Sir, – Like many other people who value social justice and equality, I celebrate the victory of President Barack Obama over his Republican challenger Mitt Romney. I do so, however, mindful of the fact that between them the two presidential candidates spent some $2.6 billion, double what was spent by the candidates in 2008, which in turn was double what was spent in 2004, which in its turn was double what was spent in 2000.
The big winner of this election is not democracy – insofar as democracy means more than simply casting a vote for a president every four years, and implies more broadly and fundamentally the popular construction of a society and an economy supporting the maximum possible participation by citizens in the collective decisions affecting their lives – but money. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Brother Patrick McCann told us in four year in St Patrick’s, Waterford, in 1946:- “America is an elective monarchy while Britain is a hereditary republic”. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – To say (Editorial, November 6th) that “this global village is a safer, better place for his years in office” shows you have a distorted view on reality and zero empathy with the victims suffering at the hands of your apparent idol, Mr Obama. When you declare “our endorsement” you certainly do not speak for me.
This president has pursued and punished more truth tellers or “whistle-blowers” than all previous presidents combined. This is a fascist stance on suppressing the truth and silencing dissent.
Mr Obama’s drone strikes campaign in Pakistan, is particularly disturbing in its cowardliness. According to a report from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism he has personally ordered at least 298 attacks by unmanned Predators or Reapers, an operation that has never been debated in Congress. These have caused the deaths of approximately 3,000 men and women and 176 children.
These deaths include victims of appalling follow-up attacks on rescuers and the subsequent funerals. Deliberate “baiting” like this is a war crime. Naz Modirzadeh, associate director of the Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research at Harvard University stated “We don’t even need to get to the nuance of who’s who, and are people there for rescue or not. Because each death is illegal. Each death is a murder in that case.”
To support this man’s actions is to support murder, it’s that simple, there is no gray area. Or do you believe that murdering women and children is okay in certain circumstances? To desire four more years of this policy is to desire four more years of sheer horror and misery for so many people. You should question your own morality as your viewpoint is quite simply, sick. – Yours, etc,
Sir , – To all the gun-loving, execution-loving, gay-hating, rape-denying , misogynist Tea- Partying Republicans – Obama’s win was God’s will. Wasn’t it? – Yours, etc,