PublishaLetter Blog

“Republicans mistakenly believe that the Occupy movement will die when the first frost occurs.  They are wrong about that” said one of the many letters that talked about the Occupy Wall Street movement. Many letters complained about the GOP apathy to the movement. This letter continued on:” Whether we won’t to admit it or not we are witnessing a revolution of ninety-nine percent of the people in this country.  Republicans should be afraid, be very afraid.  Change is coming…”

Arguing the Conservative viewpoint another writer said:…..It seems to me that many of the demonstrators I see on TV are able-bodied persons who are probably unemployed, who are probably receiving unemployment checks from the government, and who certainly do not appear to be seeking employment.  Accordingly, I do not think it is unreasonable to cease issuing those unemployment checks to the otherwise able demonstrators.  Surely, they might then rethink the validity of their misguided goals, whatever these might be at the time.

Here are some excerpts from a few other letters:
-    Protesters are not policy makers. Their common point is that the system has become flawed, indeed, rigged by the industry-government axis that enables the 1% to ensure that government protects their interests above any kind of  serious reform

-   It is conceivable that a case can be made indicting culpable individuals for negligent or involuntary fraud, and if found guilty, the fines should be commensurate to the obscene reimbursements and awards these people reaped for their exploitation of naive employees and investors.

Read all the interesting viewpoints presented in so many well written letters Occupy Wall Street

“The passing of Jack Layton has caused the people of Canada to stop and take notice of a man who was revered for so many reasons” said a letter submitted to Publishaletter.

The letter went on to say….yet we seem to be unable to communicate, elaborate and promote the one trait that he carried with him at all times. That trait is called positive affirmation, the ability to see something positive in every idea, action or statement made by anyone no matter what their status is. If everyone did this, we would see less overall negative thinking which never accomplishes anything. …...My hope is that we will all learn something from Jack’s positive traits and make this country and other countries stronger while at the same time lowering overall stress levels.

Another letter said:  To those Canadians who only see Socialism when thinking of Jack Layton . . . consider   he was actually a public figure with empathy for fellow citizens in economic or status difficulty.

One writer found Christie Blatchford  column- RIP Jack Layton - “lacked grace and even civility”. The letter continued “I couldn’t help but think that the cold cynicism Blatchford exhibited is probably best countered with the hopeful optimism of a Jack Layton.”

Another letter thus summed it up: Most of us who took part in Jack Layton’s funeral whether in Roy Thomson Hall, on the streets of Toronto, or in our homes were moved by the spirit of love and hope and promise that lightened the heaviness of loss. A spirit of unity was set loose throughout the land as we remembered and celebrated this life well lived.

RIP Jack Layton

Corruption in modern India is like air, water and dirt - it’s everywhere. Most Indians takes it in stride - considering it as part of their daily lives. That was perhaps until now. The series of high profile scams - from Common Wealth Games to 2G spectrum allocation may have been the final straw(s). The agitation against corruption by by Anna Hazare has brought out passions rarely seen amongst Indians who are so jaded by constant discovery of one scam or another.

The letters pouring in PublishaLetter are mostly supportive of Anna; some comparing it  to Gandhiji’s movement. Some, on the other hand, see it  simply as a political stunt. Here are some excerpts:

• Perhaps the inner urge to become another GANDHI is dominating his (Anna’s) resolve. It is not his fault. We are all living as if we are fighting the British although the Britishers left this country 64 years ago. Our approach to life has not changed at all……It is good that Anna has started his war against corruption. He is a hero and I wish success in his endeavour. It is easy to start an agitation. But it may perhaps be beyond Anna’s power to control it.  Only laws cannot eradicate this malady.
• Corruption resides in Indian Society. I  appreciate the great pains Anna Hazare and other civil society member are taking to cleanse the Indian Polity of all the corruption. But I am sorry they have all got it wrong. It is not the politicians who are corrupt , it is the society and  the citizens who for their smallest comfort go all out to beget corruption. Don’t the lawyers fight for the  criminals knowing fully well that the person is guilty?
• And finally there was a poem -Here is a modified version of a poem, with apologies to the poet Iqbal.
  Though the script is English, lyrics are Hindi,  meant to support the fight against corruption by Mr Anna Hazare.

