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November 2004

As the ATol resident philosopher and historian Spengler makes another attempt at understanding (God bless him) in his [Nov 30] article What makes the US a Christian nation, I find myself rushing to his aid. At the moment, I have found Spengler's best adviser to be the philosopher Supervisor Chalmers, a character on America's favorite cartoon show, The Homer Simpson Show, who said, "God has no place within these walls, just as facts have no place within organized religion." It would behoove Spengler to visit an American church and see who the congregation is. He will find mostly elderly people who come for companionship, recognition and comfort from each other in a religious setting along with a sprinkling of interchangeable thirtysomethings who come to church to give their children the same as was given to them by their parents, which is a few years of Sunday school so that their children can grow up to be like themselves and be susceptible to manipulation by guilt for not having been regular churchgoers. The rest of America's religious congregation divides itself between TV cartoon philosophy and TV evangelicals in funny-looking wigs like Spengler's.
Beth Bowden
Texas, USA (Nov 30, '04)


Dear Spengler [What makes the US a Christian nation, Nov 30]: A comment on the formation of the US constitution. Americans practiced constitutional government in the 13 Colonies for well over a century prior to the writing of the present constitution. The constitutions of Connecticut and Pennsylvania of that era were written by what would be considered today Christian fundamentalists with an explicit reliance on the Bible as a source of principles. They served as models for the US constitution in many respects. Far from being an example of secularism, the US constitution was an organic development from radical Protestant antecedents. Enlightenment concepts and references to ancient Greece and Rome as found in the Founding Fathers were retrofitted on to a system of government derived from Puritan and Quaker ideas and English traditions.
Jeff Alexander
Visalia, California (Nov 30, '04)


I found Alex Wallenwein's article (US gives euro a long rope [Nov 30]) a little hard to figure out until I saw that he is the editor and publisher of a guide to investing in gold. Now it makes a lot more sense to me. I remember that when the euro was first created, and dropped like a stone, gold bugs were warning that the US government was secretly behind the euro's fall in order to destroy it as an alternative to the dollar. Their conclusion? Buy gold. Now that the euro has strengthened, Mr Wallenwein warns us that, yet again, the US government is secretly behind the euro's rise in order to destroy it as an alternative to the dollar. His conclusion? Buy gold. Lucky for us that gold bugs are able to ferret out and warn us about all these conspiracies.
Michael Pettis
Peking University (Nov 30, '04)


The value of the dollar now lies in the hands of merchandise- and oil-exporting countries, [which] are continually being ask to support the US current account deficit by purchasing or recycling US dollars back into US treasuries. This seems to be coming to an end simply because who wants to purchase either equities or bonds in an depreciating currency? As rates rise to protect the dollar, bonds will fall, so foreign investors will be facing a double wham, a currency trading deficit and lower bond pricing. What will the world's central banks be doing as they watch their US foreign-currency reserves depreciate? Will they switch to euros? How will oil pricing be stabilized? One short and easy answer is to switch to a euro standard for trading oil. This is being talked [about], but what effect would this have on the US dollar? No demand and no recycling back dollars to US treasuries means a collapse of the US dollar [by] as much as another 50%. Currency and bond-market failures do occur and the US is now facing this. The US is now basically a welfare state, demanding [that] other countries support [Americans'] excessive lifestyles. Many countries as well as individuals are now questioning whether this support is warranted.
Allan (Nov 30, '04)


I refer to the article Anti-Semitism peddled in Southeast Asia by Keith Andrew Bettinger (Nov 30). As much as Bettinger would like to whitewash the Jewish power over the USA and most of Europe, one cannot escape noticing this power in action. It is no secret that the main proponents of wars against Muslims and Arabs are Jews in America, starting from Wall Street finance houses, Hollywood moguls, and the neo-con cabal to organizations such as AIPAC [the American Israel Public Affairs Committee] and the World Zionist Congress. Since before the creation of the state of Israel this power has been in action overtly and covertly pushing the racist agenda of disenfranchising Muslims and Arabs, destroying their economies [and] their culture and killing people. In spite of the massive and incessant propaganda through world media, and slanderous articles and movies against Islam, Muslims and Arabs in particular, and in spite of imposing muzzles on people in the USA and Europe by means of laws rammed through their parliaments and legislatures, by mainly Jewish interests, people do realize that it is the Jews who are hatemongering and not the other way around. The killings in Palestine and Iraq are real and not some fiction or Hollywood movie. The policymakers in America who have pushed these wars are Jewish and that is a fact. Just because the world media [do] not report these facts, out of fear for Jewish power, does not mean that it is not a reality. We Muslims are on the receiving end of this vicious Jewish power and Bettinger and his ilk will never convince us otherwise. We do not buy the "anti-Semitism" hocus pocus.
Vincent Maadi (Nov 30, '04)

One of the notable features of Jewish-conspiracy theories is their endurance in the face of obvious contrary evidence. While it may be true that Jews are disproportionately represented in some fields such as filmmaking, the influence they wield is routinely exaggerated, even on those (rather rare) occasions when they are backed by much larger groups - eg right-wing Judeo-Christian cabals in the US that currently have some sway over US foreign policy, especially vis-a-vis Israel. The sheer numbers are against anti-Jewish theory (about 13 million Jews worldwide versus about a billion Muslims), as are Jews' demonstrably diverse voting patterns, disparate income levels and, at least outside Israel proper, deep divisions on the Palestine issue. - ATol


I used to read your site religiously. For close to two years I devoured every article written. I was interested in the Muslim view of news. I felt your site did an excellent job with news of Pakistan, China, etc. Then I noticed something odd. The familiar writers I remember reading suddenly disappeared and were replaced by people with Indian-sounding names. These men then proceeded to write article after article of anti-Muslim propaganda - the same stuff I can read in the daily newspaper. The same propaganda I had originally gone to ATol to escape. During this same period, the number of articles supporting the actions of the USA and Israel also increased. After a trial period so I could determine if this was a blip or a new editorial stance, I wrote a letter declaring I was disappointed in the propaganda publication that the once proud and truthful ATol had turned into. Since that time, months ago, I usually only skim the articles. Today I am shocked by what absolute trash your site prints now. You should be proud to have joined the ranks of Israeli propaganda publications. Rhetorically, how much did they pay you to change your stance for journalism of truth and integrity, to journalism for whoever pays you the most? I am incensed by the article Anti-Semitism peddled in Southeast Asia [Nov 30] by Keith Andrew Bettinger. A bigger load of propaganda would be harder to find. Filled with half-truths and distortions, the article belongs in one of the daily tabloid papers along with two-headed babies and alien abductions. There are so many falsehoods and distortions, I could write pages debunking them. As you now work for the Israelis, I am certain you know all of this. I thought I would write and point out the most egregious, most glaring of the falsehoods, the one that tells any knowledgeable reader that ATol is a propaganda outlet, not a news organization. The section in question reads: "Piper says the Jewish-controlled media giants and publishing companies won't go near his books because they are afraid of the truth." Then he continues on with his attack on Mr Piper. What he very cleverly does not do is refute the fact that the media giants are indeed controlled by the Israelis. The implication is there, that Israeli control of the media is a figment of Mr Piper's imagination. But Mr Bettinger very carefully and purposefully does not refute that Israelis own the USA media. Because it is true, as any person who reads is aware of. Seven Jewish Americans control most of US media: Gerald Levin, CEO [chief executive officer] Time Warner; Michael Eisner, CEO Disney; Edgar Bronfman Sr, chairman Seagram; Edgar Bronfman Jr, CEO Universal Studios; Sumner Redston, CEO Viacom; Dennis Dammerman, vice chairman, General Electric; Peter Chernin, News Corp Ltd. Collectively they own and control ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and Turner. I suppose I will continue to stop by your site from time to time to witness the progression of the decline of journalistic standards at ATol. I find the intellectual tone of the writers who have not sold themselves to Israel stimulating. Hope you are enjoying being an Israeli shill publication. The dignity and the respect that longtime readers had for ATol is slowly dribbling away.
David Little
USA (Nov 30, '04)

The Israelis did not send any cash, but they did offer beach property in the Sinai if only we would print the Bettinger piece. We were shocked to learn that those scallywags had given the Sinai back to Egypt years ago. Boy, do we feel silly. - ATol


