Steve,
You were wondering why no one had replied to your earlier criticism of Jim
Stanford's op-ed piece. So I replied. My point is simply that you have taken
a light-weight rhetorical piece to task over some heavy-duty substantive
issues and have ignored the fact that we are daily inundated from the right
with a steady diet of light-weight arguments cutting the other way.
As I said, you've missed the point of Jim's article. Jim's point is that the
arguments we hear incessantly from the right can be readily turned around
and used against the purveyors of those arguments.
You said,
>Journalism has an obligation to present clarity and truth as much as
>humanly possible.
Well, isn't that a fine sentiment! And public officials have a duty to look
after the general welfare. And we all should be kind to one another. Here's
one more story that the mainstream journalism falls all over itself to present:
Thursday July 15, 12:16 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: First American Corporation
First American Trustee Seeks Assistance From Saudi Ambassador
NEW YORK, July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Harry W. Albright, Jr., Trustee for First
American Corporation, appointed by the federal court in Washington, D.C.,
has made a personal request to His Excellency Prince Bandar Bin Sultan
Al-Saud, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States, for assistance in
collecting additional funds for the worldwide creditors of the failed Bank
of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI).
On July 7, 1999, Mr. Albright sent a letter to Prince Bandar requesting
that, in the interest of comity and justice, the Prince intervene to ensure
that Saudi businessman and ex-government official [a discrete way of saying
"former head of Saudi intelligence"] Sheikh Abdul Raouf Khalil honors and
pays the $1.16 billion judgment obtained by BCCI's liquidators in Washington
on June 23, 1999.
BCCI collapsed as a result of massive fraud in July 1991, leaving a deficit
of more than $10 billion. Court-appointed liquidators have to date recovered
and repaid approximately half of BCCI customer deposits.
Khalil, who has stated his net worth is in excess of a half billion dollars,
is retired and lives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he owns one of the
world's largest private museums.
For more information, contact Harry W. Albright, Jr., Trustee for First
American Corporation. Phone: 914-948-6474
SOURCE: First American Corporation
Related News Categories: banking
Steve Kurtz wrote:
>Tom Walker wrote:
>
>> Context, Steve, context.
>> Your response to Jim Stanford's piece seemed to
>> miss the point that poor-bashing and welfare-bashing have been mainstays of
>> the self-styled individualist, "free market" line since time immemorial.
>
>Maybe that's the opinion of some about the actions of a few. But sorry
>Tom, no literate reader of English could miss the "point" of Stanford's
>essay.
>
>> Jim
>> was presenting a "let's put that shoe on the other foot and see how it fits"
>> commentary. That happens to be his style. It's a folksy way of making a
>> point,
>
>
>You mean he uses a "baffle them with BS" style. :-) Are you saying that
>the end (ire against free market capitalists) justifies any means? Are
>you saying "Don't confuse me with the facts?
>
>> it's not intended to be most sophisticated economic analysis.
>
>Journalism has an obligation to present clarity and truth as much as
>humanly possible. His essay is nonsense, & I can't fathom you saying
>otherwise. You ain't no dope.
>
>> The
>> Fraser Institute issues a "report card" on "economic freedom" and Jim
>> counters with a report card on economic freedom "for the rest of us" --
>
>How do you define "economic freedom", Tom? Recall the words from my
>post:
>SK:
>> Is "be made to" & "would have to" the preferred sort of
>> societal mechanisms you wish used on a minority of your fellow citizens?
>> Look out, they may be used on you!
>
>TW:
>> meaning those things that matter to people who don't receive most of their
>> income from dividends and interest payments. What's wrong with that?
>> regards,
>
>Everything is wrong if emotional misconceptions are reinforced. Retired
>folks breathe the same air, drink the same water, walk the same
>streets... Since when did this list become a place for pure polemic?
>
>Steve
>
>
>
>
regards,
Tom Walker
http://www.vcn.bc.ca/timework/worksite.htm
