By: E&P Staff Here are a few quick takes on the hot topics of the day.
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CATO Just Believes in Privatization -- of IntegrityRe:
Payola Pundit Doug Bandow Resigns From Copley News ServiceCATO just believes in privatization -- of integrity, honor, and opinions. CATO originally was a fairly reputable libertarian group, but has sunk so far into the embrace of radical extremist neocons that now they are just shills. This confirms it on an individual basis. Doug Bandow can simply go to Russia, where paying reporters and policy people for favorable coverage is normal. (I spent 2 years there reporting on the collapse of the empire). Russians would strangely assume I was being paid by the American government. Putin would love Bandow. He already picks his friends well (i.e. Abramoff).
Everything's for sale in the Gold Rush greed and corruption that Bush has inspired. These right wing "think" tanks would start with a policy that they wanted to propagandize, then gin up numbers and arguments to support them. They never did honest analyses.
Michael HammerschlagCranston, R.I.
http://hammernews.com***
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Newspapers Played Key Role in Dover 'Intelligent Design' DebateWe outsiders haven't thought about the repercussions described in your
editorial. These costs in time, reputation, and dollars should be
placed front and center for future school boards considering this ill
advised path. Is there any organization in the U.S. that can put your
points in a simple pamphlet and on a website for future use? I'm sorry
that Dover has had to go through all of this. Importantly, the Judge's
decision does show that at the bottom of our system we have apparent
intelligence and a useful constitution.
Steve WessellsLas Vegas, Nev.
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Contemplating Airline SecurityRe:
Fact Checking the Feds in Airport ShootingThe entirely overlooked aspect of this shooting comes from the name of these marshals itself -- sky or air. Both imply to me that they are in place to intervene only when the airplane is in flight. Until this situation exists, there is no great threat from passengers who have been practically strip-searched in order to get on the airplane in the first place. An airplane on the ground is just a huge paperweight. Only in flight is it a potential weapon.
Ignored by the media is the fact that these marshals shot and killed an unarmed man who had passed through security and did so while the airplane was not only on the ground but also when he was not even in it! Had he shouted in his deranged state in Miami, "I am going to plow this airplane into the Eiffel Tower in 23 seconds," and then ran off and refused to comply with the officers' commands, would this have been justification for the shooting? I think not.
There is a huge training and judgment problem here. These folks should be trained to stay in their seats and keep their weapons holstered until the airplane is airborne or unless an actual attack takes place. Only then is there a genuine threat to the airplane, those on it, or those on the ground below it.
Bill Marvel San Pedro, Calif.
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Re:
New 'NY Times' Shocker: FBI Spied on Activist Groups A few months ago when I first learned of the ridiculous spying going on in only left-leaning groups, I increased my donations to the ones I belong to, and I joined the ACLU for the first time. I doubt I'm the only person who had this reaction, and I doubt Bush had that result in mind when he decided to play king.
Mary ChipmanSaint Ann, Mo.
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Re:
'NYT' Gets Strong Blog Response to Holding Spying Story -- Keller Offers ExplanationBill Keller is full of it. Add their efforts in concert with the Bush Administration to the Diebold fiasco in Ohio and you have the rape of America by a plethora of treasonous phonies.
The only people George W. Bush is spying on is good Americans who do not agree with his vile policies.
Where are John Kerry and Al Gore? Why don't they remove this corrupt administration and work on healing this great nation?
Joe Viglione
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