Fred letter

You certainly have some very bright students. Their responses are
right on target. Yes, I've  seen "Taxi Driver" and it is a brilliant film.
I think this was Scorcese's high point as his succeeding films, to me at
least, are uninteresting. Also, the young Robert DeNiro was brilliant in
this film and in "The Godfather" too. Lately he's all over the place in a
collection of brain-dead comedies that prove he's money-crazy. Two books
that I can heartily recommend are "Revolt of The Masses" by Jose Ortega Y
gasset (an ancient classic) and "The Coming Anarchy" by Robert Kaplan. My
reading is a bit scattered but in the past several years I've drifted
towards geo-political stuff simply because the world, as we know it, is in
the midst of convulsive change and I'm trying to make sense of it. Robert
Kaplan, a modern writer, travels throughout the former Russian Empire,
Africa and the middle east and has much to tell us. I'm a bit uncertain of
how available books and magazines etc. are available to you. Are your
libraries good and can you order material that might not be in tune with
your gov't? Another book you should read is Daniel Yergin's treatise about
the great oil companies and how they drained the middle east. I'm suddenly
unable to recall the title but I'm sure you can find it. Finally, you
described life in Iran as "soul-breaking", a very provocative description.
Please try to detail for me some of the difficulties you are coping with.
I'll close with one last observation. Freedom is a double-edged sword.
It's advantages are obvious but they come at a very steep price. For
example, here in the U.S. we are saddled with a very corrupt pop culture
simply because there are no strict guidelines regarding dress, music,
literature and behavior. Moronically banal tv talk shows and sitcoms fill
the air as this is what the masses demand. After all, they have huge
buying power so the advertisers aim everthing at this jungle mentality.
When Muslim's call us "The Great Satin", I can't really blame them. As the
great Winston Churchill once said, "democracy is the worst system in the
world.......except for all the others. FRED

Fred letter

 thanks for your kind letter. I send you these articles not only
for the information they contain, but also to show you the value of the
free press we have here in America. Most of the time, such open dialogue
produces the best results. Unfortunately, I cannot agree with Tom
Friedman's position on Iraq. The American intervention has produced a
holocaust for Iraqis so I'm reduced to the idea that we should get out and
let them have their civil war. This wave of senseless terrorism by the
Sunnis proves to me that the last thing they want is a democracy because
shiite rule is so abhorrent to them. As you may know, there were 600
thousand deaths in the U.S. civil war, one of the great shames in recorded
history. But it did bring the union together and we went forward from
there. As a matter of fact, more boys were killed in this war than in all
our other wars combined. Yes, I'm a great movie fan but I've stopped going
because modern movies are so awful. The target audience is uneducated
teenagers so I stay at home with my books. However, if you like Stanley
Kubric, then you must see "Paths of Glory" easily the best war movie of
all time. Kirk Douglas does a brilliant job in this film. I wasn't that
impressed with "Eyes Wide Shut" but as in all art, taste is very
subjective. If you want to know more about me, I think our  e-mail
exchange is probably a good barometer. I read voraciously and reflect a
great deal also. Though I'm not religious, I try to live by the rule
"do unto others as you would have them do unto you". And though I'm not a
Christian, I truly accept Christ's words, "let him who is without sin cast
the first stone." Does that help? FRED

Honest letter to Fred

Dear Fred;

I am  a praiser of Stanly Kubric (The director) and also Martin Scorsese (have you seen his Masterpiece"Taxi Driver" a quotation from the presidential candidate "WE ARE THE PEOPLE" Are you in favor of movies as well? Thanks for all the informative  articles  you send me too.I have learnt much from you too.second,regarding my sister she isn't in the state of committing suicide as far as I know.You are on the other side of the world, and I don't think anything can be done about this either here or there.in this country, living is so soul breaking so to speak.lets not complain about all the problems we have here.a new Man Must Be born(as Nietzscheputs it) to cure this infected body. I don't have any SPECIAL  associates of friends . I am an average ordinary teacher who is doing his best to have a better life and my friends are my co_workers.how about you ?would you tell me more about yourself ?

Yours