuan stock-photo corporations already privatizing massive amounts of our visual heritage. Obey Giant, indeed.
lincoln cushing
Berkeley, California
If I Had a Hammer
In "Chasing Darfur's Guns" Daniel Pepper says he "cocked and uncocked" a Glock pistol. With work experience in homeland security, I can say with confidence he did no such thing. No Glock has a hammer that can be cocked and uncocked. How can a person have confidence in this article?
joseph l. bass
Suffolk, Virginia
The editors respond: Though some gun enthusiasts and rappers (to wit: OutKast) like the sound of "cock" with "Glock," it is indeed more accurate to say that the "slide" of a Glock is "racked."
I assume that David Corn has a mental illness and that his ego rules his life.
Somehow he knows what is going on inside of Hillary Clinton's head and is convinced that she out to destroy the world. He came off as a pig. A scum sucking pig. I assume that Mother Jones must be a right wing organization as the folks on Fox News have shown more respect for Senator Clinton that this hack head.
I assume if he were as brilliant as he thought he was, he wouldn't be appearing on the Chris Matthews hate fest.
He makes me want to vomit.
Save the Jews. Atombomba, Iran, HAMAS.
My Lord – Christ – sends me to the Jewish people – to Israel – in order to help and warn them, since a very big danger is threatening them.
You can be in any position and situation; please You too help me to protect the Jewish people from the tragedy, which will take place soon! The evil of Hitler looks small beside the intentions of Iran, Syria and HAMAS.
This is not a threat, but the sad reality. Evaluating the present situation, You my Israeli friends – can be saved from the tragic end - only by God.
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Probably You think a lot about that such a person writes to You, who is the servant of Christ. and You deny Him! I tell you honestly, You are not more surprised than I am. At Christmas at midnight I got this personal order from Christ, and at Easter at midnight through the representative of Christ! And I don’t have to think about this, but because of the reason I don’t understand I have execute it and I will do it!
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I introduce myself: I am János Ónodi the apostle of Christ (one of the 12 apostles: the earthly reincarnation of the apostle Matthew). My title is His Holiness. In order to confirm the reality of my person, I reveal some of my unearthly abilities to you:
1. I can make a copy of your inner yourself and place it in front of me. I can see the functioning of all your organs, all your illnesses and your mistakes. I can see the possible reasons and the probabilities of all your future illnesses. You can control my words with medical instruments and examinations.
2. I can stop the progress of the illness and turn it to getting well.
3. I continuously communicate with the Unearthly beings.
Summarizing: From any distance I can call in front of me the inner being of the most of the people. And this is valid to the leaders of Iran, Syria, Russia and Israel. USA etc. This is valid to any leader, who architecture’s the world policy.
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I have secret information about the present and the future, which you can not even imagine, information about the intentions of Iran. Syria, HAMAS. I have information about the A-bomb aimed to Israel, about the state of it and the probability of action. I could list a lot of my unearthly abilities.
Our Lord Christ was already crucified by your ancestors. But, he still sends His servant - me- to help you at these critical hours. Among the many “stupid” Jews, who label me as being crazy, I hope there is one or two “clever one”, who say that:
“Before we judge upon, what he says, let us see the reality of it!”
Since, there is not such a “clever” person, whom your secret service could not uncover with appropriate experts and the lie-revealing instruments. We are ready to face this examination.
We have lived through shocking events! www.onodi3.extra.hu or
http://web.t-online.hu/onodijanos3
Contact data: e-mail: janos.onodi@t-online.hu
Sincerely yours,
Janos Onodi, Apostle of Christ
Please consider printing the article given below in your paper. Edit where needed.
DR. J. ALVA SCRUGGS
FRANK(LY) SPEAKING
OR LETTER TO EDITOR 1804 MAYFAIR DRIVE
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32303
PHONE&FAX (850)385-5750
E-MAIL JSCRU5750 (at) AOL.COM
Website ; http://franklyspeaking.info
THE WAR FOUGHT FOR THE FOURTH BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT, BANKERS AND COOPERATION!!
(WRITTEN April 4, 2008)
(UNEDITED, UNABRIDGED)
Americans must be perfectly honest at this critical time about this war with Iraq. This is not a war determined by the three branches of our government. Nor is it based on the Ideals of any clear and present danger to our nation and democracy.
