Will wrong to criticize progressives
6/27/2013I was disappointed after reading George Will’s June 17 op-ed column “Why ‘trust us’ isn’t good enough”; not because of the way he portrayed progressives, but of the arrogant and disingenuous way he did it. I expect more from a man of his literary stature.
The only difference between their ideologies is that progressives say: Trust us and the government to do right by you. Conservatives say: Trust us and the business community to do right by you.
In our nation’s struggle to balance two mutually exclusive ideas — that of democracy, which celebrates the masses, and capitalism, which celebrates the individual — neither progressives nor conservatives have proven their formula to be the correct one.
To impugn progressives as untrustworthy while never mentioning the lead-up to the Iraq war, the Iran-Contra scandal, and other examples of conservative untrustworthiness smacks of overt partisanship.
I expected more from Mr. Will. But I guess that in these times, it is too much to ask from either progressive or conservative pundits.
RON BORES
Fostoria
Patriot Act plays into terrorists’ plan
Under the Patriot Act, the National Security Agency surreptitiously intrudes into American’s private lives and creates secret courts to issue warrants for our information (“NSA worker was source of data leak,” June 10).
Actions like those taken by the NSA play into extremists’ hands by strengthening existing images of Western democracies as morally bankrupt and hypocritical. The Patriot Act is a backhanded victory for terrorists.
An important part of winning the war on terror is to preserve our freedoms, not abandon them to secret government programs and anti-democratic legislation.
We need to reassess security needs in light of the values that made America a great democracy.
DEREK MASON
Bowling Green
Why isn’t Obama being impeached?
Why aren’t impeachment proceedings acted upon in regard to President Obama (“Pushing the envelope, NSA-style,” op-ed column, June 16)?
If President Obama is not complicit in these actions by the American government, then he must be the most disengaged and ignorant president in history.
Either way, is he the man we want running our country?
MARY ELLEN HERZOG
Glenton Drive
Take Obama out of Chicago, but…
It is now proven that you can take the politician out of Chicago, but you can’t take Chicago out of the politician.
TOM CARPENTER
Sylvania Township