Letters: November 15, 2008

Spartacus

Just coincidentally, I had rented the DVD “Spartacus” from Netflix two weeks before the interview with Kirk Douglas reprinted in the People’s Weekly World (10/25-31).

Aside from the wonderful articulation on the subject of the blacklist, and the courage on the part of Mr. Douglas to break it, the film in many ways is timeless. The fight for freedom, the all-powerful spirit of human beings to better their lives, and working together to accomplish this.

It is worth noting, the acting is first class.

I highly recommend watching the film with family. Parents should view the film first due to some adult content. On the subject of the blacklist, I strongly recommend the book “Hollywood Red” by Lester Cole.

Gabe Falsetta

Glendale NY

Meaningful experience

After campaigning for Obama on Election Day, I stopped at a convenience store to buy some junk food, and as I came out I was stopped by a man asking for money. I told him that he was in luck — I was in a good mood because of the elections. This man, who happened to be African American, said, “Oh, is Obama losing?”

I thought that a little odd, and replied that he was winning: “Let’s keep our fingers crossed.” As I walked to my car, this man earnestly asked, “Would you really want a Black man as president?” Of course I nodded an emphatic “Yes,” and as I drove away, I realized how very little I know about the African American experience in this country. This man couldn’t quite believe a white woman would want a Black man as president, and I couldn’t quite believe that he found that difficult to believe.

When I heard the news that Obama had won, I drove past that same convenience store, but the man had moved on. Perhaps our brief exchange was meaningful for him, too. For me, it made the most historically significant day of my lifetime that much more memorable.

Deb Wilmer

Tucson AZ

O Barack Obama

O Barack Obama,

I need to go to commemorate

Your historic triumph:

Where?

At the Lincoln Memorial

There,

Forty years ago

Martin Luther King Jr. voiced

His dream of racial equality

And now your triumph will cure the racial divide.

Come, Poet of the new age,

Stand in the rays of bright sunrise.

You have cherished dreams

By intensifying your splendour,

Learnt the poetic languages of earth and sky.

Nature’s unknown power works well

In your beautiful mind.

From Kenya to Chicago

Dream for equality is being voiced

Through your triumph

Across sky and earth.

Chiraranjan Roy

Kolkata, India

More coverage

I am writing you to ask you about something very, very important to me. That subject is why does the PWW not include more in-depth coverage of Communist and Worker’s Parties throughout the world? I am very interested in finding out about is going on in Russia under Putin and most importantly, I am especially interested in getting more information about the Communist Party of the Russian Federation.

Gary De Santis

Hamilton Township NJ

Comments from our web site www.pww.org

Re: “Gulf Coast update”: The Plumbers and Pipe Fitters union is seeking welders, plumbers and others to join the union’s expanded apprenticeship and journeyman training programs.

Plumbing

Re: “Union leader walks road to recovery”: Congratulations, Mr. Obama on becoming America’s 44th president. Your endurance through the 22-month campaign is highly admirable. However, your journey has just begun. You have been chosen to become the decision-maker for all Americans to resolve the major issues in our economy.

First and foremost, the financial system and the faltering economy must be stabilized and we understand that you have proposed a number of different stimulus packages in recent weeks regarding this matter. Your plans to temporarily exempt seniors from having to make annual withdrawals from their IRAs and 401(k)s after the age of 70 ? and to temporarily exempt the unemployed from having to pay taxes on their unemployment benefits will most likely have you score on both sides.

Nevertheless, the biggest focus should be on keeping the bank bailout/credit repair that started on track, reduce real estate foreclosures and change the position of financial regulation. To sum up, you have all your objectives laid out for you, Mr. President-elect.

Lisa P.

Re: “World reacts to Obama presidency”: In the case of Chavez, he seems to not only be open to a new relationship, but he appears to be taking action to create a better relationship. It’s a small first step, but it’s something — he fired the Houston consul after the U.S. State Department asked them to leave. Normally this would have led to a belligerent back and forth between Bush and Hugo.

Stonecipher

Re: “Populist president faces long odds”: Paraguay’s President Lugo will need more the wisdom of Solomon to succeed. On one hand are his supporters who are desperate to see social justice accomplished such as redistribution of wealth, a living wage, decent health care and education. On the other hand are the oligarchs that have always ruled — the last 50 years through the Colorodo Party of Stroessner. This party dominates the nation’s wealth, the media, the public service, the national assembly and the military. At least Paraguay is surrounded by sympathetic governments and the incoming U.S. Obama administration is less likely to interfere than a Bush administration would be.

I am hopeful that over the next few years Paraguay’s new leader President Lugo will show himself to be an extremely capable leader well able to teach Solomon a thing or two, too.

Luke Weyland

Re: “Tears of joy greet Obama election”: I live in Britain and want to say thank you to the U.S. labor movement, Obama election workers and every American who voted for a change away from the far right, neo-cons, privatization and war. But don’t just hope for that change, now begins the real struggle to make it happen.

Andrew Wigglesworth

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