Letters

originally published October 3, 2001

SOUND AND FURY

Living in the Forest Hills subdivision on Newton Bridge Road, I am within earshot of the Louisiana Pacific Plant, Plant Dahlberg and the proposed Enron Power Plant. Citizens who live near these plants are not being compensated for the incessant whining noise they produce; nor are we being compensated for the water usage and wastes these plants create. This area is sparsely populated and predominantly low income, and these two factors are akin to waving a red flag in front of a giant corporate bull. North Athens still has a lot of scenic beauty, but is fast being bulldozed and destroyed. This new power plant monster will degrade the North Oconee and Athens' air; it will supply power to people who live in other states while its owners receive fat dividend checks back in Texas; the transmission lines required for this project will engulf public and private land forever. In exchange for all this, the Athens government gets a $3 million/year bribe. This is NOT good development; it's the BAD kind! Thanks to Flagpole and Brad Aaron for reporting on this issue.

Scott Starling
Athens
CRAPOLA

Your article [Pub Notes, Sept. 26] was crapola. The problem always begins as this one did. We helped out the Afghans against the Russians. Then we left. They expected us to "welfare" them for the rest of their lives. When we stopped giving them weapons, money, and food we became the enemy. I personally do not hate a race, religion, or a country, I do hate terrorists, of which Osama bin Laden is one and so is the Taliban government. We need to give them a taste of their own medicine. Let them feel real terror. We are just as ready to die for our country as they are for their religion.

Steve
Email
PROPAGANDA

For years I have respected the Flagpole for providing an intelligent alternative to mainstream political views, but I cannot support this one-sided "green" party propaganda. Your socialist stance regarding the recent World Trade Center tragedies has completely enraged me and many of my friends. Pete McCommons' Pub Notes [Sept. 26] and a few selected letters in last week's edition suggested that we could defeat the terrorists simply by "loving" them to death, and that we can retaliate simply by increasing humanitarian and foreign aid, without taking any actions against the religious zealots who continue to oppress their people. It is precisely this method that got us involved into this whole "terrorist target" mess in the first place, because such fanatic leaders resent our helping hand and view it as a threat. The only result of such involvement in third-world countries, what President Clinton called "peace-keeping" missions, is a tighter grip in these dictatorial regimes and rampant propagation of an undying anti-American sentiment. This is the only way they know how to react, the only way they can react, and the only way they will react.

Your editor wants us to believe that these attacks are a direct result of the United States' decision not to sign the Kyoto Protocol, support of capitalist prosperity, and generally refusing to be degraded by socialist ideals. This is complete bullshit. The only way to prevent such another attack is to remove our unwelcome efforts and money from these hateful and backward countries and apply it towards a stronger national security (the real reason our country was founded). To claim that socialist ideas like the "Marshall Plan" should be extended into these uncivilized third-world countries looks to be an attempt at a New World Order, and it reeks of Communism.

Finally, I would like to point out that your position regarding this travesty is completely and utterly disrespectful towards the families of those lost in the attacks. For them, and for those who value the American way of life, the persons responsible for this must be brought to justice. We know that they are capable of another attack, and for their complete disregard for human life, they will pay the ultimate price. It MUST be done.

Daniel Gardner
Athens
THANKS

Thank you for the Pub Notes [Sept. 26] in this week's edition of the Flagpole regarding an alternative to war/military action in the Middle East/Central Asia. This is the first reasonable option I've heard or seen. Many voices have been calling for restraint, but no one seems to have a better idea. Thanks for presenting your idea of building something positive in that region rather than funding more destruction.

I hope you don't mind, but I sent a link to your article along with your name to Scott Simon at "Weekend Edition." They were asking a listener this morning for a peaceful alternative to military action, but he couldn't come up with a better answer than learning respect for diversity. That's just isn't going to cut it. I think you present an excellent alternative in your commentary.

Thanks again for a hopeful voice in the midst of this madness. I don't envy the hate mail you'll probably get. Hasn't seemed to stop you yet, thankfully.

Sandra
Athens
US ABROAD

David Youngerman's [Letters, Sept. 26] naive view that the U.S. has "come to the rescue of many 'starving people' over the years" is way overblown. The U.S. has been falling in its foreign aid giving, and is now behind various others relative to the size of our economy.

Yes, the U.S. takes some undeserved hits from being the biggest on the block. This torch-of-liberty stuff sells well at home, and we do have political freedom some would die for, but the truth is, we haven't exactly exported democracy. Our military defense of client states like Egypt and Saudi Arabia not only alienates the locals, it means we are actually paying far more for gas than just what we pay at the pump.

Ask the former middle class of Iraq about "forcing starving people to accept our 'empire.'" What, we destroy a country halfway around the world and our citizens don't even know it? Go figure.

John Huie
Athens

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