Fascist-Defender: Smell the Coffee
Thank you for publishing Tom Dominy's rant against Mr. Tripp and voices of dissent in America [Letters, May 29-June 4]. I appreciate his passion, despite his crude manners.

His impulse to grab his gun to silence oppositional viewpoints is sadly reminiscent of current American foreign policy.

Our "great nation" that Tom refers to was built on the ideal of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. With the Bush administration, we are now steering a course toward death abroad and loss of liberty at home in the pursuit of absolute power by and for the few.

Tom, if you really want to be a patriot, please throw away that gun, limit your time with talk radio, find a vehicle to drive that gets more than 15 mpg, and open your eyes to the destructive and heartless path now being forged by our imperial leaders
Michael Baer | Monterey

Fascist-Defender Needs Anger Management
Tom Dominy obviously doesn't realize that "fascism" also means the tendency towards fascism, and America under the Bush Administration has this tendency in spades. Indeed, it isn't surprising that so many people compare Bush to Hitler, given the startling similarities in their ideologies and methods. However, Bush acts more like Mussolini, strutting around just as Il Duce did at the height of his arrogance.

But America is as much socialist as fascist, with massive public subsidies creating and supporting many of our industries and funding the increasing militarization of our society. Tragically, our support for violent dictators and our brutalization of those who have what we want (or who simply need reminding that might is right) only proves that America's brand of state-funded capitalism rivals the violence of any other "ism" and explains why we inspire such hatred around the world.

I won't call Dominy a "pathetic idiot" because he apparently hasn't a clue about how American terrorism--both military and economic--perpetuates suffering here and abroad. But I will suggest that, if he's reaching for his gun, he should try some anger-management counseling.
Paul David Tuff | Salinas

Commie-Defender is Wrong
Bill Monning in his 29 May letter complains about Squid's dismissive comments on congressman and Democratic Socialist, Dennis Kucinich. Given the political slant of the Coast Weekly, I'm a bit surprised myself. Monning writes Kucinich is a Catholic and opposes abortion but supports a women's right to choose abortion. Any thinking person would see that statement as a hypocritical contradiction. I suppose Monning and Kucinich would have opposed Susan Smith drowning her two children but support her in her choice to do so.

Monning and Kucinich both support single-payer health care (i.e. socialized medicine paid for by taxpayers). Kucinich claims health care is a basic human "right" and also calls for free education up to and including college.

Monning and Kucinich basically want the U.S. to be a workers' paradise along the lines of Castro's Cuba, Red China, and North Korea etc. Given Monning's membership in the National Lawyer's Guild, an organization identified in congressional reports as the "Bulwark of the Communist Party," his support of Kucinich the Democratic Socialist is understandable.
Brian L. Burleson | Seaside