Readers' corner

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Lost lives

Sir-- Re 'The perfect storm' ( Al-Ahram Weekly 6-12 November) while many seem enamoured at the groundbreaking election of the first black US president, few seem cognizant of the inherent danger in Barack Obama's opposition to the fundamental "right to life" of every human being.

Unknown to many, Obama's core beliefs and record fundamentally disagree with his nation's founding principles that are enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and which states that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Obama is governed by the Marxist belief that "the end justifies the means". As a result, he vigorously supports the systematic murdering of innocent children through abortion and embryonic stem cell research as if such people were a sub-class of human beings. In 2002, as an Illinois senator, he supported infanticide by vetoing the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, which would have protected babies who are accidentally born alive during attempts to abort them. An estimated 1.5 million innocent children are murdered each year in the US through the Obama adopted policy of abortion. Without the right to life, no other human right makes sense.

Obama also fully supports contraceptives and homosexuality which thwarts the natural generation of life and which is the antithesis of the family. Rather than favouring prayer in schools, he advocates the distribution of condoms. He will bring to the US constitution same-sex marriage and the adoption of children by gay couples.

Obama is a false prophet who preaches change and hope while pursuing a culture of death. Though the word "change" is usually invoked to signify something positive, in this case it hides a different agenda, one which is very dangerous for America and the world.

Paul Kokoski
Ontario
Canada

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First ME step

Sir-- I'm a little guy, a non-player in the world of international politics. But I do have an idea for Obama. The International Court of Justice declared in July 2004 that Israel's wall in the occupied Palestinian territories is illegal. According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, all the territories occupied in 1967 are also illegal. The US could, without harming Israel, join the world community in demanding Israel dismantle the wall and remove the illegal settlements. This would require no "negotiations" with the Palestinians. It would merely bring Israel into compliance with international law, and would, of course, increase Israel's security immensely. It would lay the groundwork for a real peace in the Middle East, including stabilising the situation in Iraq.

In contrast to Bush, Obama has committed himself to observing international legal norms, so why not begin with this initiative in his inauguration speech, emphasising the rule of law, promising that the US would strive to observe it, and calling on its allies -- including Israel -- to do the same?

Peter Belmont
New York
USA

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Empty, black Kennedy

Sir-- The Democrats were real smart this year with early voting, just in case election day was rainy. But I can tell you there is a lot of apathetic people here who didn't like either candidate -- John McCain for being a continuation of neocon rule and the war threat that represents, and Barack Obama who is just an empty suit, a black Kennedy in terms of his TV appeal. In reality he has ducked every tough issue he has come across that would endanger his political ambitions. But Truman was just as unprepared, but grew into the job. Obama may be able to do this. But, as with Bush, the team you bring in can also doom you, as Bush's surely did. A lot of conservative Republicans that hate Bush and the neocons are in a way thrilled to turn the country over to the Dems because they feel that is the only way to clean house of the Neolithic Republican leadership and reform the party. They are also certain that the Dems will run the country into the ground and create a backlash that can bring a reform Repub party back. But the Dems will be nailing the doors shut to guarantee they will always be in power. Just like the Bushies denied their participation in the process, so will the Dems. They are not going to be able to handle the huge mess they are inheriting, and will only pretend to be in control. Obama, of course, will bring some new wrinkles. But he is going to find out that whereas all show can carry you through an election, once you have responsibility, i.e., a dog that can bite you, and bite you hard, it's a different matter.

Jim Dean
Georgia
USA