I want to congratulate you on your brave and wise editorial called, fittingly, “The Brutal Truth.” I felt your concern that your effort to speak the truth would be very unpopular. How did we get to the point where liberals shy away from the truth in the interests of emotional reaction? Liberalism used to mean finding truth about the world and then trying to do something to improve things. Now, what might be called neo-libs want nothing of the truth, and take sides willy-nilly, with little historical or factual basis. The neocons do exactly the same thing, and the liberal truth-seeker in the middle cannot help but feel fear and trembling about all the anti-knowledge, impulsive mob thinking on all sides. It is frightening, but your editorial may help make a fresh start toward some kind of true historical perspective and real intellectual probing, versus emotional propaganda, and restore liberalism to the lofty esteem it once had.
Arnold Robbins, MD
Cambridge
Your pointless editorial “The Brutal Truth” pains those of us tired of reading low-level debate about the Middle East conflict. You do not understand the need to criticize Israel’s policy independent of any assessment of Hezbollah. It is a neo-conservative false dichotomy: support Israel or you are supporting the terrorists.
Hezbollah are, in fact, terrorists, killers, and extremists, and their enemies do see them as morally bankrupt. We all know this. Kofi Annan does not express outrage at particular Hezbollah attacks in this war because he already knows they are terrorists. The situation is analogous to a cop chasing a killer through a crowd while exchanging fire. If the killer hits a civilian, then that is too bad. But if the cop kills civilians through wanton action, there is a public outcry, and rightly so. This is not a double standard.
Israel, as a modern, powerful Western nation, is guilty of attacking civilian homes and cars, ambulances, airports, highways, bridges, power stations, oil-storage facilities, and UN outposts, and it is guilty of blocking humanitarian aid and forcing mass evacuation. Many of these are war crimes that will not be prosecuted.
Dr. Gregory C. Jones
Somerville
Bravo for your editorial “The Brutal Truth.” The Phoenix concisely and accurately stated the facts of Hezbollah’s blatant attacks on Israeli territory and citizens, requiring Israel to defend herself — as would any sovereign state. Israel’s intention was not to invade Lebanon, but to destroy the Hezbollah network that holds the Lebanese government hostage. At this time, Lebanon needs the support of those Arab states that reject the havoc created by both Hezbollah and Hamas in Arab nations seeking to establish or maintain responsible governments. These two fascist terror groups hide among civilian Arabs in order to murder Israelis — Jews, Muslims and Christians — with the ultimate goal of the destruction of the state of Israel and the preparation of new murderous and extremist regimes which will threaten the entire free world. Israel is to be commended for its exercise of self-defense. Thank you for an enlightening editorial.
Stephen Simons
Brookilne
