Worst Letter of the Year

The year is still young, but a letter to the editor in the Jan 5th San Jose Mercury News sets a high standard for historical ignorance.  Scroll down to read:

"Peace is possible only with justice

In Mercury News letters to the editor, the Israeli blitzkrieg against the Palestinians continues...

You can safely ignore the rest of his letter; it's just self-praise followed by nine rhetorical questions, devoid of facts or cogent arguments.  But that looks good compared to the flaws in the tiny fragment presented.


   "Peace is possible only with justice"


This sounds nice, but it historically false.  There was a long period of peace during the time of the Roman Empire.  There was a hundred year period of European peace starting 1814 after the Congress of Vienna.  Neither period is especially known for "justice".  Strike one.


   "In Mercury News letters to the editor, the Israeli blitzkrieg...


The letter writer is criticizing previous letters.  As noted before, he never addresses any specific points.


Instead, he attempts an impossibly long leap of logic and metaphor to link a letter to the editor, part of our freedom of expression enshrined in the Bill of Rights, to blitzkrieg, an act of war which features concentrated armored spearheads, including "terror elements", and infamous bombings of civilian cities.   Strike two.


   "...continues..."


Blitzkrieg means lightning-war.  By definition it is short and swift.  It does not "continue".  Strike three.  


Three major flaws in less than two sentences.  That's why it's my early nominee for Worst Letter of the Year.