BAGHDAD’S BEST
Re: Shawn Macomber’s Metal
Militia, Eastern Divison:
A little musical outfit from Liverpool once sang, “You say you
want a revolution/ Well, you know/ We all want to change the
world.” Great rock ‘n’ roll (and, yes, I am of the generation that
called music from the heart and soul rock ‘n’ roll and not rock)
has always been about revolution and catharsis. The quality of the
catharsis is based largely on the strength and fierceness of the
forces against which one is rebelling.
American and British youth once had a great deal against which
they could throw themselves in their struggles to define
themselves: society was rigid and social roles were clearly laid
out, but the great social experiment of the Sixties destroyed, or
greatly realigned, the standing mores. The youth that grew up in
the Post Punk America and Brittan grew up in a more stable and
affluent world than did those who came of age between the mid
Sixties to the mid Seventies.
Their rebellion, still a necessity of modern youth, was of a
more flaccid nature because many, if not most, social barriers had
been overturned. Making a revolution from the comfort of your
parents’ upscale house is not easy; the enemies are often phantasms
and delusions. Acrassicauda has real agents of opposition and
antagonism against which they are rebelling. Their sound is loud
and powerful because the energy released in their struggle against
the man (i.e., state sponsored censorship and staid imams) is
powerful and real.
To them and those like them, Viva la Revolution and Long Live
Rock and Roll.
— Ira M. Kessel
Rochester, New York
Thank you, Mr. Macomber, for your review of this documentary and
pointing out the problems with Western “hard” artists such as
Metallica and Radiohead. There are a few heavy metal songs I enjoy,
and I’m not ashamed to admit that. But it does seem that the more
successful these bands become, the worse they become.
Most of their eternal whining reminds me of something a friend
of mine in high school told me. “It’s really hard to be in the
upper-middle class.” Well, now that I’ve made it to the
middle-class, I don’t have any problems with it. And of course, I
have refused to spend a single penny on anything Metallica has ever
done due to their attacks against Napster. Really, to think that a
band that got its name recognition through the distribution of
boot-leg tapes would become so incised over a higher-tech
equivalent…
But to the members of Acrassicauda: Rock on!
— Charles Campbell
Austin, Texas
COMPROMISE PACKAGE
Re: Jeffrey Lord’s Freedom and
the View From Obamaland:
Yeah, we all know what the real Democrat party wants to do to
the liberties of their dissenters. But the Republicans chose John
McCain.
His response would sound something along the lines of: “I would
talk to my friends across the aisle, and work out a compromise
package.”
— P. Aaron Jones
Sadr City, Michigan
Senator Obama and a number of other liberals are in good company:
Castro, Kim Jung Il, Lenin, Stalin, Pol Pot and Adolf Hitler, just
to name a few. Is anybody really surprised?
Fidel Castro came to power, ostensibly, to remove a rather
oppressive military dictatorship and stayed to perpetuate an even
more oppressive communist dictatorship. In 1935, it was Adolf
Hitler who said, “This year will go down in history! For the first
time, a civilized nation has full gun registration! Our streets
will be safer, our police more efficient and the world will follow
our lead into the future!” Lenin and Stalin promised a “Worker’s
Paradise.” The people of Russia are still waiting; those that are
still alive. In the People’s Paradise of North Korea, the people
can only eat if China ships them food. In Pol Pot’s Cambodia it was
necessary to kill 2 million people who just couldn’t seem to “get
with the program.”
Today, 60% of the world’s population can barely afford to eat.
Yet, 90% of Americans can afford to pick up a $4 double mocha latte
on their way to work every morning? Why? Because America works. And
as the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The only
thing that is broke, in this country, is Liberalism. Maybe it is
time to fix that.
— Michael Tobias
Jeffrey Lord’s assessment of leftist Democrats’ fascist ambitions
is accurate, but he fails to mention the real kicker: the
electorate may actually want it. Authoritarian government requires
less personal responsibility, less thinking and less input. The bet
here is many Americans have little problem with having someone
telling them “what to do, and when to do it.”
Forty years of pumping intellectual sewage through our public
schools was not for nothing.
— Arnold Ahlert
Boca Raton, Florida
Chilling.
Can you figure out a way to get a copy of Jeffrey Lord’s
frightening but all-too-accurate scenario into the hands of every
registered voter in the country?
More chilling. Can you figure out a way to get all of them to
read it?
— A. C. Santore
Jeffrey Lord hit a grand slam with his article! I have long
believed that there are people in our own government who would as
eagerly deprives us of our rights as any Nazi or Communist would
have.
— Dean Vander Linde
Grand Rapids, Michigan
EVILCRATS
Re: G. Tracy Mehan, III’s McCain’s
Missouri Break:
Why should conservatives worry about Missouri or the 2008
elections if it elects a Republican or Republicans? In 2006 a
significant number of self-described “conservatives” believed it
was more important to punish Republicans than defeat Democrats,
throwing away an election or two was good politics and “blue dog”
Democrats were conservatives (gag) — magical thinking at its best.
Based on sentiments routinely expressed in the alternative media,
there are plenty of these anti-Republican “conservatives” still
around touting Democrat propaganda that President Bush and
Republicans are bad for the country… So why should conservatives
worry about Missouri and the 2008 elections when by their actions
many of those who claim to be “conservatives” seem ready to further
empower Democrats?