[Re] Michael Weinstein's Ukraine adds to Moscow's setbacks [Nov 30]: I think Dr Weinstein is in too much of a hurry to build a gravestone for Russian influence in Russia's own immediate neighborhood. Rumors of [Russia's] demise may be exaggerated and premature. I can recall similar verdicts being pronounced on an almost constant basis in early and mid-'90s when freshly independent Central Asian states left the Russian orbit, seemingly forever. Turkey was supposed to become the new master of the region, flush with money and pan-Turkic ideology. We all know what happened afterwards: the Turkish economy had collapsed long before that wonderful vision had a chance to become a reality. Russia, however, is doing just fine. Russia's GDP [gross domestic product] per capita is some 40% above the Turkish one. Moscow's position in the region is the strongest in at least 12 years. The same is quite likely to happen in Ukraine. With Russia's national balance sheet being a financial equivalent of Leonardo [da Vinci]'s masterpiece, and Western ones buckling under enormous hastily patched strains, it would be rather foolhardy to proclaim [Russia's] defeat. That tussle had just begun, and may last for years. So far, the best the West can do is to keep fueling Ukrainian revolutionary fervor with abstract promises of a better life at some future yet-to-be-determined date - much like the communists did. Strategies like that are usually short-lived and are never winning ones. Ukrainians won't tolerate such an approach for long. Far from Weinstein's assertions, Russia's position in Ukraine is, in fact, steadily improving. Ten years ago a pro-Russian candidate would not be competitive in Ukrainian presidential elections at all. Russia has come a long way there, in a fairly short period of time. If it manages to maintain its economic performance at the recent tempo, Moscow will win any contest in Ukraine, at any time, against anyone.
Oleg Beliakovich
Seattle, Washington (Nov 30, '04)


[Rowan] Berkeley [letter, Nov 29] finds fault with my representation [Crisis towers over the greenback, Nov 25] of the independent expert analyses of the causes of the collapse of the Twin Towers [of New York's World Trade Center], stating that jet fuel does not burn hot enough to "melt" steel girders. What Mr Berkeley evidently fails to realize is that it is not necessary to "melt" the girders in order to begin to compromise their strength and integrity - that occurs at a temperature near 1,000 degrees [Fahrenheit; 538 Celsius], well below the melting point. Additionally, the tremendous weight resting upon those steel girders tended to magnify the effect of any weakening resulting from the intense heat of the fires. He also fails to take into consideration two other important facts. First, the impact of the airliners undoubtedly compromised the heat-protective coating on those steel girders, making them more vulnerable to the flames. Second, the jet fuel ignited the initial fires at the impact sites, but the materials making up the structures themselves quickly became involved. Consequently, the temperature of the fires cannot be said to be only that at which jet fuel burns. Even a superficial analysis of the event would quickly cast into doubt Mr Berkeley's assertions. Finally, the fact is that the towers did collapse upon themselves, and the fires played a major role. I suggest Mr Berkeley begin with a reading of the findings of real engineers who studied the event. May I recommend this link as a start?
W Joseph Stroupe


After reading Tam Yeng Siang's letter [Nov 29], I disagree with the implication that by waging a demographic war within any multicultural and multi-ethnic democracy any ethnic/racial/religious group seeking hegemony would achieve political dominance and power. [This is] simply because in a democracy 1) factionalism exists and factions would woo statistically significant minority groups for their own political agendas, hence the political tradeoff. 2) Governments who represent particular ethnic groups can try to pursue specific social engineering policies to their benefit, [but] "breeding" is ultimately in the hands of the people themselves, regardless of ethnicity, thus demographic changes are largely uncontrollable. With regards to immigration in various countries, I wonder which country could say [it has] a completely unbiased immigration policy? Even Singapore, with its 650 square kilometers of land, the densest sovereign state in the world apart from Monaco, is allegedly partial to Han Chinese from other countries, at the expense of other minorities. 3) What of natural intermarriage? From what I understand of Malaysia, Chinese who have intermingled with the Malays have become a separate unique integrated cultural identity, known as the Baba/Nonya culture. With the blurring of racial group lines, it would be difficult to achieve "racial hegemony". 4) The presence of a strong national identity. 5) The problem of sustainable development ... On the other issue of rights and privileges (within a democracy), it's the responsibility of minority groups themselves to be more politically active and coordinate themselves better in order to avoid "marginalization". If their political voice is silenced, whether they lack the will, resources or courage, they cannot expect to blame others for their plight.
Omega Lee, aka Clement
Melbourne, Australia (Nov 30, '04)


[T] Kiani [letter, Nov 29], you are forgiven for being upset with ATol on its supposedly "anti-Pak" stance. Many Americans are also similarly upset with the ATol exposes on the Iraq war that are not in step with their beliefs, fantasies and perceptions. So is ATol biased against the US? I don't see you complaining on that front. Just because the truth is not palatable to your sensitive digestive tract does not make it anti-you. If you want to see some good news about your country, here is a suggestion - clean up the terrorism infrastructure, stop poking your nose into other countries' affairs (Afghanistan, India etc) and try to climb back into humanity with a more moderate face of Islam (if such exists). This is not some childish India-Pak one-upmanship forum where every article on Pak needs to be countered with a similar put-down on India. If India were playing the dirty game like Pak on terrorism, yes, you would have seen it here. It is difficult to get Osama [bin Laden], Mullah Omar, Maulana Azhar and assorted ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence] loonies to climb out of their rat holes and write regularly here to give the Pak take on issues (assuming they can string together a sentence in English). Hence the lack of the "other side of the story". If reading about India's booming economy is giving you ulcers you can take comfort that this is being countered by Pak's equally booming terrorism industry. So relax and stop making faces at Saleem Shahzad for not manufacturing news that would brighten up your life.
Sri
New York, USA (Nov 30, '04)


Your resident letter writer, hater of white people ("but some of my best friends are white!") and Chinese supremacist Frank asks that we remember what "white" people did to the [native] American Indians after the first Thanksgiving Day [letter, Nov 29]. That's easy, Frank - the same as what "yellow" people are doing in Tibet today! However, clever Frank probably has some irredentist argument for the "peaceful liberation" of Tibet, or toes the Chinese dictatorship's line that all those Han immigrants are needed to help and educate the stupid, unskilled Tibetans, or failing any of that, can probably find a way to blame the whole disgrace on white people, and possibly their dogs! Eagerly awaiting the next letter from Seattle, in which I hope Frank can tell us how our master race can finally exterminate all those annoying non-Chinese.
Alex Chiang (Nov 30, '04)


Rakesh (letter, Nov 29) urges oversea Chinese to "learn at least a little bit about India's long struggle to get rid of the exploitative British colonial rule ..." I am wondering whether Indians have learned enough about the struggle of their underclass, the people who want to be freed from the Indian shackle in Assam, Punjab, Bahi, Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh etc. I'd say you have neither the necessary knowledge nor the moral authority to malign others.
Terry
Toronto, Ontario (Nov 30, '04)


I am a student at Ball State University [BSU] in Muncie, Indiana, who previously spent three years living in China. Recently, Ambassador Harvey Feldman of the Heritage Foundation was invited to speak at our university as part of the International Affairs Lecture Series, and is scheduled to deliver his lecture on December 8. Feldman is considered to be an expert on Sino-US relations due to his extensive experience in the area, which includes helping to organize Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1974, setting up the American Institute in Taipei, as well as spending several years living in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia. Based on his writings on the Foundation's website (and the fact that he is a Heritage Foundation member), Feldman appears to have fairly conservative views with regard to Asia-US relations. For example, he implies in "Primer on US policy toward the 'one-China' Issue: Questions and answers" a belief that Taiwan is a separate state from China. He also believes that the US should promote the development of democracy in the PRC [People's Republic of China] and pressure its government to allow for democratic reforms in Hong Kong. I'm not criticizing Feldman for his views - he has a right to his own opinion, and since he has been invited to speak at our university, then by all means he should be allowed to do so. However, I know from experience that people like him are generally regarded with suspicion in mainland China, and his views would be considered "anti-China" by many people in the PRC. Furthermore, he is not merely a man with ideas that some people may or may not agree with, but a senior member of an organization that exercises considerable influence over American foreign policy. I myself am not Chinese, and I can't claim to speak for anyone but myself, but because BSU has several overseas students, staff and faculty members who are of mainland Chinese origins, I think that it is unfair, if not insulting, to mainland Chinese studying and working here to invite a member of an influential neo-con think-tank who clearly holds a biased view of China to speak at the university without also inviting a speaker with an opposing point of view.
Alaric DeArment
Muncie, Indiana (Nov 30, '04)


