letters
A mix of letters befitting a newspaper
from The Crossroads of the World
Dislikes The Panama News's collection of news,
opinions and analyses of the Iraq War
I served in the US Army during the 1980s. Most of my service was in beautiful Panama. I loved the country, the culture and the people. Fond memories led me to find this website which I visit occasionally to keep up with events in one of my favorite countries.
My reason for writing is the anti-American slant portrayed by this paper in regards to war in Iraq. Like most media coverage of the war, I find a litany of perceived mistakes, misdeeds and evil intents in regards to the war. But I find little or no mention of possible alternatives to going to war. And like in most other media organizations, there is little or no thought or mention given to what is possible if the war is successfully achieved and the Iraqis are allowed to democratically determine their own future.
It is common for media talking heads throughout the world to blame the war on "American Imperialism." A lot of people are claiming that the war is all about controlling Iraqi oil. Then there are the accusations of Bush and his associates making millions off of military contracts. Even if Bush and a handful of people led the US to war over power and oil (which I personally doubt), Americans as a group support the war for other reasons.
Though support of the war in America has recently dropped, more then 70 percent of Americans supported going to war. This number remained steady until news broke about the prison scandal, now most polls show support for the war at around 50 percent. Do 70 percent of Americans sitting around dreaming of becoming rich from Iraqi oil revenue? Do 70 percent of US citizens dream of an American Empire encompassing the Middle East? I can assure you that they do not.
Most Americans supported the war because the events of 9-11 are still fresh in their collective minds. If terrorists could wreak such havoc with a few jet airliners, what might they do with weapons of mass destruction? Did Saddam have such weapons?
We know that he did during the 1990s. He provided no verifiable data to prove that they were destroyed. He would not allow UN weapons inspectors into Iraq to verify his compliance with numerous resolutions. He was a sworn enemy to the United States, even attempting to assassinate an ex-American president. America had every reason to believe that WMDs in the hands of Saddam could easily end up in the hands of terrorists. These reasons are why Americans supported and continue to support the war in Iraq.
As for Bush's intentions in the war, while I believe they are honorable, it really doesn't matter if he had ulterior motives for going to war. Opponents of the war have given no reasonable alternative to the war. Sitting around in endless debate, passing useless UN resolutions, while one of the biggest murderers in world history sat on a cache of WMDs (weapons that were known to exist in the 1990's), people of the world did not have the will to act, that is why Americans supported going to war virtually alone.
The real issue now is whether Iraq will achieve its freedom. A democratic Iraq would go a long way to stabilize a volatile Middle East. As long as the people in the Arab world continue to live in hopeless misery it will always be fertile ground for recruiting terrorists. If the Iraqis manage to weather the storm and gain control of their own destiny, they can elect their own government, to include a government hostile to the US. They can sell oil to whom they want at what price they want. Thus the whole idea of America going to war over oil is in my view ridiculous. And nations who are making the claim that the war is about oil could best ensure that Iraqis control their own oil by supporting the process of democratization.
If the coalition fails in Iraq it will indeed be time to fill up the moat and to pull up the drawbridges. With Muslim populations surging in Europe, those countries are quickly becoming hobbled in regards to confronting the challenges we all face with the Arab world. The Muslim population in western countries are piles of tinder waiting to erupt into a conflagration. This fact is effecting and will increasingly effect European decisions and reactions towards Islamic fundamentalism worldwide. Europeans have no choice, they must walk on egg shells when dealing with Muslim issues and tendencies.
Has there ever been an instance where a growing population of Muslims in a country did not eventually reject the traditional governing authority and demand autonomy? When autonomy is not granted without struggle, violence has always ensued. No doubt European leaders have this dilemma in mind when considering the Iraqi War and the possible consequences of its fallout. This had to be a consideration when France with its 10 percent Muslim population chose to turn its back on its traditional allies. (The money France was skimming from the UN Oil For Food Program is another probable consideration).
The world will be no worse off if the US fails in Iraq. How can it get worse then the events of 9-11? The world will be incalculably better off if a vibrant democratic Iraq arises from the ashes of this war. It happened in Europe and Japan after WWII. It can happen in Iraq, if the world wills it to happen.
I wrote this long comment hoping to challenge the editor of this publication to step up and beyond printing only criticism of the Iraqi War. Criticism is necessary when there is an injustice or problem to address. However, it is useless unless followed by a change in the course of action. Instead of filling your publication with what the US should not have done, give some printed space to what it should do.
