Black and White Call the Kettle Gray
Elliot Tarry would like me to seem the bullying, deluded one (“Who’s Delusional, Gannon?”, Letters, March 27, 2014) while he should appear part of the skeptical cognoscenti, the wise shepherds who would lead sheep like me to a place of understanding.
All this conspiracy theorizing comes down to one question that separates the truly deluded from the truly skeptical: does the world revolve around hidden conspiracies led by the coordinated forces of omnipotent elites? (Meaning you either believe that the CIA/Mafia/Castro killed Kennedy, and that the government allowed planes to be hijacked on 9/11 and dynamited the World Trade Center, or you don’t.) That is to say, you either believe with the faith of little children that the Conspirators control our political fortunes, or, simply, you don’t.
Elliot does. I don’t.
There are unanswered questions about the assassination of JFK, the 9/11 bombings and even the disappearance of the Malaysian airliner that went missing three weeks ago. But it is the hallmark of the truly skeptical to be able to live with the inevitable loose ends and ambiguity of “causal complexities” without forcing our minds into the straitjacket of conspiracy.
Because once conspiracies, or conspiracists, lead you down the rabbit hole, you cannot separate the deluded from the really deluded. If you believe, as Elliot seems to, that the FBI is implicated in the Marathon bombing because a few of its agents abetted Whitey Bulger decades ago, then you are compelled to go on to 9/11 Truthers, hidden alien visitors and even the Mayan death calendar. And unless you are a hypocrite, you must continue to the dark side of delusion, where lefty conspiracies meet the Obama Birthers and right-wing conspiracies.
Jewish moguls running the world, anyone?
Blogger’s a Bozo
In re your story on Amherst blogger Larry Kelley (“For the Record,” March 27, 2014): you’re being way too generous with this clown.
Military Power Deters Adversaries
We are cutting back our military because the current administration believes the world is a safer place.
The administration wants to cut the Army by 80,000 to 440,000, which is the smallest since 1940, just prior to our unprepared entry into WWII. It wants to eliminate the A-10 aircraft, which is a tank killer that supports our ground troops. It announced a cut in the Navy, building only 32 Littoral Combat Ships, versus the 52 originally planned. The savings will be $3.5 billion over five years. If we cut our annual foreign aid by 10 percent, we will save $18.5 billion in five years.
Our military cuts are proposed while potential adversaries increase their military power. Russia grabbed the Crimea and is expanding its military, which has 760,000 active troops and 2,500,000 reservists, along with 43,000 armored vehicles. China has 2,285,000 active troops and 2,300,000 reservists, and 14,000 armored vehicles. North Korea has 690,000 active troops and 4,500,000 reservists, and 9,000 armored vehicles.
Although our technologically advanced military has provided superior firepower, we always had to use significant ground forces supported by aircraft to take back territory occupied by our enemies.
Military might, not beautiful words, will deter potential adversaries.
Ed. note: The photo of Bella’s Bartok in last week’s “Springtimes Arts Preview” was taken by Braden Chattman.