First, our government now consists of a fourth powerful branch, the Banking Cooperation Branch. This branch has no bond the Ideals of America. It only has the cold objective of profit and power. The lack of a moral objective in this powerful fourth branch the decision to go to war with Iraq was not to spread Democracy. It was to gain leverage in the oil rich field of these Arab nations and to make money. (Mike Allen, Ex-spokesman's book blasts Bush administration, 2008) When our Congress was voting for or against this war with Iraq, they only considered the Ideals of the question because the real motives of “consumption” for the sake of profits were not given them as an option. (McClellen, What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception)
But look at how the expenditures for this war were handles. The whole thing was contracted and out-sourcing manufacturing to for “profit companies” some of which were overseas, and outsourced to mercenaries as Black Water, oil Companies as Mobil/Exxon and Halliburton to mention only a few. (Chris Hedges, The Corporate State and the Subversion of Democracy, From truthdig.com, June 2nd, 2008) The moving of manufacturing and American jobs over seas served the greater evil by cutting back the so called “middle class” and thus bring this class into a slow death by having the standard of living of Americans brought down to the levels of the third world instead of bring up the third world levels!! There is much more to be said about this movement of American manufacturing that is beyond the scope of this article. (e. g. beating the impact of unions)
Even the money to finance this war was secured from the sale of US Bonds to China and other nations while the FD Bankers received fees for this service and the interest paid by the American people on the loans!! Americans are now in debt to someone for over trillion dollars. It may be the private FD Bankers.
Devoid of Ideals and morals the Federal Reserve Bankers proceeded to look to enhance and promote the greatest arena for “excess consumption” known to man, that of a never-ending war, a war on “Terrorism.” Ironically these acts of terrorism are now and were being committed by the people (some of them Muslims) oppressed by business based on US soil. The Capitalist, who reside in our Banking Industry, is exploiting these nations. It is not the American government and citizens of America that are exploiting others. It is the cooperations that are hiding under the protective umbrella of the US Government.
In Addition, the Banking Industry has kept this G. W. Bush charade going by the used of the national media. The strategy was to use the media to keep the American citizens in a state of fear, emotion, confusion, and saturated with a litany of lies and convoluted things presented as facts. It became a presidency that held its position with a continual activity of campaigning and staging of show time Exhibitions as the landing of G. W. Bush on an Aircraft Carrier at sea declaring that we had won the war!!
Dr. J. Alva Scruggs, BS, MS, MA, EdD
Look Forward to Your Comments
E-MAIL JSCRU5750 (at) AOL.COM
Website ; http://franklyspeaking.info
Thank you Jamie Hyneman for talking about unicellular green algae on p.37. Is algae biodiesel not being covered in the media because it's too good a solution? What's up?
If the media continues to lump all boifuels into the same category the good stuff will get lost with the bad... the proverbial baby will be thrown out with the bath water.
National Geographic stepped up to the plate on this issue. Come on Mother Jones, you can do better!
The main reason is that I saw and still see the Democratic party as going in the direction of socialism.
An eample of this is when in 2004 the Democrats took over the Congress, they told us that they have a plan to bring down oil & gas prices. Isn't ironic that since Polocy said that, the pricesa have gone up almoct $2.00!
Why is it you say those who wrecked the economy are now working for John McGain. If you would of looked into the cause of it, yopu could only coclude that it was effected by an in apt congreess.
From what I have read in this so called magazine of yours, I con only come to the conclusion that you, the rditor and publisher are part of the problem. Your failure to show all the facts shows that you are not an honest nor reputible magazine.
Truly disgusted with your lack of facts and or you willingness to ignore them.
Your socialist activities are the biggest reason that this countfry is in great but, recoverable trouble.
Should you still have some Hoesty and true PATRIOTISM in some part of your Body, you will start to publish all the facts and not just what you think the facts are.
Truly Disapointed.
A Combat Veteran.
Lucien
May I ask for your response. please?
Kindly, I request your concern about a well hidden HMO's intentional battery involving patients surgery, without medical need, without theirs or their families knowledge or consent, as they sleep under general anesthetic with the intent and purposes other than their health care.
