Letters, 9/3: A cure for gas pains
Having to pay well in excess of $3 per gallon for gasoline week after week should be a signal for all Nebraska voters to change out the incumbent House members for a new team in November.
Just prior to the House going on a five-week recess, the Republican members stalled action on bills to eliminate excessive speculation of crude oil contract trading and then have gone on a daily showfest demonstration demanding offshore drilling. The Democrat members did not see this as the required solution to skyrocketing gas prices caused by trading speculation.
During the Great Depression caused by rampant speculation of securities and commodity contracts, trading controls were put in place by President Roosevelt to limit speculation. These controls have been deregulated under leadership of Sen. Phil Gramm and by his wife, Wendy, who was presidentially appointed to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Wendy Gramm opened the barn door to allow massive speculative trading by hedge funds and swaps dealers who get access to large pension funds to gamble with. On being replaced as chairperson, she became a director of Enron.
For these misdeeds of Republican leadership, we now have to continue to pay more than $3.50 for gasoline and more for diesel fuel.
Don Eret, Dorchester
A symbolic gesture
It is curious that the Republican spin machine has decided unanimously to criticize Barack Obama’s acceptance speech Thursday for its ostentatious stage setting. It is also curious that this criticism actually began prior to the delivery of his speech. Why so much attention to the stage and so little to the speaker and his message?
The “temple of Obama” line does truly have the appearance of being (as Barack Obama alluded) the response of an opponent who has run out of ideas.
It also seems hypocritical. When was the last time any Republican made a public speech anywhere without being absolutely covered in American flags? If flagrant exploitation of symbols is so offensive, then perhaps Republicans should refrain from doing it themselves.
Joe Gores, Lincoln
Like war? Vote McCain
As this election proceeds, it is more and more clear that people want a rah, rah candidate who will deliver us from all the evil nations out there.
If people want to be at war somewhere for years and years, then John McCain is the candidate. He was raised with a military family, and he basically sees the military side of this world. War is the road to destruction, because it doesn’t lead us anywhere for long. We can end our current occupation in Iraq soon, because the Iraqis want us out of their territory. McCain doesn’t want to leave. Next is Afghanistan, where the real trouble is.
McCain as president can string that war out for years and in the meantime probably get us into war with Russia for one reason or another. He loves war games, but this country has no money for endless wars, and our military is exhausted and wants to come home. He will probably institute the draft and spend billions of dollars on military equipment.
Barack Obama, on the other hand, wants peace, not by badgering or threats to other countries, but by negotiations. He doesn’t just want to win, but to bring permanent calmness and cooperation to the whole world. He is not the almighty conqueror but a man of character and integrity. Most of the world thinks he is great, but he comes back home from his vacation with terrible lies and innuendoes greeting him. If we vote for war instead of Obama, the majority of the world will be very disappointed. Our place in the world will deteriorate again.
Anita Crouse, Lincoln
Just prior to the House going on a five-week recess, the Republican members stalled action on bills to eliminate excessive speculation of crude oil contract trading and then have gone on a daily showfest demonstration demanding offshore drilling. The Democrat members did not see this as the required solution to skyrocketing gas prices caused by trading speculation.
During the Great Depression caused by rampant speculation of securities and commodity contracts, trading controls were put in place by President Roosevelt to limit speculation. These controls have been deregulated under leadership of Sen. Phil Gramm and by his wife, Wendy, who was presidentially appointed to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Wendy Gramm opened the barn door to allow massive speculative trading by hedge funds and swaps dealers who get access to large pension funds to gamble with. On being replaced as chairperson, she became a director of Enron.
For these misdeeds of Republican leadership, we now have to continue to pay more than $3.50 for gasoline and more for diesel fuel.
Don Eret, Dorchester
A symbolic gesture
It is curious that the Republican spin machine has decided unanimously to criticize Barack Obama’s acceptance speech Thursday for its ostentatious stage setting. It is also curious that this criticism actually began prior to the delivery of his speech. Why so much attention to the stage and so little to the speaker and his message?
The “temple of Obama” line does truly have the appearance of being (as Barack Obama alluded) the response of an opponent who has run out of ideas.
It also seems hypocritical. When was the last time any Republican made a public speech anywhere without being absolutely covered in American flags? If flagrant exploitation of symbols is so offensive, then perhaps Republicans should refrain from doing it themselves.
Joe Gores, Lincoln
Like war? Vote McCain
As this election proceeds, it is more and more clear that people want a rah, rah candidate who will deliver us from all the evil nations out there.
If people want to be at war somewhere for years and years, then John McCain is the candidate. He was raised with a military family, and he basically sees the military side of this world. War is the road to destruction, because it doesn’t lead us anywhere for long. We can end our current occupation in Iraq soon, because the Iraqis want us out of their territory. McCain doesn’t want to leave. Next is Afghanistan, where the real trouble is.
McCain as president can string that war out for years and in the meantime probably get us into war with Russia for one reason or another. He loves war games, but this country has no money for endless wars, and our military is exhausted and wants to come home. He will probably institute the draft and spend billions of dollars on military equipment.
Barack Obama, on the other hand, wants peace, not by badgering or threats to other countries, but by negotiations. He doesn’t just want to win, but to bring permanent calmness and cooperation to the whole world. He is not the almighty conqueror but a man of character and integrity. Most of the world thinks he is great, but he comes back home from his vacation with terrible lies and innuendoes greeting him. If we vote for war instead of Obama, the majority of the world will be very disappointed. Our place in the world will deteriorate again.
Anita Crouse, Lincoln
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