Sarah Whalen presented some interesting observations in her essay GI Joes who just want to go home [Nov 25]. Ms Whalen's premise that most American soldiers would prefer to put Iraq behind them for the sake of longevity and a return to their relatively blessed lives would seem logical at first glance. I would submit that while Ms Whalen may be an expert on Islamic law, she lacks an in-depth knowledge of the American soul. While most Westerners are struck by the cultural differences between fundamentalist Islamic culture and those Christian cultures found in the West, I am struck by how similar these people are to each other. Fundamentalists and ideologues the world over are bound to each other by the tight coils of human nature and the need for personal meaning. For every American soldier who entertains a notion of getting out of Iraq, there is a volunteer who longs to get into Iraq. They long to get into Iraq because to them it is God's will that they fight in Iraq. These Christian fundamentalists are America's "new class of killers", much like the fundamentalist mujahideen fighters that Ms Whalen referred to. They are driven by many of the same motivations as their Islamic brethren. Within America today there exists a simmering social undercurrent which has been kept from view by the many diversions of materialism. It has surfaced with the recent election of George Bush, on the widespread concern for the return of "strong moral values" in America. Those moral values include the continuation of the war in Iraq. The war in Iraq serves a powerful need within the fundamentalist Christian culture, as it combines a potent form of nationalism with Christian fundamentalism that has not been seen in America since its Civil War. The present war in many ways has served as a safety valve for trapped social tensions. These social tensions within the fundamentalist Christian community are the result of the rapid social changes that have occurred within American culture since the Great Depression. They include the rejection of modern American culture with its emphasis on materialism and the lack of spiritual meaning that accompanies it. In essence the war in Iraq provides true believers of all stripes a chance to "serve the Lord". To many fundamentalist Christian American GIs, the way home to God is through Iraq. It is as clear and meaningful to them as it is to President George Bush and the Islamist mujahideen they fight.
Mike Benefield
Oregon, USA (Nov 29, '04)


[Re] GI Joes who just want to go home [Nov 25]: The esteemed writer, like most English-speaking writers, calls them "insurgents". Does your choice of words change the reality about the Iraqi resistance among the peoples of the world from Middle East to Africa to South America irrespective of [whether] they are Muslims or Christians? They all accept them as freedom fighters, fighting with a passion and dedication with only one aim in mind, to defend the freedom of Iraq. To an analytical mind the efforts of the defenders could not end in a success. For these fighters it is the opposite, because they get their inspirations from a different source.
A Khan (Nov 29, '04)

Where were they when Saddam Hussein was terrorizing most of the country? - ATol


After reading OhmyNews and 'wired red devils' (Nov 25), I was left wondering why so many pundits are advocating ways to both reform media organizations and still make money. OhmyNews, for all its hype, is still only a newspaper, whatever its bias might be. One has to ask oneself, why do so few stories sell in certain media, but innumerable writers still go hungry for lack of an outlet and stories go untold? It's the same nagging thought which plagues entrepreneurs in any industry. When an opportunity arises like a forum such as OhmyNews, pundits will flock to the banner. But, just like any other company, does it contribute to the welfare of society? Living in South Korea, I am very disappointed with the South Korean media and entertainment industry on a daily basis ... On any given day, through blogs and websites, I can get information as quickly and reliably as the South Korean Ministry of Information and Communication will allow. South Korean television news and this general dearth of brand loyalty have enhanced my awareness above the point when, as a college student, I subscribed only to The Economist and the Washington Post. Therefore, why should anyone, readers or business people, try to promote brand loyalty, if they honestly want to promote awareness? The key to awareness is not the medium, but the practice of inquiry. Analogous to reading a newspaper or writing a story is the difference between those who play sports and those who watch on television. Weblogs, the sport of writing as opposed to the spectator distraction of newspapers, have superseded mainstream media brands. Anyone with a cell-phone camera and a broadband connection can scoop the big boys. But, more importantly, it's the process of writing posts, making inquiries, fast-checking, and fisking which improves awareness. Making money from the practice might reinforce the practice, but it also tends to morph curiosity into confined channels of profitable endeavor. OhmyNews is just the newest brand on the block, not a new phenom. Mr Oh [Yeon-ho] has marketed himself like any business person and he is riding his wave. Putting too much faith in OhmyNews is potentially dangerous. The key to media reform is not the newspapers, but overall corporate reform. The Roh administration animosity towards its detractors masks its inability to reform the chaebol. OhmyNews risks becoming the progressive organ replacing the conservative organizations. Having another media outlet does not improve Korean quality of living, even if the Roh administration has ended certain egregious practices conservative dailies practiced. Especially considering the failure to reform education and labor inefficiency, adding another newspaper, and one so prominent in Roh [Moo-hyun]'s partisan arsenal, to the corporate roster is an Orwellian panacea. Even if a million OhmyNews clones proliferated, the same problems would exist, but a million citizen journalists would get a few bucks. At some point, private opportunism will meet the wall of complete bureaucratic and political deadlock, or just emigrate. Public funding of the media is also suspect when the political environment vacillates between extreme political wings, and there is little bureaucratic neutrality. The prospect of five-year swings of partisan bitterness is hardly a good recipe for public awareness either, although a beneficial message can always chance to get aired. Participatory journalism sounds too much like responsible investment, which is a practice barely distinguishable from what corporations should reasonably do otherwise. In the same way, OhmyNews' corporate model minimizes cost, promotes image, and has a liberal employment policy. All this championing of OhmyNews sounds so desperate. But the problem is the corporate model of media organization, not the political orientation. OhmyNews is still just another company, perhaps leaner, but certainly not novel. Awareness begins with the active practice of gathering information through writing and inquiry, not the middle sector of the media, money, or even reading.
Joseph Steinberg
InfidelWorld (Nov 29, '04)


James [Borton]: Rather biased article [OhmyNews and 'wired red devils', Nov 25]. OhmyNews features [a] very biased and often distorted liberal agenda and [is] used by [President Roh Moo-hyun] and his puppet party. Failure to disclose this rather open info is unfair. And as a journalist, why didn't you mention [that] Roh's party's leftist legislation [is] destroying open and democratic journalism? Which democratic country tries to put caps on newspapers? Don't people have freedom to choose what they want to read and subscribe to? You call this democracy? So please stop reporting biased views yourself.
Yong Cho (Nov 29, '04)


[Re] Anwar the Malaysian chameleon (Nov 25), Dear Ioannis [Gatsiounis]: Good analysis, but you should also look into the fact that demographically, the non-Malays are in no position to "dictate" their views to Anwar [Ibrahim] (or to any other Malay politician) as the years roll by. By 2020, it's expected that the Chinese will be less than 20%, and the Indians maybe about 5% of the total population, which leaves the Malays and the Muslims (including the granting of citizenships to immigrants) to be close to 80%. With careful gerrymandering exercises implemented from time to time, the non-Malays' ability to be "swing" votes will become irrelevant, and so will their "rights and privileges" recede from any mainstream Malaysian political arena. Look at Indonesia, and the Philippines, where the Chinese will be content just to make money without attracting too much attention, and in spite of they being more assimilated into the local "scenery". That's the reality in the medium term.
Tam Yeng Siang (Nov 29, '04)


[Re The convoluted case of the coveted Kurils, Nov 25: Kosuke] Takahashi's ideas will leave Japan without [the] Northern Territories for well beyond our lifetimes, no matter how young and healthy we may be. No Russian will ever agree to US meditation in anything involving Russia and its neighbors. That's taboo of all taboos. I'm surprised at how little Japanese - if Mr Takahashi's opinion is any indicator - understand that sensitivity. Even a hint of American involvement will force Russia to circle the wagons and nip the talks. Mr Takahashi should remember that the biggest single reason as to why Russia chose to keep the islands was its perception of Japan as the champion of US interests in Asia. That perception is still very much intact, and would only be reinforced by Japan's desire to get America in the game. A mediator is supposed to be an even-handed operator, but as things stand today, [the] Russians are absolutely sure that the US would favor Japan in any dispute. Almost any other party would indeed be preferable for them. The only realistic way for Japan to ever get the South Kurils is to buy them, with an extremely generous offer. Otherwise, Russia sees little benefit for itself in settling the issue.
Oleg Beliakovich
Seattle, Washington (Nov 29, '04)


