A few more thoughts on Professor Horne's column

To the editor:

I agree with much of what Bill Horne said in his "Put politics aside and fix the problems" article, but have a serious problem with his contention that we should forget history and move on to solving problems. Unless we remember actual history and learn from it we can not solve problems that mistakes and misdeeds caused. The problem is that we have allowed modern day snake oil salesmen, using the public airwaves and the internet, to rewrite history.

President Clinton, more than anyone else should be blamed for the disastrous trade deals that have exported millions of American jobs and be held responsible because if he had opposed them instead of joining republicans to push them through they would not have been approved.

President Bush and Vice President Cheney, more than anyone else, should be held responsible for the illegitimate war in Iraq that has cost lives of over 4,400 American soldiers, hundreds of private contractors, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and, when all costs are tallied will total and estimated three trillion dollars. In my opinion there should be a full investigation of the lead up to that war, instead of a cover up, and both Bush and Cheney should be tried as war criminals if warranted.

If we are to stop the rewriting of history and end disunity of the American people that it has accrued, we need to do something Mr. Horne failed to mention. We need to wrench control of the public airwaves from corporations and their on air hired gun hate mongers and put a serious fairness doctrine in place. 

Instead of allowing Limbaugh and his clones to pump out one-sided uncontested hate day after day; there should be a rule that mandates equal time for people or entities blasphemed to respond and instead of allowing screening out of callers who want to present an opposing point of view there should be a rule that mandates caller free speech. Would that be a turn off to the millions who tune in to hate radio and TV each day to get validation for their hated? You bet.

Of the points that Mr, Horne makes I would like to expand on one. As a victim of globalization I have been pushing for a leveling of the international workplace playing field for well over a decade but no representative of either party has even been willing to acknowledge having been exposed to my plan. The standard response to my letters and e-mails has been something like "I will keep your opinion in mind if and when this issue ever comes up for a vote." The idea that they have all chose to ignore is as follows:

Calculate how much is saved by producing a product or service in a country where what would amount to slave labor exists or where there are no or inadequate environmental laws and impose 75% of that amount as an import fee when said product or service enters the United States. and place the money in escrow for a period of two years. If within that period a plan to used the funds, plus interest, is presented and approved it would be released for that specific purpose. If no plan is approved the funds would be used to create American jobs.

The time has come to stop allowing the few to benefit from the export of American jobs and to, in the words of a long gone slogan, Bring it back to America. There is no future in having most of our population flipping hamburgers or selling products made in China at mega stores that are geared to importing cheap products to sell to a general public that, via loss of decent paying jobs, can afford nothing else.

Sincerely,

Charles Leach

Lynchburg

To the editor:

I agree with much of what Bill Horne said in his "Put politics aside and fix the problems" article, but have a serious problem with his contention that we should forget history and move on to solving problems. Unless we remember actual history and learn from it we can not solve problems that mistakes and misdeeds caused. The problem is that we have allowed modern day snake oil salesmen, using the public airwaves and the internet, to rewrite history.

President Clinton, more than anyone else should be blamed for the disastrous trade deals that have exported millions of American jobs and be held responsible because if he had opposed them instead of joining republicans to push them through they would not have been approved.

President Bush and Vice President Cheney, more than anyone else, should be held responsible for the illegitimate war in Iraq that has cost lives of over 4,400 American soldiers, hundreds of private contractors, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and, when all costs are tallied will total and estimated three trillion dollars. In my opinion there should be a full investigation of the lead up to that war, instead of a cover up, and both Bush and Cheney should be tried as war criminals if warranted.

If we are to stop the rewriting of history and end disunity of the American people that it has accrued, we need to do something Mr. Horne failed to mention. We need to wrench control of the public airwaves from corporations and their on air hired gun hate mongers and put a serious fairness doctrine in place. 

Instead of allowing Limbaugh and his clones to pump out one-sided uncontested hate day after day; there should be a rule that mandates equal time for people or entities blasphemed to respond and instead of allowing screening out of callers who want to present an opposing point of view there should be a rule that mandates caller free speech. Would that be a turn off to the millions who tune in to hate radio and TV each day to get validation for their hated? You bet.

Of the points that Mr, Horne makes I would like to expand on one. As a victim of globalization I have been pushing for a leveling of the international workplace playing field for well over a decade but no representative of either party has even been willing to acknowledge having been exposed to my plan. The standard response to my letters and e-mails has been something like "I will keep your opinion in mind if and when this issue ever comes up for a vote." The idea that they have all chose to ignore is as follows:

Calculate how much is saved by producing a product or service in a country where what would amount to slave labor exists or where there are no or inadequate environmental laws and impose 75% of that amount as an import fee when said product or service enters the United States. and place the money in escrow for a period of two years. If within that period a plan to used the funds, plus interest, is presented and approved it would be released for that specific purpose. If no plan is approved the funds would be used to create American jobs.

The time has come to stop allowing the few to benefit from the export of American jobs and to, in the words of a long gone slogan, Bring it back to America. There is no future in having most of our population flipping hamburgers or selling products made in China at mega stores that are geared to importing cheap products to sell to a general public that, via loss of decent paying jobs, can afford nothing else.
I'll close by presenting a solution to a problem Mr. Horne failed to mention,which is the selling of what should be a government of for and by the people
to the highest bidder. I would solve this problem by simply banning all political ads
on public airwaves and the Internet and requiring that TV and radio stations broadcast
candidate debates managed by non partisan organizations such as the League of Women Voters as a prerequisite for renewal of broadcast licenses.  

Sincerely,

Charles Leach

Lynchburg