The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Second Helpings

12.4.03 @ 12:01AM

GORE THINK
Re: Gene Healy's Cruelty to Smokers:

Regarding the ludicrous article, "Cruelty to Smokers," this diatribe is
just more proof that the Cato Institute = tobacco people.
-- Dave Johnson

SECONDS
Re: The Washington Prowler's Tokyo Hillary:

An interesting detail that most have overlooked turns out to be one of those revealing "little things": Senator Hillary ate the soldiers' food during her visit. President Bush served food to the troops.
-- Thomas E. Stuart
Kapa'au, Hawaii

You write: "If Clinton was aware of her ... unpopularity, she didn't seem to care. Almost immediately after landing in Iraq, she began bad-mouthing the Bush administration to the military personnel she met....

But I see Hillary Clinton making great strides in her relationship with the military. Though she and her entourage reportedly cut into the chow line, forcing many to wait an hour or longer for their Thanksgiving meal, I have yet to see a report of Hillary demanding that military personnel act as waiters or busboys. This is great progress for Lady Hillary, and should be noted by the Prowler.
-- Dan Martin
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

STILL SOROS
Re: Jackie Mason & Raoul Felder's The Sorry Tale of George Soros:

The article by Mason & Felder on George Soros was shocking to read.

An American, I have lived the past three years in Budapest, Hungary and I am proud to have been a witness to Soros's engagement in the development of democratic values in Hungary and in neighboring emerging democratic countries. George Soros is a classical liberal (some might rather say, libertarian) and a strong advocate of open societies in the mode of his mentor, Sir Karl Popper. His position on the estate tax could be taken from the pages of any of the classical liberal economists. George Soros has been willing to put his money where his mouth is and support the development of open societies in a variety ways, but chiefly through education, for example, in founding Central European University, promoting debate societies for young people, or sponsoring programs to educate and train member of the Roma minority.

Sadly, I have also been witness to a real and virulent anti-Semitism which has constantly had George Soros and his values as a central public target. In Hungary, as well as in other central European states, the political rhetoric of the nationalist right has come to focus its attacks on a nexus of persons and ideas, in which Soros, classical liberalism, and open societies are central and barely disguised terms of anti-Jewish rhetoric. In fact, in the past election cycles, the extreme right has come to both target liberalism rather than socialism, and identify explicitly or tacitly liberalism with Jews. Even more alarming, the mainstream right -- led in Hungary by ex-Prime Minister Victor Orban, a former Soros scholarship recipient -- has either tolerated or joined in such rhetoric.

George Soros is at the frontline, a frequent target of virulent anti-Semitic verbal attacks and physical threats. That his own opinion on issues like estate taxes or the current policy of the government of Israel should differ from that of Messrs. Mason and Felder should -- in our own open society -- be the basis of deep discussion and reasoned debate. It is a shame that instead a consequential reading of Mason & Felder leads to no other surmise than that they would have rather had Soros and his family perish in the Holocaust than survive. Here, on the democratic frontier, I must say, thank God that George Soros has survived and thrived.
-- Daniel Wolf
Budapest, Hungary

Jackie Mason used to be very funny. He is much less funny today. I thing his bashing of George Soros has gone over the line. Apparently, Mr. Soros's passing as a non-Jew helped him survive the Holocaust so what exactly is the point in raising the issue. I hope Mr. Mason has invested well so that he will have more than enough money to pass on to his heirs that in the past would have been subject to the estate tax. I say that because if the failure of his last production is any indication, it appears he won't be earning much money in the future from his comedic talents. No more Ed Sullivan Shows around to showcase your funny Jewish routines that made many Jews laugh uncontrollably through their unconfortableness. Oh I forgot, he was band from his show by Mr. Sullivan who didn't like his giving him the finger in front of millions of people. Though you denied making the "gesture," those of us who saw it knew what it meant. Mr. Mason is a real classless guy. And his being a Rabbi does not complement that calling. No one is perfect, but Mr. Mason is really one to criticize another person, particularly one with the accomplishments of Mr. Soros..
-- Jim Margolis

NEWBIE OR NOT NEWBIE
Re: William Tucker's Oldies v. Newbies:

William Tucker's perspective in "Oldies v. Newbies" is right on! What is truly frustrating, however, is that liberals tend to be the worst "rent seekers" and justify their use of government to preserve their privileged position by invoking all of the traditional bogeymen of the left. The hue and cry of the liberals is predictable: "We must protect our environment by preserving open space." "We must protect the rural nature of our community." "Farms form the backbone of our community." "We will loose the essence of our culture if more subdivisions are built." Hogwash. It all comes down to greed. It is that simple.
-- Rob Kampfner

There is a flip side to Mr. Tucker's article. It is that in many cases those who came before created a land that suited them well. Then, a bunch of new folks moved in and decided that it was not to their liking. Rather than accepting the fact and moving on, they chose to stay and create their own little narrow world much to the unhappiness of those who came before. Case in point: The state of Oregon. There was a time when Oregon was a conservative Republican state. Our elected officials were, for the most part, honorable and served the voters well through enlightened management and reasonable laws. Then came the carpetbaggers, especially those from California who fled their sorry state for the fields of Oregon. Disclaimer: I'm a native-born Oregonian and I thoroughly resent those who want to make the state in their image.

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Taxes, Education, Hillary Clinton, Television, Business, Environment, Hollywood, Movies, Law, Supreme Court, Military, Iraq, Israel, NATO, Socialism, Unions