In your [Crisis towers over the dollar, Nov 25] a certain W Joseph Stroupe says the following: "Unforeseen and unexpected attack-induced collapses of grand proportions can and do occur. The sudden collapse of both towers of New York's World Trade Center, for example, took everyone by surprise - who could have foreseen that the two towers, which survived the massive lateral impact of two huge planes, would, only minutes later, collapse vertically upon themselves, their own massive weight ensuring their demise? Structurally, the two towers were impressive indeed. They had actually been designed to take a lateral and direct impact of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet and survive without collapsing. Nonetheless, certain fundamental structural vulnerabilities did exist in the towers. These were not entirely evident before September 11, 2001, but were hidden beneath their massive and stable outward appearance. When those vulnerabilities were carefully targeted and exploited, down the massive towers came within mere minutes of the attack ... The collapse of the Twin Towers was a harsh lesson in the realities of the vulnerability of US infrastructure. In the case of the attack on the towers, the planes struck near the top of the structures. Had they struck nearer to the street level, there might have been a chance to extinguish the resulting fires before the primary steel structural beams weakened. Had they struck the top, the vertical collapses that ensued would have been highly unlikely as the primary steel structural beams wouldn't have been possible ... The key to the success of the attacks, from al-Qaeda's perspective, was the igniting of the jet fuel and its impact on the primary steel support girders. Hence it was not the immediate result of the impact itself, but rather the delayed result of the fire that counted. The steel girders were the actual framework of the towers, around which the structures were constructed. When the flames softened the framework, the whole structure caved in." But this is all complete nonsense, as any first-year engineering, chemistry, or physics student could tell you. Steel melts at about 1540 degrees [Fahrenheit; 838 Celsius]. Jet fuel (kerosene) burns at a maximum of 800 degrees [427 C]. Are we seriously expected to believe that burning kerosene towards the top of the building (heat travels upwards) somehow caused both towers to neatly implode in a manner identical to that of a controlled demolition? Where is the inquiry? I have seen bigger inquiries into suburban house fires. Why is discussion of the possibility of a controlled implosion completely taboo? Why do authorities keep inventing ridiculous stories about burning jet fuel melting steel? ...
Rowan Berkeley (Nov 29, '04)


[Re] Pakistan's Bhutan gambit worries Delhi [Nov 25]: Pakistan is definitely playing its chess game to the detriment of India. On one hand Pakistan is offering the "peace accord" and on the other hand she is building a network that is surrounding India. This visit to Bhutan is not a commercial bilateral interest between Bhutan and Pakistan but an act to foster madrassas and organizations that will penetrate into the Indian heartland to cause havoc. India now has a golden opportunity with Pakistan's Balochistan region. The Balochi tribes are not happy with [President General Pervez] Musharraf's military incursions and have banded together to attack the Pakistani army. India should aggressively take the opportunity to foster a call for independence of the Balochi region from Pakistan and also do the same for the Sindh region. Pakistan is more vulnerable to internal dissent than ever before and it is a golden opportunity for India to take this option and foster this dissent, thereby keeping Pakistan's army, the ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence] and Mr Musharraf busy in their own land [rather] than plan nefarious activities towards India.
Mr Wijeyasingha
New Orleans, Louisiana


[Re] Seoul rows against US tide [Nov 24]: Seoul is going full steam ahead against the US tide, it seems to me. [George W] Bush snubbed [then South Korean president] Kim Dae-jung when he visited the newly elected [US] president at the beginning of his first term. The new president and his circle cold-shouldered the Sunshine Policy which the Clinton administration cautiously encouraged. To Seoul, Mr Bush playing to the galleries of Congress [and] branded North Korea as an "axis of evil" [member]. Saber-rattling awoke South Korea to an awareness that Bush & Co had not a stable policy towards Pyongyang, other than "do as I say". Consequently, Seoul decided to go its own way. It is an open secret that Washington considers [South Korean President] Roh [Moo-hyun] a flake. But to Korea watchers, the flakiness of Bush's policy towards North Korea came when Mr Bush declared a unilateral withdrawal of up to a good third of American troops under UN command in Korea, to prop up [America's] ill-conceived war in Iraq. Here Bush & Co clearly showed the amateurishness of [their] bluster and fist-waving toward [North Korean leader] Kim Jong-il. Washington threw away a perfectly good bargaining chip, which once again underscored the lack of seriousness of Washington in bringing a note of stability to the Korean Peninsula. In brief, although [South] Korea has sent a contingent of soldiers to Iraq, and gone through the shadow play of an ally of Washington, it sees that it is in its own interest to accelerate contact with Pyongyang. And from Pyongyang's aerie, it's in its best interests to come to terms with Seoul. Already Seoul has announced plans to open a trade office in Pyongyang in 2005. A Scottish lawyer educated in the US, who worked for an elite South Korean law firm, is shepherding foreign companies through the steps to invest in North Korea. There are more examples of Seoul going alone, and what is more, Washington has, owing to its unilateralism, given a free hand to Beijing. China shares an identity of views with South Korea, and this puts the US in an awkward posture, which is only stating the obvious.
Jakob Cambria
New York, USA (Nov 29, '04)


Just a few remarks on Eric Koo Peng Kuan's excellent Singapore speaks the Dragon's language [Nov 24], from a learner. Mandarin is not the most difficult language in the world. I have studied 10 languages, and probably Classical Greek was the hardest. Modern Mandarin is far simpler. Moreover, my own experience as a 50ish student of Mandarin writing is that memorizing characters is not more difficult than memorizing new spellings in, eg, French or German. Certainly one does not need all 50,000 characters in the biggest dictionaries. A few thousand, comparable to a few thousand spelled words, is quite enough for everyday purposes. I cannot read Classical Chinese poetry, but few of the world's English students need to understand every allusion in Paradise Lost, either.
Lester Ness
Quanzhou, China (Nov 29, '04)


Gene Deune, who wrote [letter, Nov 24] about the article Singapore talks to the Dragon [Nov 24]: Please, foreigner, do not mess with global Chinese affairs, because you are ignorant of our culture. By the way, Eric Koo Peng Kuan's piece of writing is excellent reporting work.
Kui Wong
Edmonton, Alberta (Nov 29, '04)


Dear Spengler [Muslim anguish and Western hypocrisy, Nov 23]: Are you aware that most modern followers of Franz Rosenzweig - that is, those among the small number of people who are even aware of him who actually find his work valuable - consider his views on Islam to be nothing more than an embarrassing footnote? I think you do him a great disservice by emphasizing them. The founders of the Children of Abraham Institute (CHAI) and the Society of Scriptural Reasoning count among themselves many passionate devotees of Rosenzweig's thought, and none of them would ever be caught dead starting a sentence with "Islam is ..." let along "Islam is incapable of ..." Know what I mean? Oh, and on your reference to St Thomas [Aquinas] and his belief in divine love leading to human sovereignty: because it is in St Thomas, you account it [as] part of "Judeo-Christian tradition". But didn't St Thomas get those ideas from Aristotle? Don't you need to incorporate philosophy into this assessment of "Judeo-Christian" resources? And wasn't it "Islam" that brought Aristotle to St Thomas?
Sam Brody
New York, New York (Nov 29, '04)


Re Saudis stoke South Asian fears [Nov 23]: This seems to be the latest form of foreign institutional investment (FII) in the field of education. Does India really need foreign investment with intent to spread a religious dogma, Wahhabism in this case? There is no justification for a major endeavor, injected by a foreign power, to upset the demographic status quo of the nation. Will the madrassas be treated as educational institutions and, if so, will they come under the same norms as the other schools of the country? The UPA [United Progressive Alliance] government cannot be blind to the history and record of the madrassas in other countries. It cannot brush away the evidence available from other countries, especially Pakistan and Bangladesh, that the money spent to spread Wahhabism ends up financing militancy and terrorism. Already, insurgency and militancy in India, sponsored by the ISI [Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence], is forcing the country to divert considerable resources from economic development to fighting these phenomena in Kashmir and the northeast. There is no reason to exacerbate the situation by accepting "FII" from Saudi Arabia. India must project its power in the region and convince the other South Asian countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to reject the Saudi Arabian gestures to set up madrassas in their countries and work closely with India on regional economic development.
Giri Girishankar (Nov 29, '04)


In reply to my letter [of Nov 23], Mark Lemon of Tokyo reveals [Nov 24], "One key factor overlooked in the analysis of crimes committed by foreigners in Japan is that many of the crimes are visa-related; crimes that only foreigners can commit." Sean Curtin also did not mention this in his article [Japan murder fuels false anti-China furor, Nov 13]. It is interesting that Mr Lemon can state this so firmly without presentation of the actual figures. I would not be so confident. There are so many figures presented by different authorities. I was wondering if [Asia Times Online] could perhaps get Mr Curtin or some other expert in criminal justice to present something further on this with a breakdown of numbers. Perhaps if done so it would clear up misunderstanding.
Kumayo Minami
Kobe, Japan (Nov 29, '04)


