http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/opinion/23friedman.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=friedman&st=cse&oref=slogin- Hide quoted text -
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>Date: Thu, Jul 24, 2008 at 6:24 AMSubject: All Hail McBamaTo: letters@nytimes.com
To the Editor: Mr. Friedman proceeds from an assertion that the "surge" in Iraq is succeeding, without ever defining "success". By arming and empowering local Shia, we have encouraged them to reject violent Shiite insurgents from abroad. By arming and empowering local Sunnis, we have encouraged them to reject violent Sunni insurgents from abroad. The result is an Iraq in which sectarian militias, rather than the state are stronger than ever. It is an Iraq in which we are the indispensable glue binding the nation together. If we were to bring our troops home now, we would have to leave a similar number of contractors in country to keep it from flying apart.Barry Levine1142 Brown AveLafayette, CA 94549
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
A Veil Closes France's Door to Citizenship
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/19/world/europe/19france.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=veil&st=cse&oref=slogin
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>Date: Sun, Jul 20, 2008 at 10:44 AMSubject: A Veil Closes France's Door to CitizenshipTo: letters@nytimes.com
To the Editor:
The case of Faiza Silmi exists at the intersection of Church and State. To view it only through the lens of her membership in a religious community is to miss the point. She is now a resident alien in France, a legal immigrant. What interest has she manifested in the affairs of state? I what way would she participate as part of the collective sovereign of France? It is no light thing to be a citizen of a democracy; the state's cares are our cares, the state's sins are our sins. Citizenship should not be lightly bestowed on those who disdain to participate.
Barry Levine
1142 Brown Ave
Lafayette, CA 94549
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>Date: Sun, Jul 20, 2008 at 10:44 AMSubject: A Veil Closes France's Door to CitizenshipTo: letters@nytimes.com
To the Editor:
The case of Faiza Silmi exists at the intersection of Church and State. To view it only through the lens of her membership in a religious community is to miss the point. She is now a resident alien in France, a legal immigrant. What interest has she manifested in the affairs of state? I what way would she participate as part of the collective sovereign of France? It is no light thing to be a citizen of a democracy; the state's cares are our cares, the state's sins are our sins. Citizenship should not be lightly bestowed on those who disdain to participate.
Barry Levine
1142 Brown Ave
Lafayette, CA 94549
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
My Plan for Iraq
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/opinion/14obama.html- Hide quoted text -
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>Date: Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 4:55 PMSubject: My Plan for IraqTo: letters@nytimes.com
To the Editor: For six years, U.S. policy in Iraq has blundered forward while plans for Iraq have been formulated and discarded as seemed convenient politically. It is encouraging that senator Obama has shared his vision for Iraq with us before that burden falls on him. Any meaningful plan for Iraq however must address both our troops and our contractors. As long as senator Obama shares his plans only for our troops, he invites our enemies to assume that U.S. contractors will remain to pull the strings of a puppet government in Baghdad.Barry Levine1142 Brown AveLafayette, CA 94549
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>Date: Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 4:55 PMSubject: My Plan for IraqTo: letters@nytimes.com
To the Editor: For six years, U.S. policy in Iraq has blundered forward while plans for Iraq have been formulated and discarded as seemed convenient politically. It is encouraging that senator Obama has shared his vision for Iraq with us before that burden falls on him. Any meaningful plan for Iraq however must address both our troops and our contractors. As long as senator Obama shares his plans only for our troops, he invites our enemies to assume that U.S. contractors will remain to pull the strings of a puppet government in Baghdad.Barry Levine1142 Brown AveLafayette, CA 94549
Monday, July 14, 2008
Senate Approves Bill to Broaden Wiretap Powers
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/washington/10fisa.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=senate+approves+bill+to+broaden&st=nyt&oref=slogin
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levineDate: Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 1:41 PMSubject: Senate Approves Bill to Broaden Wiretap PowersTo: letters@nytimes.com
To the Editor:
Three and a half years ago, this newspaper learned of a pattern of criminal violations of the FISA statute of 1978, in which our government was spying on our own citizens without the required search warrants. One year later, this pattern of crimes--but not their extent--was made public. Now, the senate has voted to block the civil laws suits that might have finally laid bare to the light of the day the extent of these crimes. It is possible that our next attorney general will take seriously his/her duty to enforce our laws, including the criminal provisions of the FISA statute. My hopes for that are dimmed by senator Obama's endorsement of the official cover-up of these crimes in the current bill.
Barry Levine
1142 Brown Ave
Lafayette, CA 94549
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine
To the Editor:
Three and a half years ago, this newspaper learned of a pattern of criminal violations of the FISA statute of 1978, in which our government was spying on our own citizens without the required search warrants. One year later, this pattern of crimes--but not their extent--was made public. Now, the senate has voted to block the civil laws suits that might have finally laid bare to the light of the day the extent of these crimes. It is possible that our next attorney general will take seriously his/her duty to enforce our laws, including the criminal provisions of the FISA statute. My hopes for that are dimmed by senator Obama's endorsement of the official cover-up of these crimes in the current bill.
