Letters

The assassination of Letelier

This letter is in response to an item in your recent editorial on the Cuban Five (PWW 3/6-12). In it you state that the Cuban exile terrorist Orlando Bosch is now a free man, despite the fact that he masterminded the 1976 bombing of the Cubana airline. The fact is he was allegedly involved in the assassination of another Orlando – the car-bomb murder of my friend Orlando Letelier in Washington, D.C. Indeed, it’s believed that all the terrorists involved in the Letelier assassination are free today, thanks to the intervention of the U.S. government.

We now know that the U.S. government had advance knowledge of the plot to kill Letelier, but did nothing to stop it. We also now know of the extent to which our government fomented the coup d’etat in Chile over thirty years ago, and propped up the junta. Events in Haiti prove that the government had not learned the lesson of Chile – and it could happen again, whenever a nation challenges American domination of its political and economic life.

Elizabeth MillerBrooklyn NY

More on Frist

I, a patients’ rights activist, was amazed to read your excellent article against HCA and to see it actually published. And then I discovered why: “communism” – the absolute curse or fear word in the American language – the bogeyman himself.

Having lived in Europe, I do not have the common fear of the unknown. You and the Communist Party address the social issues, which are important for the majority of Americans, even though most of them are in denial.

Thank you for your excellent article.

Please feel free to point your readers to my acquired experience in the “profits before patients” system here in Florida. My mother was tortured to death for profit and I have numerous members who have experienced the same. Inform yourself early, before it happens to you or your loved ones. http://spcpi.homestead.com/

Carol StronstorffBradenton FL

More mercury info

In your article (“Mercury Risk Rising,” 3/13-19) you rightly state the dangers of mercury intoxication. But, although air pollution, fish, and vaccines are major contributors of mercury to the environment, by far the greatest amount of mercury is released from amalgams in peoples’ teeth. A couple of years ago I set up a web page to raise awareness about mercury: www.stanford.edu/~bcalhoun/amalgam.htm

Birgit CalhounPalo Alto CA

Thank you for HCA,
Frist article

Thank you to the PWW author who wrote the recent article on Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) fraud and greed (PWW 3/27-4/2).

My uninsured 56-year-old husband and Vietnam Vet died three years ago – thanks to [Sen.] Bill Frist’s greed and that of his money-hungry and greedy family! This man should not be allowed near any law making decisions when he is in direct conflict of his own private and financial interest and personal gains.

Suzanne Via e-mail from Florida

Offshoring

The new business model, “Employ Cheap Foreign Workers while Charging High American Prices,” has already started to fail. Gains are only seen on Wall Street. CEOs believe “greed is good” and they practice it every day when they “downsize” their companies, “offshore” American jobs, and give themselves huge bonuses. Corporate executives never re-invest their companies’ profits. “Downward mobility” will become commonplace in America in the next five years. CEOs cannot control their greed. Only strong legislation against offshoring will stop the negative effects of this business practice. It’s called regulation and it’s what existed before deregulation came along.

Tom ChiarelloWest Milford NJ

War, capitalism and Bush

Sam Webb’s article (PWW 3/20-26) was a meaningful assessment of our situation as regards the lives of our families. The threat is real. His solution is obvious to me. We must enlarge socialist-oriented organizations and demand peaceful solutions to world problems. Most young people today do not know that there is an alternative to capitalism and the drive for profits at any cost. We have to start teaching what socialism is all about.

The governmental rule of capitalism, purchased by corporate wealth, must be replaced by government of those who produce that wealth. Socialism is the answer to continuing and pre-emptive wars.

Karl DennisTucson AZ