Referring to the tidbit in Beth Bowden's letter (Nov 24) concerning Texas retaining the right to secede from the USA: I sincerely hope the authors of that "arrangement" had the good sense to make it reciprocal.
Ken Moreau
New Orleans, Louisiana (Nov 29, '04)


In reference to the letter written by Dennis Castle (Nov 24), and others who are of similar mind, there is an important issue that is often overlooked by Westerners, mostly Americans, regarding the activities of radical Muslims. What baffles Muslims is how easily the crimes of these radicals are blamed on Islam. It's true that by committing these crimes in the name of Allah the radicals themselves give those unfamiliar with the teachings of Islam reason to believe that Islam is an intolerant religion. Most Muslims find the activities of radicals abhorrent and are caught between this feeling and the need to defend their beliefs. If you notice, whenever a crime such as the [Theo] van Gogh killing occurs, Muslims come out defending their religion rather than condemning the killing. Its not that Islam condones such killings. Sure, you will find mullahs issuing fatwas authorizing these crimes, but that has more to do with the economic, social, and political conditions of the people in the Muslim world than it has with Islam. One of the reasons Muslims appear more eager to defend Islam and not condemn the killings is because of the role the media plays. Reports of such crimes are usually sprinkled with "judgments" and "opinions" of the writers about Islam. The natural reaction of Muslims is then to go on the defensive to correct the reports. They want to separate the two issues; the crime and the religion are not related, at least not how they are being portrayed. Suppose the Muslims were to take the actions of [Adolf] Hitler, [Benito] Mussolini, or Napoleon [Bonaparte] as the result of Jesus' message? Or if the Muslims were to take the actions of the European settlers in the Americas and slavery as products of Christian beliefs? Or the countless wars European Christians waged against each other, the Protestant against the Catholic, the Catholic against the Orthodox, the French against the English, and of course against many others around the world as a sign that the Messiah's message was one of war? Wouldn't that be ridiculous? Muslims are able to distinguish between those who merely call themselves Christians or Jews and those who really are. Don't you think it would help if Muslims were extended the same courtesy? As for whether Allah and the "God of the Bible" are the same, I can't see how they could be different. Let me tell you a little about Allah and see if you find it familiar: Allah created the universe in six periods, created Adam and Eve, sent down prophets as guides to their progeny, saved Noah and his followers from the flood, gave Abraham two sons, Ishmael and Isaac, made Joseph a minister in Egypt, gave the Law to Moses, gave wisdom to Solomon and David, sent the Messiah, He is Ever-Living, Self-Subsisting, All-Hearing, All-Knowing, The Merciful, The Compassionate, and of course the only difference would be that you would stop short of believing that Mohammed is His final messenger, much like the Jews stopped short of believing that Jesus was the Messiah. In conclusion, here's another verse from the Koran for you: Chapter 29, Verse 46: "And dispute ye not with the People of the Book [Christians and Jews], except with means better [than mere disputation], unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong [and injury]: but say, "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which has come down to you; our God and your God is one; and it is to him we bow [in Islam]."
Raza Jamil Rizvi
USA (Nov 29, '04)


I am glad that Daniel McCarthy [letter, Nov 24] also understands the value of freedom of expression. As soon as they are human beings, communists also deserve a chance to speak up for themselves. Tolerating other people's different opinions is the basics of democracy. However, Daniel is surely a master of labeling his opponents. He must be a teacher at a white people's obedience school in Asia. I hope he ... [remembers] what white people did to [native American] Indians after the first Thanksgiving Day.
Frank
Seattle, Washington (Nov 29, '04)


Frank [letter, Nov 24] says, "Using slandering to silence your opponents may be an Indian way of debates ... It is surely not a democratic one." Well, it is obvious to me that slandering people belonging to an entire country is much more popular among certain pro-China "democratic" gentlemen residing in Seattle. One cannot display reckless racist hate against present-day people of any country and yet successfully escape from being seen as a racist by vociferously claiming to love the more ancient, traditional culture of those people. People can see through it. To Roy [letter, Nov 23], who comments on "fawning Indian elites", my question is, who decides what fawning is? And who decides what elite is? African-Americans have had to struggle a lot to get the rights that they deserved. Agreed that that racism may not be totally dead, but would it not be more productive and healthier to promote education among the poorest of them, rather than fixating on those you rather subjectively think are "dogs" and holding them responsible for the community's ills? Frank's repeated theorizing that merely speaking English and following modern democracy makes those Indians "fawning elites" and that they somehow like colonization is best kept where it belongs - the trash bin; for unless Frank and his pals have the guts to honestly introspect on the behavior of today's Chinese, and learn at least a little bit about India's long struggle to get rid of the exploitative British colonial rule, I'd say they have neither the necessary knowledge nor the moral authority to malign others.
Rakesh
India (Nov 29, '04)


Fred Gill [letter, Nov 23] writes: "Murdering people for expressing sentiments contrary to yours is considered pretty heretical in the modern West." To which "modern West" do you refer? That "led" by barbarian Torturer-in-Chief Bush and his War Crimes Family, and those behind them who declare the Islamic religion "evil" because to do so is convenient to their totalitarian agenda? Or to the 100,000-plus civilian Iraqi men, women, and children "accidentally" killed - all falsely seen by most in the US as "Muslims", therefore deserving of dispatch by cluster bombs, and worse, simply because "[gut] instinct" [George W] Bush had to have revenge against a (former) ally who, according to unsubstantiated rumor, "tried to kill [his] daddy"? Perhaps, instead, I missed the official declaration against murder of heretics once the Amerindian population had been reduced to manageable numbers? One should be exceedingly careful, Mr Gill, which means to think long and hard - and learn Western history and current events - before declaring, implicitly or otherwise, the laughable notion that the West is less savage than all the other savages.
Joseph J Nagarya
Boston, Massachusetts (Nov 29, '04)


Many readers have protested on many occasions how ATol has chosen to be the mouthpiece of the Indian government, but ATol, despite all its professionalism, has refused to give a reason or attempted to set the wrong right. A balance between the Indian and Pakistani points of view does not exist at all in its publications. The list of Indian contributors to ATol seems to be endless. Every week or so we see a new face with the same point of view, while there is no one at all to tell the other side of the story (and no, Saleem Shahzad does not count, he is too preoccupied with his cynical jihad against the Pakistan establishment, but that's another story). The people in Pakistan could be all wrong, they could be extremists, religious fundamentalists, and they could all be an utter waste of space, but still, when you want to discuss them you must also appreciate that they too have a point of view. And right or wrong, they do deserve to be heard, do they not? Lucky for me, I do not read ATol for information on India or Pakistan, or I would be very much confused and misled and misinformed. But I must be forgiven for feeling that ATol is guilty of bad journalism when it comes to South Asia. Regarding South Asia, ATol is on par with the Western media when it covers "the war on terror", ie: what it reports could be right, but it is only one side of the story. I don't see what the readers can do to change this injustice, but I thought we might be able to help ATol do its work for them by pasting some articles ourselves on the Forum section. These will of course not get the same attention as what is posted on the main page, but still it's better then nothing. And these articles do not have to be written by us, or we do not even have to agree with them (or justify them when we get bombarded by insults from Indian readers), but it would help if they are logical, polite and also if they pose the other side of the story (as every story has another side to it).
T Kiani
London, England (Nov 29, '04)

You are of course welcome to use the Asia Times Online Community forum to redress the alleged imbalance of our South Asia reporting. One caution, however: what goes on the forum is not vetted by professional editors, so even though a post might tell you something you would like to believe, it may not be accurate. In the meantime, we will continue trying to improve our South Asia coverage by finding top-quality journalists who report the facts. - ATol


Your article on the promotion of Mandarin in Singapore [Singapore talks to the Dragon, Nov 24] had a definite Mandarin-centrist and Sino-centrist point of view. Your comment that the Chinese communities in Taiwan "would speak Mandarin rather than a dialect as a mark of elegance and education" may be true for the Chinese refugees who came to Taiwan in 1949, but for the Taiwanese population who spoke the Hoklo/Taiwanese language it [Mandarin] was a language that was forced upon them. The Taiwanese speak Mandarin not because it was revered as an elegant language, but because without having to learn it, they were discriminated against in school, in the public, and in employment. It is through brainwashing by the conquering army that local cultures are diminished in value and worth. It is through this deplorable action that many of the indigenous cultures around the world and in Taiwan have been lost. Many Taiwanese children who grew up during the martial-law period in Taiwan will never forget the physical punishments they received from their schoolteachers because they spoke even one word of Taiwanese in school. Who are you to say that this was a preference to be elegant and educated?
Gene Deune
Baltimore, Maryland (Nov 24, '04)