Was there an alternative to an Iraqi War that would have ensured Iraq had no WMDs?
Will the Iraqi people ever benefit from the oil resources of their country if America fails in Iraq?
Is there a viable alternative to the US succeeding in Iraq?
Is there any hope for world peace as long as the average Muslim throughout the world lives in squalor and misery?
Is there anything other then Hope that can eventually eradicate the environment that entices Muslim youth into becoming terrorists?
Address these issues and you will be doing a service to your audience. Failure to do so makes you just another voice in a chorus of visionless protesters.
Chris Wainscot
Indianapolis, Indiana
Fat is looking for you
Go to sleep Okke --- No one is looking for you. Your credibility and your audience are gone. You're past tense. Old news. Ineffective.
Jeeze, Okke! ... there goes the paycheck.
The adrenaline rush and the paycheck that you've been getting from the Bogus Boys in Bocas for being a public liar has used up its energy... from now on its diminishing returns Okke. Sayonara Okke, all good things come to an end, even yellow journalism. You're gone now, it's already happened, you've begun to fade... it will continue until you reach invisibility. You know it, I know it and now we all know it. You, me and everyone else, we are all very informed people. We saw you fade... you tried, but you struck out. You just don't have it Okke. You can't think, you can't write and your opinions stink. You're already going broke and the police are closing in.
Watch and see.
Editor's note: "Fat" is the alias of a member of Tom McMurrain's Angel Patrol vigilante group. The title of this letter is as was sent to The Panama News --- and to Okke Ornstein.
More from EscapeArtist.com
Mr. Jackson,
Evidently you and I have been added to an Okke Ornstein mailing debate with which neither you nor I have much to do. I have nothing to do with Okke, I've never met him nor do I care to. He did email all of my clients, (yes, all of them) and state that I was involved with some sort of scam operation with Tom McMurrain and his group. I do advertise Tom, along with thousands of other real estate companies.
I did discuss with my attorney whether we should remove Tom based on Okke's accusations; this was some time ago. My attorney responded by asking me if Tom had refunded all of the money requested by clients who requested refunds. I investigated and found that the answer was yes.
In fact I know of no one who has a complaint against Tom other than Okke. My attorney claims that Tom did get cheated when he began his first project here in Panama, but he is working to straighten it out and has applied for and has received title on properties and continues his effort to attain title on all parcels. My guess is that Mr. McMurrain is trying to do things right.
Yes, he pays me, but many people pay me. Melo pays me. Others more powerful than Melo pay me. I try to evaluate each in kind and I do my best to run a tight ship. If I ever hear that Tom does not refund money requested by a purchaser, then I will remove all promotion for him.
As I would with any of the others. We do have thousand of real estate listing on our website in all categories and we do what we can to make sure there are no scams.
Rolf Muller has sent me documents that do show that Okke did indeed molest an 11 year old girl and that he is a fugitive from justice. He owes £30,000 in child support to the child he abandoned and there are other factors. I don't care to dirty my hands on any of this... I am passing this on to you, but I certainly won't post it on the internet.
In the American vernacular, I don't give a shit. (I do care about the child, but it isn't my duty to be an international policeman.) I try to run an honest website and Okke has attacked my website again and again for no reason. If you knew his history you woud understand why.
As for your paper, I have had Panama News on my website for a number of years.
http://www.escapeartist.com/media18/panama.htm
I am tired of being accused of things I have not done. I would appreciate it if you would take all the negative information about my website off of your website unless you have personal information (proof) that it is true.
In addition, you might ask Okke if he has the name of one client of McMurrain who claims they were cheated. That can also apply to anyone who advertises on my website. In my opinion, Okke is doing a discredit to your newspaper. If you saw the dossier that I have seen on Okke you would be sickened as it does involve an 11 year old girl and that is just the start of it.
I have tried to stay out of this and I intend to stay out of this in the future, but I did want to state my case with you. Please review my website. It doesn't contain a bunch of scams. I am proud of my website and as it currently stands only one individual in the world is attacking it and one newspaper, yours.
Editor's note: Whenever Mr. Gallo or anyone else shows us that some specific thing that has been published on this website is inaccurate, The Panama News will run the appropriate correction.
Sea Island "Survivor" Chosen
Gerhard Schroeder of Germany has survived "Temptation on Sea Island" a web-based parody of reality television, where the general public judged the performance of G8 leaders in fighting AIDS.
An overwhelming three-quarters of voters immediately wanted either George W. Bush of the United States or Junichiro Koizumi of Japan off of the island.
The contest results, which can be viewed at http://www.MassiveEffort.org/G8 invited reality television fans to watch as "cast of eight is tempted to make more empty promises about fighting the global AIDS panemic," and then to and then to judge who they really believed.
During past G8 meetings and UN sessions, the leaders of the world's most industrialized countries created and promised to fully support the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and to commit between $ 7-10 billion by 2007 to fight AIDS. Currently, they have fallen way short in providing these funds.
Developed by the Massive Effort Campaign, a network of activists fighting AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, www.MassiveEffort.org/G8 was designed to help educate and involve web surfers and reality television fans in holding world leaders accountable for the promises they have made to fight the global AIDS pandemic.
Looking for old friends
Hello, my name is Andre Berman, I was stationed at Ft. Kobbe back in 1983. I am hoping that you, or someone you know, could help me to locate two very good friends of mine.
Jose Varaga was in the Panamanian Defense Forces, his nickname is Gato.
Perla Martinez was my girlfriend, she lived on Calle Ocho (8th St.)
I was involved in an accident there, and I was medevaced stateside... I am now hoping to find these two very important people....
Please let me know what I can do to locate them.
Thank you.
President so-so
The mawkish memorialization of the Ronald Reagan myth must have outraged some of the people who were mis-treated, mis-led, and made miserable during his administration.
I know it did me.
But, while the recollection by Former President George H.W. Bush that Ronald Reagan returned from his meeting with Bishop Desmond Tutu and quipped that it had been "so-so," may cause additional outrage, if history concludes that the presidency of Ronald Reagan was simply "so-so," his adherents and supporters can consider themselves lucky.
Because, at this point, only the Second George Bush's record is worse. Even Richard Nixon, who resigned in order to avoid being totally disgraced, is beginning to look better.
Of course, if Nixon's crimes had been appropriately dealt with, we might have avoided the criminal behavior of the Reagan and current Bush administrations. If the punishment of crime is supposed to send a message to those who are similarly inclined, perhaps being removed from office isn't punishment enough.
Stem cell bank a step backwards for humanity
The world's first stem cell bank opened recently in Britain.
Genetic science has great potential for either serving or degrading humanity. Its proper use requires moral reflection and the establishment of moral limits.
There are many uses of genetic engineering, such as "somatic cell" therapy, that are morally acceptable. In this instance a genetically determined malfunction in a particular kind of human body cell is corrected using genetically altered cells. The goal here is to serve human life and human dignity.
"Germ-line" therapy performed on early human embryos is more problematic because it alters the basic genetic constitution of the person and all of his or her future offspring. This type of therapy requires using reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization to produce embryos in the laboratory where they can be observed and manipulated. Here, a relationship of domination of researchers over their embryonic subjects exists which not only opens the door to new threats against life but is contrary to the dignity and equality that must be common to parents and children.
Genetic screening used for the deliberate destruction of human embryos can never be justified because here we are dealing with murder.
All governments have a moral obligation to protect human life in all phases of its existence from conception to natural death.
Paul Kokoski
Hamilton, Ontario
Please explain
All men were originally black. But when Cain killed his brother Abel, and God shouted at him, Cain was so frightened that he turned white and all his features shrunk up, making him the first white man.
An African version of the story
as related by Herb Boyd
This quote is in your recent publication. While it is not your quote, you are responsible for it.
This person quotes the Bible, but what he is saying is not in my Bible. Are you a racist? It seems that way. I read what you said about the piece of art, and the black model, and now you are attacking the bible. I guess you're just a racist a la Berkeley.
Editor's note: Wait a minute --- the Bible isn't the only version of this legendary scandal in the Adam and Eve family. But I can understand how ethnic humor that's moreover at variance with revered religious scriptures can offend people.
Mass murder in Tibet
Over one million people have been killed as a direct result of the 1950 invasion of Tibet by China, ruthless human rights abuses and a system of oppression and cultural destruction has been brutally enforced up until today.
During this time China has also committed other gross human rights abuses and contraventions of international laws and standards, and yet during this period not only has China not been effectively and sustainedly opposed and sanctioned, it has actually been massively supported in the form of vast cultural, capital and technological transfers and access to international markets and the international community.
Why does the international community practice such double standards and selective morality? Shouldn't the worst cases be addressed first? Why are the worst cases barely addressed at all?
When will international laws and standards be impartially and universally supported and applied?
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