It’s simple: Democrats erroneously believe taxes are too low,
drilling for oil in the US is wrong, national health care is good
medicine, Social Security and entitlements don’t need reform, any
border security is too little too late so why do it, it’s more
important to make Europeans happy than America powerful, appeasing
Muslim terrorists will make America safer, fighting Muslim
extremists in their own backyard is a bad idea, too many babies are
born in the US, the handicapped make great political pawns,
American corporations are evil, small business is exploitive, labor
unions represent working Americans, supporting the troops means
betraying them in war, there isn’t enough government spending on
failed programs, more Democrat earmarks is money well spent, Robert
Byrd is fiscally conservative, alternative energy sources will make
America energy independent, “cap and trade” is good for business
and the environment, Michelle Obama loves America, Jay Rockefeller
is a patriot, Jesus advocated homosexual marriage in the Sermon On
the Mount, traditional Christians are Bible thumping morons, it
isn’t racism if you’re an ordained African-American hate monger,
fairness means gutting the First Amendment, the Second Amendment
insures criminals and terrorists have the right to guns in the US,
GITMO is a hellhole, the Iranian theocracy is misunderstood, we
need to be like Europe and pay more for gas not less, Hugo Chavez
and Robert Mugabe are role models, there’s no difference between
the two parties, McCain is too old and Barack Obama is experienced
enough to be President.
However you slice it Democrats are dangerous. No matter how
unappealing voting for the lesser of two evils may be for some
people it’s still better than allowing evil to win.
— Michael Tomlinson
Jacksonville, North Carolina
About two weeks ago, America Online (AOL) ran a few “straw polls”
which showed McCain beating Obama by 55% to 45%.
In one of those polls, over 440,000 people voted. In another
poll 27,000 people voted, with McCain winning by the same margins.
Once you vote in one poll you cannot vote again.
Does it mean anything? I think it does. From previous polls I
have seen on AOL, voters tend to lean a bit left.
I realize this is anecdotal evidence from me, but I thought you
might find it interesting. Also, I found it as a glimmer of hope
for the Republic!
— John Fox
Carrollton, Texas
FOUND ON ROAD DEAD
Re: Larry Thornberry’s Having It
Both Ways:
The nation is never well served when Democrats pick the
Republican nomination for President. It has happened twice in my
lifetime. The first time was when Nixon was force out. The
Democrats did not want a strong Republican for President and they
went looking for a complete zero. They found Gerald Ford. His only
ambition in life was to go to Palm Springs and play golf with his
Democratic golfing buddies. That is all he was good for.
Now we have John McCain. Also chosen by the Democrats and their
friends the “leadership” of the Republican Party. A man with no
morals (Keating 5? Dumping of first wife? Beer distributorship?
Indian Casino?), no plan, no brains, no energy, no enthusiasm, he
is another zero much like Ford. Come election time he no doubt will
do even worse than Ford.
— Burton J. Hollabaugh
Marion, Indiana
With apologies to Gerry Goffin and Carole King:
We need the oil so badly
Democrats will ban drilling, sadly
Today you say that drilling is okay
But will you say so tomorrow?
Is this your final position?
Or are you still in transition?
Don’t take away the things you said today
Will you still say them tomorrow?
Unless the oil is flowing
Down from the land of the midnight sun
Gallons of gas will be going
Very soon for $10.01
I found your words so thrilling
When you said “Go start drilling”
So tell me now, and I won’t ask again
Will you still say so tomorrow?
— Byron Keith
LOCK AND LOAD
Re: Robert VerBruggen’s Uneven
Stevens:
The nexus between private firearms ownership and military
service was established in the early 1960s. The army commissioned
the Arthur D. Little, Co. to survey American soldiers. The main
difference was that one group had firearms experience prior to
entering the army, and the second group had no prior firearms
experience. The group with firearms experience tended to do better
in all forms of training, including subjects that did not involve
weapons or woodcraft. It was also discovered that the group with
prior firearms training were more likely to be enlistees, rather
than draftees, were more likely to sign up for the combat arms
branches, like infantry, armor, & artillery, were more likely
to volunteer for combat assignments, and were more likely to
re-enlist or select the army for a career. Thus, it was discovered
that private ownership weapons is connected with the quality of our
armed forces. This should not be surprising, in that during the
Civil War, it was discovered that when urban soldiers entered the
army, they did not even know how to load firearms, resulting in a
sudden need for recruits to receive firearms training. The second
amendment is not restricted to the right to be in the army or
militia, because private ownership of firearms results in superior
soldiers.
— James Patterson
CLEAR AND PRESENT STUPIDITY
Re: Derek Eddy’s letter (under “Delahunt in Disgrace”) in Reader
Mail’s Al Qaeda’s
Spotter:
Okay, so I’m a day behind in my reading (Wedding anniversary
Sunday; late night, much rich food), but I need to point out to Mr.
Eddy that on September 11 al Qaeda walked through Logan Airport
(there’s video of it) on their way to slaughtering the 3,000 people
Mr. Eddy dismisses so blithely. Evidently, al Qaeda walking the
hallways of East Boston doesn’t rise to Mr. Eddy’s standard of
national defense.
— Reid Bogie
Waterbury, Connecticut