Barry Levine
1142 Brown Ave
Lafayette, CA 94549
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Deals with Iraq are set to Bring Oil Giants Back
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/world/middleeast/19iraq.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>Date: Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 9:18 AMSubject: Deals with Iraq are set to Bring Oil Giants BackTo: letters@nytimes.com
To the Editor: In 2001 we waded through inconclusive accounts of who advised vice-president Cheney on his energy policy, and what they advised. In 2003 our papers were full of speculation on the real motive for invading Iraq as the WMDs proved illusory. Now, as George Bush and Richard Cheney contemplate their employment options in the private sector, we learn that American Oil Companies are enjoying privileged access to oil assets in Iraq. Are these three stories, or one?Barry Levine1142 Brown AveLafayette, CA 94549
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>Date: Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 9:18 AMSubject: Deals with Iraq are set to Bring Oil Giants BackTo: letters@nytimes.com
To the Editor: In 2001 we waded through inconclusive accounts of who advised vice-president Cheney on his energy policy, and what they advised. In 2003 our papers were full of speculation on the real motive for invading Iraq as the WMDs proved illusory. Now, as George Bush and Richard Cheney contemplate their employment options in the private sector, we learn that American Oil Companies are enjoying privileged access to oil assets in Iraq. Are these three stories, or one?Barry Levine1142 Brown AveLafayette, CA 94549
Deal is Struck to Overhaul Wiretap Law
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/washington/20fisa.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin- Hide quoted text -
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>Date: Fri, Jun 20, 2008 at 10:03 AMSubject: Deal is Struck to Overhaul Wiretap LawTo: letters@nytimes.com
To the Editor: Speaker Pelosi brandishes the affirmation that FISA provides the "exclusive" means for wiretapping in terrorism and espionage cases as if it were a triumph. It is rather a scant fig leaf to hide her capitulation. FISA has been the exclusive means for these wiretaps for thirty years and this congress has been derelict in its oversight responsibilities in tolerating warrantless wiretaps for more than six years now. What is new in this bill is retroactive immunity from civil suits for telephone companies who have abetted these illegal wiretaps. To pass this will be to say that the Legislative and Judiciary branches are irrelevant; anything that the Executive asserts is legal is legal, and we have no recourse.Barry Levine1142 Brown AveLafayette, CA 94549
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>Date: Fri, Jun 20, 2008 at 10:03 AMSubject: Deal is Struck to Overhaul Wiretap LawTo: letters@nytimes.com
To the Editor: Speaker Pelosi brandishes the affirmation that FISA provides the "exclusive" means for wiretapping in terrorism and espionage cases as if it were a triumph. It is rather a scant fig leaf to hide her capitulation. FISA has been the exclusive means for these wiretaps for thirty years and this congress has been derelict in its oversight responsibilities in tolerating warrantless wiretaps for more than six years now. What is new in this bill is retroactive immunity from civil suits for telephone companies who have abetted these illegal wiretaps. To pass this will be to say that the Legislative and Judiciary branches are irrelevant; anything that the Executive asserts is legal is legal, and we have no recourse.Barry Levine1142 Brown AveLafayette, CA 94549
Listening to Compromise
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/08/opinion/08halperin.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=halperin&st=nyt&oref=slogin- Hide quoted text -
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>Date: Tue, Jul 8, 2008 at 7:00 PMSubject: Listening to CompromiseTo: letters@nytimes.com
To the Editor: The FISA statute of 1978 is a good statute, duly enacted to address abuses of executive power in the Johnson and Nixon administrations. What is needed is a Department of Justice willing to enforce this statute, rather than a Legislative effort to gut it. Any grant of retroactive immunity to those who knowingly violated this clear law is an assault on the rule of law. I look forward to a new Attorney General who will prosecute the uncounted violations of our guarantee from unreasonable search and seizure. Until that day, the civil courts are the only forum in which we can seek to learn the extent of these outrages.Barry Levine1142 Brown AveLafayette, CA 94549
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>Date: Tue, Jul 8, 2008 at 7:00 PMSubject: Listening to CompromiseTo: letters@nytimes.com
To the Editor: The FISA statute of 1978 is a good statute, duly enacted to address abuses of executive power in the Johnson and Nixon administrations. What is needed is a Department of Justice willing to enforce this statute, rather than a Legislative effort to gut it. Any grant of retroactive immunity to those who knowingly violated this clear law is an assault on the rule of law. I look forward to a new Attorney General who will prosecute the uncounted violations of our guarantee from unreasonable search and seizure. Until that day, the civil courts are the only forum in which we can seek to learn the extent of these outrages.Barry Levine1142 Brown AveLafayette, CA 94549
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