The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Big Ben's Finest Hours

6.6.05 @ 12:02AM

THE LEFT STRIKES BACK
Re: Ben Stein's I Don't Feel for Felt and Deep Throat and Genocide; the "Bad Day for Snitches" letters in Reader Mail's Feltgate, and "Stein's the One" in Reader Mail's Hear Them Roar:

Wow, I have to say, I am in love with Ben Stein's opinion on this whole matter, I wasn't even born at the time of the Watergate scandal, but every time I read about Nixon I can't help but think he was a good president, thanks.

Please forward my approval if you can.
-- Brandon Regueiro

"Win Ben Stein's Money" was outrageous comedy with terrible puns and thoroughly enjoyable. However, his love of the rigid right frequently betrayed his vast knowledge and wit. I am sure he didn't know the questions but I'm sure the areas of questions were somewhat shaded to his expertise -- law, history, current events, biography. Bring the program back.

However, Ben as a political writer and commentator is a tragedy. Of
course, Felt looks old. He's in his nineties. I hope Ben looks as good when he is 89. Politically, Ben is too much of an ideologue to pass himself off as a writer. He doesn't have the suave nature of David Brooks nor the conviction of Rush Limbaugh.

As a professor of law at Pepperdine, Ben must have thousands of political right wingers as an audience.
Stick to comedy, Ben.
-- William Brace

Corrrection: A phrase from the fourth paragraph of Ben Stein's June 1st article "Deep Throat and Genocide" read "...conniving war starter like LBJ..." It should have read "...conniving war starters like LBJ and GWB..."
-- Brad Wilks
Franklin Park, Pennsylvania

Ben Stein is a great writer. I enjoy his style and his humorous tone. But, Nixon was not the great president Ben makes him out to be. Sure, he had his moments, but he was a tragic human being -- a real mixed up personality and a closet liberal to boot.

Having said that, I must state that I believe Ben Stein is correct about the history of the war in Vietnam. Without the fall of Nixon the North Vietnamese Communists would have failed in their attempt to conquer the South in 1975 for at least three reasons: (1) Nixon would have kept our commitment to the South; which meant two important factors that weren't present when he was gone, namely, (2) US re-supply of ammunition, spare parts, etc, and (3) the continued presence of US military advisors (who would have ensured the South Vietnamese Army had airpower, like AH-1 Cobras [with TOW missiles], and, especially B52 strikes), which would have remained in Vietnam to do what we promised the people of Vietnam we would do in 1973. There is no way in God's green earth that a North Vietnamese armored assault would have succeeded with these factors as they did in 1975. Anyone who doubts that has forgotten the failed North Vietnamese Easter 1972 offensive.

When we cut off money, supplies, advisors and our support, the South knew they were unlikely to win. With Nixon in power it is unlikely the holocaust of Cambodia would have occurred simply because the chaos of the fall of the RVN would not have happened. Of course the rest of the post-1975 fall of Saigon tragedy (boat people, concentration camps, etc)would have not occurred either. I doubt it would have occurred later with Ronald Reagan on the horizon in our history.
-- Paul Melody
Gainesville, Virginia

Stein's maliciously inaccurate article is a disgrace to himself as a citizen of this country. He has a very warped idea of what a hero is. He asks questions for dishonest effect. He is the very definition of a dishonorable person.
-- Dimitry Volfson

I'm glad to see Ben Stein drawing the connection between Watergate and the fall of South Vietnam. The link is not hard to make, but those who are willing to make it are few and far between. Ben has the same straight-forward, common sense approach his old man had, and he doesn't seem to care where the truth takes him. Bravo to Ben.
-- Lew Dale

A finer column I have rarely read. Well said!
-- Fr. Mark McKercher

In addition to the book "Silent Coup: The Removal of a President" -- by Len Colodny, Robert Gettlin, I also recommend "Secret Agenda: Watergate, Deep Throat, and the CIA" -- by Jim Hougan. Hougan's book digs into Watergate from a different angle than the Colodny and Gettlin book. It delves into why were the break-ins so inept as to be discovered at all.
-- Geoff Bowden
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Ben Stein has always been a demented piece of trash but his column on Felt takes the cake. Count me gone. It's over for me and your magazine.
-- Patrick Hasburgh

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Foreign Policy, Trade, Bill Clinton, Mainstream Media, Law, Military, Iraq, Israel, Africa, Communism, Fascism, Nuclear Weapons, Oil