Web Letters: Hail Caesar!

Once again, Alexander Cockburn holds the fort for the radical perspective. In doing so, Cockburn proves himself a credit to The Nation and those of its readers who are still willing to overlook its sad but not unexpected turn to the liberal center.

Those who doubt Cockburn on Obama's intentions for Social Security and Medicare need only look at the particulars of the ersatz stimulus bill now being discussed. While doing so, let readers remember that there was barely a heartbeat between Obama learning of last fall's windfall plan for Big Finance and his voting for it. I predict that soon there will be squads of working poor pandandling to the slogan "Spare some change you can believe in?"

Perhaps someday those who style themselves as "progressive" will be willing to have an honest discussion about what really counts in this world and admit that Ralph Nader had a point in eschewing gonad politics in favor of class analysis. Perhaps. What have we to lose? Jessica Valenti and Amanda Marcotte would have to get real jobs, but such an incovenience would be worth it, to us and to posterity.

Douglas Presler

Minneapolis, MN

If you are old enough, we were probably on opposite sides of the fence during the cold war. But we have a similar temperament and a feeling of disgust with our wimpy leaders. The so-called center left is embracing right-wing economic nonsense. If Social Security disappears with their 401(k)s, there will be nothing but wage slavery and poverty for future generations. These people are idiots! Along with destroying the middle-class lifestyle of the American worker, they are destroying the American market and the source of their wealth.

Pervis James Casey

Riverside, CA