I just read Paving the way for Iraq's elections (Nov 24). I noticed it is a reprint from Radio Free Europe, not from one of ATol's regularly featured writers. This may explain why the article didn't mention that January 30 is the first day of the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, when pilgrims from Afghanistan and other countries bordering Iraq pass through Iraq on their way to Mecca. There is plenty of time for ATol's featured journalists to mention this fact and I have no doubt that one will, since ATol informed us that the invasion of US forces of Fallujah occurred during the Muslim holy days of Ramadan. While I'm stepping into new territory, I'm curious why no one at ATol has brought up the organization Al Da'Wa and [Muqtada] al-Sadr's father's and presumably al-Sadr's relationship to this anti-communist Iraqi political party. Also the fact that al-Sadr's father was part of the faction of Al Da'Wa who wanted Iraq to be guided by the Koran rather than by an ayatollah. It seems to me that information might point to another January surprise for the Iraqis. It doesn't seem too far-fetched an idea to me that Bush and Co would settle for first preference on a fair market price. I can only assume this would be Bush and Co's last safe option and would explain why al-Sadr is still walking around while his counterparts in Fallujah are not. A little side note to ATol. Texas is the only state ... in America that has a right to secede from the Union. We Texans are pretty proud of ourselves for working that into our arrangement with the US. I just thought you might consider that when you go to include USA after Texas.
Beth Bowden
Texas, USA (Nov 24, '04)

Let us know when you secede, and we will drop the "USA". - ATol


[Re] Allawi struggles for acceptance (Nov 24): It is unfortunate to fair journalism to post your article as a valid document, I don't know what you are trying to prove by attacking an Iraqi official who has been trying hard to establish the rule of law against the wishes of discredited outlaws, remnants of Saddam [Hussein']s dictatorship. Your opinions sampling is terrible.
Norman Chammas (Nov 24, '04)


Spengler points out in his brilliant article Muslim anguish and Western hypocrisy (Nov 23) [that] the frightful dilemma for the Muslims in Western lands is their inability to "repudiate the death sentence for blasphemy [against Islam, since it] would be the same as abandoning the Islamic order". According to the London Times (Nov 20), the Dutch MP [member of parliament] and critic of radical Islam Geert Wilders has two policemen by his side even when in his high-security parliamentary office in case someone tries to decapitate him. Each day, he does not know where he is going to sleep that night, as he is taken from safe house to safe house in a convoy of armored cars. He was taken into hiding when police investigating the murder of the filmmaker Theo van Gogh on November 2 uncovered a network of radical Muslims with advanced plans to kill Mr Wilders and other "enemies of Islam". A video circulating on the Internet offered 72 virgins in paradise to any Muslim who beheaded him. There are those who attempt to excuse this inexcusable activity by Muslims by pointing out their recent arrival on the historical scene, and that given a proper interval they will evolve into more civilized discourse. Doesn't such a rationalization border on racism? The Koran was written over half a millennium after the New Testament, but for some reason it found it expedient to leave out the love your neighbor/love your enemies concept. Raza Jamil Rizvi (letter, Nov 23) wishes to convince us that Allah and the God of the Bible are the same guy. Having recently completed my first reading of the Koran, please allow me to observe [that] the two have almost nothing in common. Responding to the article, an Australian calling himself Clement opines (letter, Nov 23) that were a filmmaker to make a blasphemous portrayal of Jesus Christ in America his life would be in danger. Actually he would probably receive taxpayer-funded dollars and national exposure in our most prestigious venues (especially if it included a picture of a crucifix in a jar of his own urine).
Dennis Castle
Portland, Oregon (Nov 24, '04)


I have just read several letters trying to carve any little piece out of Spengler's article Muslim anguish and Western hypocrisy (Nov 23) and make a straw-man argument to discredit him. Is it "Muslim-bashing" to argue that van Gogh's murder was a heinous act? Is it "Muslim-bashing" to argue that this heinous act was committed by a man who has demonstrated nothing but contempt for the freedoms of his host society? Is it "Muslim-bashing" to argue that this heinous act was spurred on by intolerant fundamentalists speaking behind a guise of religious enlightenment? Is it "Muslim-bashing" to argue that these public speakers urging such heinous acts are hiding behind the very same notion of religious freedom they have committed themselves to destroy? Any reader can argue Spengler's philosophical misinterpretations of Islam. But to put words in his mouth like "Muslim-bashing" and then discredit everything else he said on that faulty premise is a straw-man argument. Any other reader with a shred of objectivity will see right through it ...
Terence Redux
USA (Nov 24, '04)


[Re Muslim anger and Western hypocrisy, Nov 23] Never have I once seen Spengler write more than five sentences about Islam without his hatred or at least disrespect for the religion showing either wittingly or unwittingly. In fact, sometimes I think he even tries his best to say something positive for a change but even that comes out all wrong. All I see in his remarks is offensive blabber, which has a base only in his ignorant delusions. He talks as if he knows of the "Muslim experience" and yet anything and everything he has ever said about Islam is what he has learned from non-Muslim "intellects", with an exception of one article where he quoted a respectable Shi'a cleric about the rituals of Islam. Not for the first time, he makes the extraordinary claim that "while human freedom flows from the Judeo-Christian concept of divine love ... no such concept can be found in Islam". That is well and good for the Christian and Jewish faith (for I am sure their God is full of love and mercy for all), but being an ignorant Muslim trying to do as best as I can, I sat up and began to wonder, [is he] going to back his claim by a quotation from the holy Koran that I might have missed that would tell the Muslims that their God has no love for them. Or is he going to quote a Hadith (saying of the Prophet) and inform me how I have maybe missed a guidance by the great Messenger himself where he might've told me that Allah is all about bonded labor and rituals alone without any spirituality and that he has no love to give me? Or maybe he might refer me to one of the four rightly guided caliphs of Islam, Abu-BaKr, Umar, Usman or Ali. No? Then maybe he has learned something from Imam Abu Hanifa or any one of the other three great imams of Sunni Islam, that I may have overlooked? But hang on, what's this? He tells me to take his word because what he says has the backing of one "Franz Rosenzweig". But who is this distinguished character, I ask? Is he a sheikh of Islam that I do not know of? Did he come before or after Imam Ghazali? Is he a Sahabi, or maybe one of the Tabi'in? Because I was brought up to believe that my Allah loves us all personally, more than all the combined love of every living creature on this planet. What were they thinking when they told me that man keeps on sinning and repenting but Allah never tires of forgiving and blessing him, for Allah tells us that if you come to me walking, I will come to you running? What of that prostitute the Prophet told us about [who] sinned all her life but Allah loved her and rewarded her by paradise because once she saw a thirsty dog, felt sorry for the creature and went to a well to get some water but there was no bucket and so she put her shoe in to help the dog? Was it not divine love that wrote off all her past sins for one moment of compassion for a helpless creature? I was even told that unlike the Christian God, Allah brings us to this world free of sin and pure in heart - "saved" and a Muslim - and we do not need to be saved by baptism (which in essence would mean that Allah created us in error, but it was man that fixed us?), but just to stay pure, and ask for His forgiveness directly from Him if we find that we have erred, for He tells us that He is closer to us than our jugular-cord. And unlike the Christian God, Allah holds us accountable for our bad intentions alone while they haven't been acted upon (but does reward us for the good intentions even if they were not acted upon). Spengler also asks, "Would the anti-blasphemy rule apply to scholarly demonstrations that alternative variants exist of the Koran or that the Koran has been mistranslated?" Well, Spengler, I tell you that we would not need such things to be covered under any such blasphemy law if they are just what you say they are: "scholarly"! Scholarly debate has a high place in Islam, and such things as "the nature of God", "is the Koran a creation or non-creation", "the role and position of Mohammed in Islam" and many more vital issues have been debated in such tolerant manor that would have been unimaginable in the early Christian or Jewish faiths, but there is a difference between scholarly debate and pure and offensive insults that frankly speaking, the Muslim world has long faced from the likes of John Keats and many other "intellects" over the course of time.
T Kiani
London, England (Nov 24, '04)