Thank you.
biribiri@bellsouth.net
Jupirena Stein
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC60EL0Xh18
McCain, Bush, Cheney, and GOP forced and shoved the now failed Energy Policy upon Democrats against strong objections! Now McCain and GOP want to pretend that “New” solutions are needed and want to forget their GOP INSISTENCE to rape and pillage the Country! McCain and GOP wanted Democrats to just lay back and enjoy being raped as Big Oil pocketed record profits!
The McCain, Bush, Cheney and GOP Energy Policy failure has now come home to roost and now the GOP pretends that they had nothing to do with it! McCain says “OH go drill more oil for Big Oil and everything will be OK again!” The total abject failure of the McCain GOP Energy policy must be squarely tied around McCain’s and GOP necks! It is completely OUTRAGEOUS for McCain now to ignore the blatant failed Energy Policy they insisted on and now claim in their BIZARE IMAGINATION that it must be the Democrats fault! NOT THIS TIME! McCain and the GOP ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ENERGY FAILURE AND MANY OTHERS AND MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY THE MEDIA!
Gore and Democrats pushed hard for responsible Global Climate Change legislation to increase conservation and alternate energy efficiency and reduce oil consumption that McCain, Bush, Cheney, and GOP JUST LAUGHED AT! IT IS TIME TO LAUGH LAST AT McCain AND THE GOP! Now we have 500 years floods and $140 oil going to $200! The Media must hold McCain Bush Cheney and GOP accountable and responsible for the TOTAL ABJECT FAILURE of the Energy Policy, except of course for the record BIG OIL PROFITS! FOLLOW THE MONEY!
Steve Kirslis
Atlanta GA
P.S. THIS EMAIL SENT OT ALL CONGRESS AND 500 MEDIA SOURCES!
Neither the HOLY SPIRIT, GOD nor JESUS approves of using force to gain freedom. Americans claim that they had our CREATOR’S approval for using armed force against the British to gain freedom.
JESUS is recorded as saying in Matthew 5:39, “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
In 70 CE the Jews used force to drive the Romans out of Jerusalem. The Roman army prevailed, resulting in the walls of the city being torn down and many of the Jews expelled.
JESUS had prophesied this would happen. Luke recorded the prophecy in 19:41-46. But as they came closer to Jerusalem and HE saw the city ahead, HE began to cry. “Eternal Peace was within your reach and you turned it down,” HE wept, “and now it is too late. Your enemies will pile up earth against your walls and encircle you and close in on you, and crush you to the ground, and your children within you; your enemies will not leave one stone upon another—for you have rejected the opportunity GOD offered you.”
Then HE entered the Temple and began to drive out the merchants from their stalls, saying to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘MY Temple is a place of prayer; but you have turned it into a den of thieves.’”
The Jews have not had peace since because JESUS included the phrase “and your children within you.”
There are two New Testament verses, that are misused, which tell us why the Jews lost their homeland and are still suffering today.
Matthew 16:19, JESUS is speaking to Saint Peter.
“And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; whatever doors you lock on Earth shall be locked Heaven, and whatever doors you open on Earth shall be open in Heaven!”
Matthew 18:18, JESUS is speaking to all HIS disciples.
“And I tell you this—whatever you bind on Earth is bound in Heaven, and whatever you free on Earth will be freed in Heaven.”
If we look in the Koran we find a verse which means the same as the two New Testament verses.
For Muslims, Koran, Sura 45:14. Mohammed wrote:
“He who doth that which is right, doth it to his own behoof, and whoso doth evil, doth it to his own hurt. Hereafter, to your LORD shall ye be brought back.”
Richard W. Wetherill 1906-1989
“Law of absolute right: ‘Right action gets right results, wrong action gets wrong results.’”
America makes a grave mistake in believing armed force is acceptable to GOD. They are next in receiving a rebuke similar to the Jew’s rebuke. Expect unusual fireworks this coming 4th of July.
Bob Robinson
109 E. Cherry St.
PO Box 161, New Sharon, IA 50207
641-637-4082 bbr7941@iowatelecom.net
A Bit of History, JESUS Weeps, Trafford Publishing
www.turntheothercheekbybob.net
20 June 2008
I would appreciate some explanation.
Tom Gordon, Dallas
I am sorry to see that Mother Jones' editors have apparently been snookered by the nuclear power industry.
More nukes are extremely dangerous Faustian bargains that we can ill afford.