Regarding Roger Pulvers' Oct. 5 article, "So you think U.S. democracy's dying? Well, you're probably right": I really enjoy reading articles by Pulvers on Japanese language and culture, but his most recent Counterpoint article appears to be one more example of a tired trend of ranting like a leftist against America and the Bush administration.
While ostensibly describing a book about American politics with which he agrees, Pulvers again provides his own subjective opinions about America and tries to feed us some whoppers along the way. His description of the liberal-conservative locus -- that liberals are open to all types of people while conservatives deny rights to those who don't share their worldview -- is laughably simplistic. Another outrageous statement: "The myths of opportunity, of fairness and equality, do not stand up to American realities."
Too many counter-examples make it clear that such statements are over the top. Clearly, he has a deep dislike for President George W. Bush, conservatives and Republicans. I believe his zealotry blinds him to reality. He apparently didn't recognize that the quote he included from Ronald Reagan was a criticism of the shallow nature of politics in America today.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.