In his November 23 column Muslim anguish and Western hypocrisy, Spengler refers to the Jewish religion. I would like to comment on that part of his column. He refers to the time when Judaism was a state religion; that was 2,000 years ago. He refers specifically to the theological basis of the Talmud, which was completed 1,500 years ago. One of basic rules of the Talmud as regards to Judaism's minority position in the various countries [in which] it dwelled was that one was required to obey the laws of the country where one lived. Since the column is based on the killing of Theo van Gogh, the Talmudic position is clear.
Moshe Reiss (Nov 24, '04)


I would just like to respond to Kumayo Minami`s letter [Nov 23] regarding the article Japan murder fuels false anti-China furor (Nov 13). One key factor overlooked in the analysis of crimes committed by foreigners in Japan is that many of the crimes are visa-related; crimes that only foreigners can commit. This invariably skews the statistics to show crimes by foreigners to be statistically higher than those committed by Japanese nationals. This is true for most developed nations around the world. Removing visa crimes from the statistics tends to show the rate crime by foreigners to be similar to that by Japanese. How ironic that Kumayo is right about the statistics lying, but not in her favor.
Mark Lemon
Tokyo, Japan (Nov 24, '04)


The November 22 letter from Sun King is one of the more racist pieces of nonsense that have been submitted here. He spews racist right-wing vitriol like "Chinese people in communist China are dogs or behave as dogs", as if he were the misbegotten spawn of David Duke and Jesse Helms. This hypocrite has also directed hate rhetoric against Islam in his November 17 letter, where he implicitly tries to smear Islam as terroristic and gloats over American massacres in Iraq with some "anti-terrorist" rationalizations. What is your ethnic background, Racist King? If you want to back up your tough rhetoric, you should volunteer to go and fight in Iraq. The US military is in desperate need of indoctrinated cannon fodder, and you will have a chance to see what kind of "welcome" Muslims and Iraqi patriots of all faiths will give you - most likely at the end of an AK-47.
Barak (Nov 24, '04)


I thank [Joseph J] Nagarya [letter, Nov 22] for pointing out Mark Twain's literary qualities, as well as the strangeness of Twain's name being included among a list containing George Bush. I certainly meant no offense to Twain, but putting his name next to Bush's is certainly offensive. I agree that Mark Twain is an interesting writer who deserves to be read, and I myself enjoyed Huckleberry Finn very much. My point is merely that there are many other writers from different epochs who are just as important as the much more familiar Twain. Great writers' names are besmirched when they are used to promote chauvinism. Their work belongs to no one nation or people, but to all humanity. I am not engaging in an exercise of "our writers are better than yours". My intention was to point out the narrowness of the Anglophile world-view. Indeed, the US is full of writers and comedians whom I admire. However, the wonder of our world is its vastness and variety, and those who keep their eyes fixed on one corner of the world, looking for one type of wonder, like those waiting for the next great film or novel, are missing the true wonder of it all, which might come in the form of an African song, or a Chinese garden. As for Chinese poetry, I can humbly recommend a website dedicated to Chinese literature organized by the French Association of Professors of Chinese.
G Travan
California, USA (Nov 24, '04)


S P Li's comment a while ago [letter, Nov 4] on Taiwan absolutely shocked me. He utilized historian Li Ao's comment that Taiwan behaves like a dog hiding behind the US, barking and growling to its protector, and finished with his comment that it is a "clever and insightful comparison". Well, I think it's not only inappropriate to comment on things like that, but also shameful too. Apparently S P Li is suggesting that Taiwan is a dog to the US, meaning it's a slave of the masters, and behaves [however] the master wants it to behave. There are many steps to rebut his statement. First of all, comparing Taiwan to a dog does not show this person's humor but reflects his incompetence of making a good comparison. How would this S P Li feel when I suggest that his country (China, under my speculation) is a huge, hairy, muscular dog who "licks the toes" of its master the US? Secondly, Taiwan's relying on the US is understandable, given China's non-stop, repetitive threats and oppressions coming from the other side of the strait - it's necessary for Taiwan to depend on its biggest, most dependable ally, the US, for protection or security. Finally, using Li Ao's remark to apply the racism to the whole nation (Taiwan) is laughable. Any non-Chinese people who have at least a bit of knowledge about Li Ao know that he is nothing but a joker and a clown. Famous for advocating his so-called "reunification", Li doesn't have anything sensible or constructive to say. All he does is bash the government of Taiwan based on his biased pro-CCP [Chinese Communist Party] point of view, and sometimes making comments about women's body parts as well as sexual slurs that normal historian/politicians would be refrained from saying. I hope next time this person can be more careful when he makes such racist comparisons, because by doing so it could damage the reputation of his nation as a whole.
Seiko Zeto
Taipei, Taiwan (Nov 24, '04)


India must manage its limited tribal democracy without the freedom of speech well. If Indian letter writers cannot [tolerate] my "childish" and "unintelligent" opinions at ATol, I cannot imagine how they can [tolerate] those mature and intelligent differences between [Hinduism] and Islam. Using slandering to silence your opponents may be an Indian way of debates. It is surely not a democratic one. I appreciate Roy's [letter, Nov 23] courage to speak up against that debating tactic. I never would disrespect a person based on his or her skin color. Actually, all of these debates started with my showing of respect to a brave Indian speaking up for the traditional Indian values. And I agree with many of you, the doggie type of person exists in any race and was given with many different names. We should try our best not to let [those] kinds of people become the leaders of our societies. Showing our disgust to the persons without dignity and honor [is] one of the best ways to discourage those behaviors. Despite our disagreements [with] ATol editors with many of their opinions, we should all applaud ATol editors for guarding the freedom of expression well. I promise not to further express my disgust to those English-speaking Indians unless to answer the challenges from them. It is their behavior I am targeting, not their skin colors or races.
Frank
Seattle, Washington (Nov 24, '04)


I write to request ATol not to ban Frank from the Letters to the Editor page. Frank has investigated the core beliefs of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and made them his own. Through reading Frank's letters, we can learn the inner thoughts and values of the CCP which do not make it onto the front page of the People's Daily. Although Frank's letters betray a racist, xenophobic and paranoid point of view, it would be a shame for us to miss out on what the CCP would like to say but dares not put into print.
Daniel McCarthy (Nov 24, '04)


Could you please tell me why this USA Today news article about sarin gas being found in Iraq isn't making some headlines with you? Though not weaponized, obviously they have chemical weapons in Iraq and, therefore, access to them. What else do they have or access to? Also, this is not the first report of sarin being used by the "insurgents". See photo No 2.
Dan Piecora
Kirkland, Washington (Nov 24, '04)

More peculiar is the fact that this "breaking news" has not been picked up by major media, never mind poor little Asia Times Online. Even USA Today reduces it to a caption about "suspected sarin gas" on the second picture of a Flash photo-series. Could it be that, their credibility burned by their wholesale swallowing of the WMD hype in the lead-up to the Iraq invasion, the mainstream US media are awaiting confirmation of this "find" before launching banner headlines such as "Zarqawi's Iraqi al-Qaeda insurgents plan to gas the US in 45 minutes"? - ATol


Spengler, usually thought-provoking, reaches too far [Muslim anguish and Western hypocrisy, Nov 23] when he seems to suggest that Muslims living in Europe be granted a form of extraterritoriality for crimes of violence, so long as they are committed in the punishment of heresy. If you want to impose the death sentence - on other Muslims - for heresy, then stay in a country where Islamic law applies. If you claim the authority to impose it anywhere, any time, on Muslims and non-Muslims alike, then don't complain when other people impose their values and laws on you, also by force. And be prepared to stay permanently behind the West in the process. The first rule of living in another culture is to respect its laws. If [Theo] van Gogh had gone to Tehran to publish his work he might have deserved the death penalty (after a real trial in an Islamic court). But not in his own country. Spengler may be right in his view that moderate Muslims will become increasingly marginalized in Europe and elsewhere. If so, then all Muslims, and all of humanity, will suffer. Europeans still have some heresy-hunting of their own left in them. And murdering people for expressing sentiments contrary to yours is considered pretty heretical in the modern West.
Fred Gill (Nov 23, '04)