  Sare jahan se bhrasht hai hindostan hamara
  Ab mar raha hai bhrashton se yeh gulsitan hamara

  Parbat se bhi uncha corruption yahan aasman sa
  Ghooskhor hai shasan neta bhi sab bhrasht hamara

  Bhrashtachar hi sikhata unko apas na bair rakhna
  Wohi leader hamare, mazhab se kare desh ka batwara

  Kucch to hai hasti mitati nahin par khoon uble  hamara
  Bhrashtachar hi bana hai dushman bada hamara

  Iqbaal, muaf karna, zuzta hai ek Anna hi Hamara
  Hum saath hai Anna ke, chahe chunaav hi ho dubara.

For more letters , please go to Publishaletter.com.

While most people are shocked by the anger unleashed in the UK riots, we have received many thoughtful commentary on the reasons behind these eruptions. You can read them all in PublishaLetter.com. Here are some excerpts:

• Thomas Hobbes, the English philosopher, said (more or less) that the life of a man in nature is nasty, brutish and short. He went on to argue that, aware of this, men contracted with each other in the vague form of a Social Contract for the purpose of trying to engineer a state of self-preservation for themselves and for others. From this form of social contracting came about the semblance of an essentially Good Society.

However, for this Good Society to work – a number of conditions had to prevail. Not least of these is that the individuals entering into the contract had to believe that they had a self worth preserving. In addition, they also had to believe that others understood this and would stick to their part of the bargain.

So, the Good Society works because individuals want to protect and preserve what they have (whether that be material things or relationships like family and friends), and because they are confident that others feel the same way and will act in a reciprocal way to sustain (more or less) the status quo…………

Until we can somehow get young people to start believing they have something worth protecting by mutual consent and action rather than the pseudo society created in “social media” etc, there will remain the potential for all this looting, robbing, burning and dis-respecting to return to our streets time and time again.

• Perhaps one good thing to come out of the awful last few days, I  have seen  there are a lot of like minded people, of all ages, ethnic groups, who really care about the values of this country, abhor the  behaviour of a minority and could now bond together to  create  a  stronger  bigger  society for the benefit of us all

The on-going debt ceiling talks are generating passionate letters from from both conservatives and liberals. Many letters to PublishaLetter are questioning if Speaker Boehner is completely boxed in by the extreme ideology of the Tea party. Here are some excerpts from a few letters.

• with the looming threat of a downgrade in the US bond rating, all of us will be asked to pay higher “taxes” in the form of the higher interest rates that will result . The obvious consequence of this ideological posture will profit lenders rather then help pay down our national debt.
  Boehner, Cantor and those propelling us towards this outcome are educated men who have studied economics. I am confident they are fully aware of the interest rate hikes their policy is about to impose. Who will profit and who will lose by this ideology is transparent.
• Speaker Boehner’s zeal to have his way regardless of the consequences is not just malfeasance it’s much more.
• Tea Party and their greed and materialism, favoring the wealthy, is the source of our federal debt ceiling / federal budget deficit, and their attempts to destroy our National Network Of Social Safety Net Programs.
• Speaker Boehner (Boner) failed to understand that his job was really to provide for the common good of all of the people.  Not just the one’s he liked and got campaign contributions from

Not every letter is against the speaker or the Tea Party, of course. A letter titled ” In Praise of Tea Party” said: Standard and Poor’s knows it, Moody’s agency knows it, Wall Street knows it, Main Street knows it and the Tea Party knows it. “It” is the need to get our deficit under control by reducing spending…..This country’s heritage is that of citizen involvement and constitutional principles. Thank goodness for the politicians who embrace that heritage and for the Tea Party, which is awakening the citizenry.

Love Speaker Boehner? Hate Speaker Boehner? Want to write a letter to the editor about the drama in Washington or just want to read what people are saying about it? Visit Publishaletter.com