RUSSO'S CHILDREN
Re: James Bowman's review of America:
From Freedom to Fascism:
I read James Bowman's article pertaining to the movie "America:
From Freedom to Fascism" and was disappointed in his review and
conclusions. Although I have not personally seen the movie, I have
read a summary of its content and am one of the nuts he describes
in his articles. I became one of these nuts several years ago when
I became thoroughly discussed with our income tax system and
wondered how we imposed such a horrendous system on ourselves. I
researched this all the way back to the founding of the country and
discovered that the Founders made it extremely difficult to impose
a direct tax on the people mainly due to the fact that it would
lend itself to the political corruption that we see today. Another
thing I found interesting is that a graduated income tax and
central bank were included in Karl Marx 10 points to communism. I
think if Mr. Bowman would do some research and just look at the
freedoms we have lost in this country and increasing power of the
Federal government in my short life time of 56 years he might come
to some of the same conclusions as Mr. Russo.
-- James W. Clark, CPA
Greenville, North Carolina
In his movie review, "America: From Freedom to Fascism," James Bowman claims that convicted tax protester Irwin Schiff and conspiracy nut Aaron Russo are working under the theory that "there should be no intermediary, no one entitled to such a position by knowledge, experience, or authority, who stands between them and the plain sense of the law." Bowman traces this idea to what he calls "Protestant fundamentalism."
In my opinion, it is simply false to trace the "no judicial intermediary" theory to the Protestant idea that the Bible doesn't need a priestly class to provide interpretations of it. That's either pro-Catholic opportunism on Bowman's part, or else anti-Protestant bigotry. Opposition to the tax laws is not a "Protestant" issue and this is the first I've ever heard such a claim. Tax rebels usually tend to follow nullification or interposition theories, which can be traced back to (ironically enough) James Madison, and also to Thomas Jefferson (not so ironically). The Civil War pretty much put an end to such ideas. For a critique of tax protestor arguments, please see the IRS site.
On the whole, however, I agree with Bowman's critique of
conspiracy theories. The nuts on both the right and left hold to
the idea of covert causation in history, and both are equally
anti-American, witness the title of Russo's movie.
-- Vern Crisler
When Mr. James Bowman pulls his fingers out of his ears and finally
wanders out of his happy place, he will realize how silly his
review is and how profoundly disconnected from reality he has
allowed himself to become. A few days in court will make a new man
of Mr. Bowman, resident scholar at the Ethics and Public Policy
Center.
-- Mark Yannone
Phoenix, Arizona
Anyone who considers America fascistic knows nothing of the history
of fascism. Such inappropriate usage of the term is symptomatic of
an inferior education.
-- David Govett
Davis, California
SHIELD THE IMAGES
Re: Christopher Orlet's Civilian
Shields:
It's indisputable that Hezbollah launch their Israel-bound missiles from civilian enclaves. What is becoming unmistakably clear is that the Islamist war criminals -- or, "freedom fighters" if you prefer -- choose their launch sites through a combination of cowardice ("Don't shoot! Can't you see there are women and children near me?") and media savvy ("Move the martyrs into position! Allah has arranged that the infidel bombs will strike in ten minutes! Cameras ready!").
As we begin to better understand the enemy and his depravity, a new code of ethics should be adopted by the media. It would go something like this: "We report on -- but do not show images of -- casualties that may have been staged by militants drawing fire into civilian targets."
These images are produced and directed by the jihadists.
Journalists should stop being the distributors of such
pornography.
-- GnuCarSmell
Jacksonville, Texas
COLLATERAL DAMAGE
Tell me, what were they doing there?
Implanted in a building where
It was forewarned a raging war
Was coming closer and more
Civilians should evacuate
Before death could be their near term fate,
Women and children did indeed die.
Were their husbands and fathers nearby?
Or were they abandoned by those they trusted?
Men whose hatred only lusted
For killing whoever got in their way,
Who were willing to sacrifice all whom they
With manliness should have defended and protected.
Love and courage were instead rejected
And lives thrown away with hardly a care.
Tell me, what in the world were they doing there?
-- Mimi Evans Winship
LOOK BUT DON'T TOUCH
Re: Patrick J. Michaels's Okay
Coral:
I enjoy scuba diving along the coral reefs of Florida's Atlantic
coast, and have been doing so for more than ten years. The Gulf
Stream comes within about a mile of shore from Jupiter south to
Boynton and Delray beaches and it's really quite a lovely spot.
When I dive, I am careful not to smack the coral with my fins or
drag any equipment over the reef, but I remember when I started
diving reading articles that practically screamed of the dire
consequences of any touch of humans on the reef. These doomsayers
actually said that the touch of one finger could kill the reef.
Believe me, I do what I can to enjoy, without disturbing, the
sights and residents of the reef, but these Cassandras need to get
a grip. Anyone who has watched parrot fish and giant sea turtles
feeding on the coral polyps and nurse sharks banging through coral
forests in search of a ledge to rest under probably realizes that
the denizens of the reef are far more destructive than humans --
all day, every day. And what kind of an effect do these alarmists
think a hurricane has? Lighten up, folks! Nobody can see the wolf
you keep crying about, because it isn't there!
-- Warren Mowry