Like wolves among sheep, America's Plutocracy preys on the weaker and less fortunate members of society. Since America's founding, they have leveraged their economic power to dominate the government and the media, the vehicles through which they advance their avaricious agenda. In early American history, they employed an imperialistic foreign policy to ensure the expansion of US boundaries and interests. Along the way, they virtually annihilated the Native American population. Once they had attained as much of the North American continent as they were able, they used “Manifest Destiny” and the “Communist threat” as rationalizations to invade other nations (i.e.The Philippines) support ruthless dictators in other nations (Augusto Pinochet in Chile) who have tortured and killed millions. Recently, legislation favoring corporations over workers and consumers has sharply diminished the power of labor unions and opportunities for small entrepreneurs, while historically, corporations have maimed and killed their employees and their customers with hazardous working conditions and unsafe products.

Dear Editor and Rady Ananda

I have copied a passage from the article below. I respect the views of the back bone group. However this remark I do not believe is reporting, but simply the writer’s opinion. It is an attitude that is pervasive among many grassroots Democrats and Progressives and it is one of the reasons the Democratic Party has lost so much of its centrist base to the Republicans. It is also just plain wrong as it is insulting to assign these issues to “red”. As shocking as it may be to some, there are many Democrats who are concerned about the issues listed below and do consider them to be part of their Democratic Value system. The Democratic Party is a big tent and there are many ideas shared. Instead of protesting, why not come on inside and join the party and exchange ideas and views. I attended the DLC and those outside protesting could have participated as well if they wanted to. It was inside where their message would have been heard and listened to.  When Democrats start working together, then nobody will stop us.

Best Regards
Eric McFadden – Chairman
Ohio Democratic Catholic Caucus

To the Editor:
Thomas L. Friedman has chosen the right man in pointing to Lance Armstrong as a role model ("Learning From Lance," column, July 27). Armstrong's will and brilliance in overcoming cancer and winning seven Tours de France are the stuff of legend.
But Mr. Friedman does not mention Armstrong's equally important opposition to the war in Iraq. Though a personal friend of President Bush, Armstrong has sharply and correctly criticized the war as politically wrongheaded and catastrophically expensive. "I don't like what the war has done to our country, to our economy," he said last year. "My kids will be paying for this war for some time to come."
Mr. Friedman is right to admire Armstrong as an athlete. Lance also has it right on this awful war.
Harvey Wasserman
Bexley, Ohio, July 27, 2005

Last weekend, the Progressive Ohio Backbone Campaign rallied for three days before the Democratic Leadership Council, which held its annual convention in Columbus, Ohio, July 23rd-25th

-- Backboners wanted a voice in the DLC’s “National Conversation – It’s about the American Dream.”

Outgoing DLC leader, Evan Bayh (D-Ind) misread the “Got Spine?” message and won resounding applause when he promised conventioneers, “Too many of our countrymen, right here in the heartland, believe Democrats … don’t have the spine or the backbone to use force even in the face of the most compelling of circumstances.  And that must change.” 

Hillary Clinton echoed these sentiments when she called for a “unified coherent strategy focused on eliminating terrorists wherever we find them.”  She wants the US to remain in Iraq until peace is achieved, characterizing the mission as part of the “long struggle against terrorism,” when she spoke before the think tank, the Aspen Institute, earlier this month. (AP 7/11/05)