ustxtxb_obs_1999_06_25_50_00002-00000_000.pdf

d’s 1999 ! Enter a new Observer subscription or renew your old one before July 4, 1999, and you’ll be eligible to win round-trip airfare to Austin and a celebratory lunch with the one and only Molly at Threadgill’s World Headquarters compliments of The Texas Observer. Molly promises to be witty, charming, and completely Y2K-compliant. This is your last chance before the new millennium to lunch with Molly Ivins! Don’t miss it! Subscription orders must be received and paid in full by July 4, 1999. The Observerwill provide a round-trip ticket for one from any airport served by Southwest Airlines; arrival and departure will be for the same day. \(Austin residents will receive subscriptions of one or more years. One entry per one-year subscription; two per two-year; three per three-year. Recipients of gift subscriptions will be entered in the drawing unless otherwise specified. DIALOGUE GOOD BOMBS VS. BAD I am disturbed to see the Observer in such a one-sided stance about the bombing of Yugoslavia. By this stance the Observer has joined forces with Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives who say if Clinton’s for it, we’re against it. I’m proud that our President has forged a consensus in NATO that is standing up to the genocidal impulses of the regime in Belgrade. also Al Gore’s political future on behalf of the Kosovars. I hate to think that the magazine I’ve subscribed to for thirty-five years would join the sort of left-wing isolationism that would leave tyrants to do their worst, assuming that if America is attacking, it must be for the wrong reasons. Certainly the attempt at satire of the P.S.A.T. \(“Political Scholastic Aptitude Test,” since World War II has been worthy, since none has spawned a democracy. Are you saying that South Korea is no better than North Korea? Such a stance is ignorant and an affront to the United Nations forces that served there. Is Kuwait better off under Saddam’s boot? It would be irresponsible to suggest that it would be. Has American intervention not always been wise? No argument here. But to say that it is inherently unwise, immoral and unjust is an attitude, not a judgment. Leave attitudes to Ramsey and Tom DeLay. Steve Salinger Kansas City, Missouri UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE The May 14 issue was outstanding: Michael King’s feature, “The Last Puritan,” an excellent report on Marvin Olasky, the guru of compassionate conservatism; and Ronnie Dugger’s “Questions for George W.,” showing just how compassionate Republicans \(and other conserfishing buddy readily acknowledges that compassionate conservatism is nothing but the same old conservatism with an appealing name. I go much further. “Compassionate conservatism” is an oxymoron ranking right up there with “friendly fire.” Fifty years ago, I was reading the books of James Burnham, a man like Marvin Olasky, extreme Right. In Burnham’s case, his newly revealed truth was that the Soviets were eight , feet tall, and we’d better attack and destroy them before they did the same to us. In the last half century, America has seen a number of Burnhams and Olaskys preaching their new absolutes. In Olasky’s case, it is a flip-flop from atheism and communism to a particular brand of fundamentalist Christianity. What seems to characterize these people is a very strong need for certainty in their lives. They seem unable to tolerate ambiguity and complexity: situational ethics are beyond them. Twenty years ago, born-again Christians THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Thanks to a recent kind notice about the Observer in Liz Smith’s syndicated column \(based on Observer help. Friends nationwide have leapt to our assistance, and a number of contributions have arrived in response. As Molly told Liz, we will be using these contributions to help build our permanent capital fund, through the non-profit Texas Democracy Foundation. The capital fund will supplement our annual direct-mail fall fundraiser, which this year coincides with the Observer’s forty-fifth anniversary. We thank all of you who have responded so generously, and remind our readers that you will be hearing from us again in the fall. It is truly reassuring to know we have so many friends out there, and we want to assure you we intend to be here for many more years, with the help of your unquenchable and irreplaceable support. In the meantime, if you know anybody who needs a subscription, see the Lunch-with-Molly offer on this page. sported bumper stickers proclaiming “I’ve Found It!” My reaction was then, and is now, “What a Shame!” The fascination, the excitement, are all in the seeking, not in the finding. Richard H. Kraemer Professor Emeritus of Government, U.T.Austin SOMETHING ABOUT JERRY Think the Gov is really compassionate and kind? Check the June issue of Reverend Jerry Falwell’s National Liberty Journal. On page 2, there is a picture of Governor Bush and Reverend Jerry and the article indicates the picture was made in May 1999 at the Governor’s mansion. The article indicates the Governor and Falwell have been close friends for a long time, and apparently Falwell thinks Bush has practically been elected President of the United States. What’s wrong with this picture? Jerry Falwell is one of the best known pathological liars in America and makes a living spreading hate. If you like to read tabloid magazines but hate to buy them, come up on falwell.com and subscribe to Falwell Confidential. Each week you will receive the latest garbage for free on your computer. Why should you read this trash? The same reason you should watch the History Channel when they are telling how the Nazis came to power in Germany. You should be concerned when people use hate, fear, and lies to gain political power. Ozark, Alabama 2 THE TEXAS OBSERVER JUNE 25, 1999