Viewpoints:
The
New York Times vs. the Mississippi Delta
The
“Old Grey Lady” is at it again. In a July 25
editorial, in response to tariffs enacted to protect the
U.S. catfish industry, The New York Times railed, “The
case against the Vietnamese was brutally rigged by American
fishing and political interests.” (emphasis added).
Forgetting about the “brutally” oppressive Communist
dictatorship in Vietnam, the Times goes on,”The campaign
that threatens to run (Vietnamese fish farmers and exporters)
is rooted in myopic greed and blatant xenophobia.”
According to Delta Farm Press, the catfish industry accounted
for 7,000 jobs and some $102 million in wages for Mississippi
in 2000. So, the Times, a left-of-center publication ostensibly
concerned about issues like poverty, would have the U.S.
government favor Vietnamese farmers over residents of economically-challenged
regions like the Delta, where the U.S. catfish industry
is based. Seems The New York Times is more concerned about
the Communist government-run economy in Vietnam than it
is about jobs and wages of working class people in the Delta.
DBJ
Blank
out on the big blackout
The recent massive blackout on the East Coast should really
come as no mystery or surprise. More power plants are desperately
needed all across the country. Yet, environmentalists are
busy creating and endorsing so many new regulations and
fines against existing plants that there are no incentives
for new plants to be built. We live in a technological society
that relies on power to function; we are dependent upon
electricity, not windmills or hamsters running on treadmills.
There are those radicals—some of them in Washington—who
would have this country living in misery and discomfort
for the sake of a snail darter or a reelection. Their wish
came true during the East Coast blackout. Note the results.
DBJ
Mississippi
Valley State should reconsider
We were disappointed to hear of the recent decision Mississippi
Valley State University made regarding playing their regional
rival, Delta State University, in football. Valley State
has decided to discontinue the nascent rivalry after this
season, stating it would rather play more neutral-site games
against other historically-black universities. The Delta
Devils-Statesmen contest was becoming a big draw for our
region. The DBJ hopes the decision by Valley is not final.
DBJ
