The American Spectator

: “Miller is both one of the [evolution] science’s most clever and tireless defenders, and a practicing Roman Catholic. His religion gives him, as another veteran of the evolutionary war observed, ‘strong propaganda value.”’ We regret the mistaken attribution, though it’s not clear to us how those words misrepresent Professor Miller’s views. /p> p> NOT SO DESPERATE br> Re: George Neumayr’s Desperate for Defeat and Reader Mail’s The Ecstasy of Defeat : /p>

I am writing in response to the “Desperate for Defeat” article of 22nd November and a number of comments from other readers.

The article and its respondents all appear to believe that an American victory is imperative but none of them discuss what set of circumstances would constitute such a victory. Taking the public utterances of America’s leaders at their word (and leaving aside the President’s declaration of “victory” aboard an aircraft carrier in the summer of 2003) I assume an American victory would be at hand when a stable democratic government, the rule of law and a peaceful civil society were established in Iraq. If a politician expresses the view that withdrawing foreign troops will hasten the achievement of the coalition’s aims, how is he or she being cowardly, unpatriotic or defeatist?

I am very surprised that such a respected journal as the Spectator and its well-educated readers chose to cast aspersions on John Murtha’s patriotism and that of his party, rather than engaging in the more important debate about the merits of his suggestion.

p>Yours faithfully br> —