[Re] Muslim anguish and Western hypocrisy by Spengler (Nov 23): Spengler assumes that "no such concept of divine love and the ensuing sovereignty of the individual can be found in Islam". Perhaps if he understood that Allah begins (Koran 1:2, The Gracious, The Merciful) His relationship with His creation, man in particular, with mercy and forgiveness, repeating it uncountable times. Every turn man takes, Allah meets him with the doors of forgiveness and mercy wide open. When we walk to Him, He runs towards us (Al-Bukhari), like a lover madly in love with His creation. Allah merely gives options and consequences to believers. It is for the believers to accept or not (there is no compulsion in religion. Surely, the right way has become distinct from error; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress, and believes in Allah, has surely grasped a strong handle which knows no breaking. And Allah is All-Hearing. All-Knowing. - Koran 2:257). Options, consequences, mercy and forgiveness are a result of concern, absolute justice and divine love. Spengler should go to the source (Koran) and not be audience to a handful of illiterate mullahs who have been described by the Prophet as "the most disgusting creation on the face of the earth" (Al-Muslim). Spengler, read this article for some enlightenment.
Mahmood Ahmad
Toronto, Ontario


I refer to Spengler's article titled Muslim anguish and Western hypocrisy [Nov 23]. Spengler always acquits the Jews for all crimes. He forgets that [Israeli prime minister Yitzhak] Rabin was murdered by decree of the rabbis. He also conveniently forgets all the Holocaust museums and the Holocaust extortion from Europe which in effect are directly the result of Jews' inability to forgive and forget. In the present world, Muslims are slaughtered en masse for just being Muslims. The Bible-thumping Zio-Christians speak the language of the Middle Ages and justify slaughter of Muslims using biblical texts. The Muslim-bashing in the daily media, mostly Jewish-owned, has set up the Muslims for slaughter. Does Spengler think that we are to accept this mass slaughter without resistance? Contrary to Spengler's assertions, the fanatical Jewish rabbis and the American fundamentalist Christian zealots continue to live in the Middle Ages. [US President George W] Bush considers himself to be the awaited Messiah with the command from God and with guidance by the Zionists to slaughter Muslims.
Vincent Maadi (Nov 23, '04)


Regarding Spengler's article Muslim anguish and Western hypocrisy (Nov 23), I would like to say to all who read Spengler that his understanding of Islam is deficient. He views Islam through the eyes of either the mainstream media or Islamophobes. I'm not one to judge whether it is deliberate or truly unintentional, but I can tell you that relying on his opinions of Islam will be a mistake. He says that "love constrains the Judeo-Christian God, but not Allah". That statement has so many inaccuracies, I don't know where to start. Let me quote the Koran for starters: Chapter 3, Verse 84: "Say [to the Christians and Jews]: 'We believe in Allah [= The One God], and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in [the Books] given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will [in Islam]." Muslims believe in the same One True God as the Christians and Jews. There is no difference between the "Judeo-Christian God" and the "God of Muhammad". Take Chapter 2, Verse 139: "Say [to the Christians and Jews]: Will ye dispute with us about Allah, seeing that He is our Lord and your Lord; that we are responsible for our doings and ye for yours; and that We are sincere [in our faith] in Him?" To think that Allah is not "constrained" by His love for His creation is absurd. Muslims anywhere would find it totally ridiculous if you were to tell them that Allah's love for His creations was not infinite. And I find it amazing that a man who speaks with such "knowledge" would fall for the popular misrepresentation of jihad. Jihad is not the "propagation of faith by force". Take Chapter 2, Verse 256: "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things." Jihad is employed in self-defense, not to attack people so they convert. Chapter 22, Verse 39: "To those against whom war is made, permission is given [to fight], because they are wronged; - and verily, Allah is most powerful for their aid ..." I could go on and on. I had had enough of Spengler's misrepresentations, so I wanted to let those reading him know that before you join the Islam-bashing bandwagon, please do a little bit of research.
Raza Jamil Rizvi
USA (Nov 23, '04)


Regarding Ying Trong's [The case for China to pull the peg, Nov 20], this article ain't journalism. This is another disgusting piece of free-market propaganda that your website loves to peddle. The yuan-dollar peg issue is itself a fraudulent issue, and is more about America's demagogic attempts to blame foreign countries for the USA's failed economic policies and, more broadly, "international" (read: Western Imperialist) pressure to strong-arm China into further liberalizing its financial system for greater predation by your beloved corporate investors, speculators, and other parasites. These free-market policies pushed by Asia Times are pure economic poison for the working class throughout the Third World. No matter how much you try to sugarcoat and justify them, these criminal policies have looted and impoverished nations from Argentina to Southeast Asia - all to the benefit of First World elites and countries. Like most mouthpieces for globalization, Asia Times hasn't seen a state-owned industry it didn't want to rape ... sorry ... reform and privatize. A check of your website shows the usual lineup of articles celebrating the newest round of privatizations, whether that be Good news for foreign JV broadcasters: Analysts or Privatization is right back on track in India [both Nov 20]. For you people, the Market is God, isn't it? Especially since your middle-class way of life is based upon it. And China does need to pull the plug [on] something - on American dollar hegemony and the US greenback (the true "predatory currency") as the world reserve currency. If other nations would stop buying up US debt, this would effectively terminate America's financial parasitism off the rest of the world and maybe even destabilize the global corporate system. It would be very entertaining to see the hysterical outrage on the faces of Americans, Westerners, and media pimps like Asia Times when that capitalist crash comes. Hopefully, that day of reckoning is coming soon - for you and yours.
A Quan (Nov 23, '04)

You have somehow missed, apparently, the voluminous writings of Henry C K Liu, who is anything but an apologist for dollar hegemony or for the neo-liberal market theories currently in vogue. See his latest, Futures imperfect for China (Nov 13), or better yet feast your eyes on his page, Two Cents' Worth. - ATol


Re Japan murder fuels false anti-China furor (Nov 13): J Sean Curtin stated, "Over the past two decades, crimes committed by foreigners have never exceeded about 4% of all crime in Japan, and typically the yearly average has been between 2% and 3%. Foreigners currently make up just over 1% of Japan's total population, so they are only slightly over-represented in the figures." There are lies, damned lies and statistics. This says to me that foreigners are two to four times more likely to commit crime in Japan than nationals, rather than being "only slightly over-represented in the figures". Doesn't this give some justification to Japanese concerns?
Kumayo Minami
Kobe, Japan (Nov 23, '04)

The number of foreign criminals in Japan is still minuscule, regardless of the slightly higher percentage. As well, the over-representation was plausibly explained in the article by an expert in criminal justice as being a factor of societal disadvantage rather than culture. - ATol


[Re] US: China has credible Taiwan attack options [Mar 2]. Some people from the US, such as Stephen Blank, start from a premise that the US is somehow obligated or responsible for "defending Taiwan", so much so that the US even has a law about the defense of Taiwan. (Many Chinese around the globe are calling on China to pass a law committing the country to reunification with Taiwan, even if by military force). If questioned about this premise, such persons put forward all sorts [of] spurious justifications, ranging from a detailed history of the island over the last 5,000 years, to how endearing or deserving are the people of Taiwan, and they usually end with mutterings about democracy, freedom, free world, human rights, et cetera, et cetera. That premise should be re-examined, because there is no valid justification for US interference in an internal Chinese affair. It is a matter to be resolved between the Chinese government and one of its territories. This issue strikes at the very heart of China's sovereignty, and should not be underestimated. For the Chinese people, all of their aspirations and desires for modernization, social and economic development and prosperity would be sacrificed without one moment of hesitation in order to achieve reunification. The US should keep out of the whole affair.
Lennard Lee
Toronto, Ontario (Nov 23, '04)

Your argument is circular. The whole China-Taiwan debate is over whether or not the "reunification" of Taiwan with the mainland is solely the concern of Beijing, or whether the people of Taiwan itself (and their allies) have a say on the issue. Vehement and articulate arguments have been made on this site and elsewhere for both sides; merely to say "there is no argument because I say so" is a bit weak. - ATol


May Sage on November 22 is dismissive of the fact that the US is trying to learn anti-guerrilla tactics from the Indian jungle-warfare school. He seems to be voicing his own personal views rather than providing any evidence for his warped thinking. It is a fact that the Indians got the rough end of the stick from the Tamil Tigers just like what the Americans received in Vietnam. But the Indians realized very early in six months that it was a different war where you could not differentiate friend from foe and quickly left before the body bags started piling [up] - unlike the Americans who took seven-plus years to learn and sustained heavy losses. He claims that the US could have chosen Sri Lanka to train with - if so, why did they not? The fact is that Sri Lanka has a demoralized army that has no supplies, logistics or the stomach to fight a determined, disciplined guerrilla force. I doubt if a truce had not been c