Showing posts with label comments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comments. Show all posts

Friday, April 23, 2010

"Why Does the USA Persist in Its Missionary Position?"

Yesterday's New York Times editorial, "Mr. Karzai Might Even Agree", received relatively few - a total of 46 - online reader comments; however, I think it is interesting to note the most highly reader-recommended comment, which poignantly observes in relevant part:

"Why does the USA persist in its missionary position - bringing its imperfect democracy and capitalist systems to the rest of the world by force of arms? That is a sure recipe for decline and fall and bankruptcy."

As you all know, I oppose U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, but I never realized that the missionary position could lead to "decline and fall and bankruptcy", and I am rushing this information to Timothy Geithner for his response.

Elsewhere among recent New York Times online comments, I read in response to the April 19 NYT editorial, "Iran, Sanctions and the Memo", the following, which stated in sum total:

"Iran deserve [sic] the nuke to protect itself. Period."

Now what could possibly be memorable about this illiterate gem? I would have thought the answer to be "nothing", but not according to the Times. The Times, in its infinite wisdom (on the same level as the editorial itself, see: http://jgcaesarea.blogspot.com/2010/04/iran-sanctions-and-memo-whose.html), "highlighted" 10 comments, and this was one of the comments chosen for this accolade. So as to avoid any confusion, the Times explains that "highlights" are:

"A selection of the most interesting and thoughtful comments that represent a range of views."

Good to know that the Times deemed this to be one of the "most interesting and thoughtful" responses. Let that be a comfort to any of you who have ever had their online comments rejected by the Times "moderators".