Pentagon has role in climate change/Give the new Egyptian president a chance

www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-climate-letter-20120706,0,1808614.story


baltimoresun.com

Pentagon has role in climate change

9:45 AM EDT, July 6, 2012

The big story in The Sun this past week was the unforeseen storm. In the editorial, "Feeling powerless" (July 3), the question asked was this a "freak occurrence?" Your answer makes sense: "Climate science suggests that global warming will make unusual and severe weather much more common."

However, I have a suggestion. Instead of global warming, use climate chaos. What I witnessed in Baltimore on the Friday night of the storm was climate chaos. Only a head-in-the-sand politician would deny that human activity is causing climate chaos. Scientists have determined that the warming of the planet is happening, and many, including polar bears, are suffering the consequences. Of course, we must abandon dirty fossil fuels and get our green economy in gear. However, there is an elephant in the room — the Pentagon.

TheU.S. military's environmental record is, to say the least, dismal. I argue that the Pentagon is greatly responsible for the assault on Mother Earth, as it is the world's number one consumer of fossil fuels. There are some 1,000 military outposts, thousands of flights per year, gas-guzzling Hummers, depleted uranium, nuclear weapons, toxic military sites and environmental ecocide in war zones.

If we are to save this planet, war is not the answer. We the people must rise up and demand severe cutbacks in Pentagon spending. These tax dollars then can be use to develop the green economy. Let's do it before the next mega-storm hits Baltimore.

Max Obuszewski, Baltimore

Copyright © 2012, The Baltimore Sun

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baltimoresun.com

Give the new Egyptian president a chance

10:30 AM EDT, July 5, 2012

Al Eisner, in his letter, "Egyptian election is tragic" (June 29), has substituted opinion for fact when he calls the Muslim Brotherhood "a virulent anti-Semitic organization." Anti-Zionist, yes; but he provides no evidence whatsoever that it is anti-Semitic.

Mr. Eisner shows no compassion for the Egyptian people who suffered for so many years under the brutal dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak. Instead, his concern is only for Israel and what Egypt's new government might mean for Egyptian/Israel relations and also for U.S./Israel relations.

Israel likes to tout itself as being the only democracy in the region (even though it is not a democracy, but an ethnocracy). Now that Egypt has a democratically-elected government, it can no longer claim this (although it will no doubt still try). President Mohamed Morsi has vowed to form an inclusive government, with women and Christians among his deputies. I hope that the powers who would like to see Egypt fail will not succeed in interfering in Egypt's democratic process.

Doris Rausch, Columbia

Copyright © 2012, The Baltimore Sun

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baltimoresun.com

Egyptian election results are tragic

9:45 AM EDT, June 27, 2012

Since it has been determined to be absolutely necessary to overthrow the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, even though Egypt and Israel had managed to co-exist for several decades, the results are now a tragedy ("Islamist wins Egypt presidency," June 25).

President Barack Obama was instrumental in supporting this and used the might of theU.S. military to help achieve it. He had to know that the vacuum created would be eventually filled by the Muslim Brotherhood, a virulent anti-Semitic organization, whose stated chief goal is the eradication of Israel and the Jewish people.

Sure enough, the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate has become Egypt's elected leader. This group is the most organized and powerful political group in Egypt. They are also calling for Sharia law to be implemented.

The position of the Obama administration is that "we can work with them." Now, long-standing friendliness, cooperation and common cause between Israel and the U.S. is evaporating due to the actions of the Obama administration.

Mr. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave $1.5 billion in foreign aid to this terrorist group even before their candidate won the Egyptian election, despite objection from Congress. Unbelievable! Yes, the final results of this spell out a tragedy.

Al Eisner, Silver Spring

Copyright © 2012, The Baltimore Sun

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/



"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs