Dear Mr. MacArthur:

I wrote the following letter yesterday and sent it to a few politicians and journalists. My letter refers to a 12/31/98 "New York Times" article by Jeff Gerth & Eric Schmitt, "Bipartisan Report Finds Theft of Nuclear Technology That Hurt National Security."

I sent this to various news organizations -- not just the "Times" -- because I think the article is a good example of why the American public distrusts the mainstream media:

The NYT article concerns China's acquisition of U.S. military technology -- a subject rightwing talk radio hosts and rabid Clinton- Chronicles fans misleadingly peddle as: "Clinton gave our military secrets to China." Regrettably the article does little to correct the talk radio version of the story, and that's really my main concern and the main reason I'm writing this letter.

Gerth and Schmitt give a nod to the fact that the Reagan and Bush Administrations were also involved and that the Chinese stole much of the technology. Still the article leaves the false impression (or does little to undo the impression) that this sort of activity is relatively new and is uniquely connected to Clinton. The article's credibility isn't helped by the fact that Jeff Gerth is one of the Ken Starr camp's favorite journalist- poodles for fetching leaks and that Gerth promoted countless Whitewater rumors and other Clinton-bashing stories that later turned out to be groundless or flimsy.

The article doesn't bother to put the situation into context by at least mentioning the fact that the U.S. government has allowed a wildly reckless arms trading and military technology policy for many years. For example, William D. Hartung, senior research fellow at the World Policy Institute, writes in AND WEAPONS FOR ALL that in the early '80s independent arms producer and felon Gerald V. Bull hired himself out -- with the blessings of the U.S. government -- as a weapons designer for the People's Republic of China and for Saddam Hussein's Iraqui regime.

The technology Gerald Bull sold was developed under U.S. military contracts. The State Department's Office of Munitions Control even officially cleared the felon Gerald Bull to market his arms worldwide. At a summer 1985 meeting, the Pentagon decided to actively work to build up China's military and, according to Hartung, to overlook indiscretions like Gerald Bull's.

In the mid-1980s, Gerald Bull sold one hundred long-range 155mm guns to Iraq. The U.S. government allowed it. The CIA and other government agencies also allowed the illegal transfer of U.S. cluster bomb technology to Iraq. In 1987 the Chinese government tried to sell some of its weapons (designed by Gerald Bull) to Iraq. Bull is only one example of many such U.S. arms dealers.

Hartung discusses Republican complicity in arming Iraq. During the Cold War, Sarkis Soghanalian was a CIA contract agent and middleman who armed Somoza of Nicaragua and Marcos of the Philippines. Soghanalian exported 26 U.S.-made helicopters to the Iraqui army. The helicopters were sold as "civilian" aircraft and armed with machine guns when they arrived in Iraq. His partners in this were former Nixon administration attorney general John Mitchell, Nixon's VP Spiro Agnew, and former Nixon military aide Jack Brennan who later worked for the George Bush White House.

In Hartung's book retired Navy Admiral Eugene Carroll laments the fact that the U.S. spends "nearly $300 billion a year for forces to fight in regional conflicts at the same time we are the world's leading seller of the arms which fuel those conflicts." Ann Markusen, Director of the Project on Regional and Industrial Economics at Rutgers University says, "Hartung shows how dug in are the forces -- military contractors and Pentagon and State Department bureaucracies -- that conspire to sell tens of billions in weapons overseas every year, despite the future threats to our security."

Repeat: DESPITE FUTURE THREATS TO OUR SECURITY. -- This is the context in which (ahem) Clinton allegedly gave away our military technology to China. Yeah, right. For the past year or more far rightwing Clinton political enemies have propagandized that Clinton is a vile enemy of the state for "allowing" China to steal and otherwise acquire our technology.

Jeff Gerth and Eric Schmitt let the same myth remain intact, doing nothing to clarify context. "News" without essential context is misleading. It is disinformation. Mainstream journalists often claim they want to regain public trust. I think articles like Gerth's and Schmitt's further diminish public trust of the mainstream media.

Thomas Jefferson said we can keep democracy only if we have "a fully informed electorate." I think it's important for the public to understand we need to look outside the mainstream media if we want to get all the news we need in order to be fully informed. The public cut its teeth on glorified entertainment industry images of noble, independent investigative news reporters. Unfortunately there's a big gap between the myth of TV's conscientious Lou Grant and the cold reality of a Jeff Gerth. A good first step to a fully informed electorate is admitting we don't necessarily have a really free mainstream press -- at least not a press free of corporate control and compromised journalists.

Carla Binion

"James Dobson's political style has been one of relentlessly demonizing his adversaries. And he has created the impression that the pathway to national moral reform leads through the legislative machinery of Washington. Although his followers don't yet see it, Dobson's underlying agenda and approach to politics is theocratic and his harsh rhetoric toward those of opposing views, combined with his rejection of the fine art of compromise, mean we face a growing disruption for our society in the days ahead."

The Republican Party is actually intimidated by the Christian Right and their power, they are aware of the fact that James Dobson and others are willing to have the Republican Party self-destruct than not bow to their every whim.

The Federal Election Commission is investigating the Christian Coalition on the basis that the organization is an appendage of the Republican Party. What makes this wrong is that the organization is receiving tax-exempt status as an "educational" institution at the same time.

The laws are clear, the tax code 501 (c) 4 says that these organizations "cannot contribute anything - money, literature, or manpower - in support of specific parties or candidates."

The Federal Election Commission sued the Christian Coalition on the following illegal actions:

The Coalition made 30,000 calls in support of the re-election of Republican Senator Jesse Helms.

Illegally coordinated scorecard distribution with the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee in 1990.

Illegally endorsed Newt Gingrich in 1994.

Illicitly identified possible voters for the Bush presidential campaign in 1992.

Acted in an improperly partisan manner by circulating scorecards deeming congressmen either "good" or "misguided."