The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Shatner Shattered

8.4.08 @ 12:01AM

(Page 2 of 3)

Now we come to unstated point of Mr. Wittman's article. Which is that there is very little of U.S. interest to be found in Afghanistan. Our only remaining interest in that area, Osama Bin Laden, is safely ensconced within the sovereign nation of Pakistan. We have developed no resources within Afghanistan to support any significant military action against Iran, should it become necessary. Access to the country is dependent upon the good will of Pakistan; something that may change at almost any time. And, foreign forces are doing little good in the country. The central government is going to have to support itself using indigenous troops and police. It has now reached the point where foreign forces need to be withdrawn. Slowly and carefully, but drawn down none the less. A significant draw down of troops in Iraq is not in the interests of the U.S., but it is very much in our interests to do so in Afghanistan. As in so many other parts of the world, the United States can only set an example for other people. We can not remake the world in our image. It has become time to allow the citizens of Afghanistan to find their own image, if they can.
-- Michael Tobias

One of the first rules of negotiation is understanding self-interests, your own and the other parties involved. The central problem in dealing with Afghanistan and Pakistan is outsiders, be it the "Macedonian, Mogul, Persian, Russian, British and Soviet" or American, either don't understand what the Afghans and Pakistanis' self-interest are or that, due to tribal loyalties, the interests of all groups cannot be met simultaneously. Western nations and alliances can pressure Pakistan's government, but until Afghanistan becomes a coherent and collective state, more than a nation in name only, America and her allies will find dealing with Afghan tribes to as frustrating as herding kittens.
-- Ira M. Kessel
Rochester, New York

HOP IMPROVEMENT
Re: Mark Gauvreau Judge's The Rap on Hip-Hop:

Hip-hop will never improve lives for one simple reason: it is the antithesis of improvement. Never-ending hopelessness, misogyny, irresponsible sex, "gangsta-ism" and entrenched racism are the essence of the form.

Take that away and there's nothing left but a sparse music track -- and
zero attitude.
-- Arnold Ahlert
Boca Raton, Florida

GUNN SIGHT
Re: Bev Gunn's letter (under "The Soul of a Conservative") in Reader Mail's Packer Problems:

How beautifully said! I truly love reading what the regular letter writers contribute.
-- Rhonda
Newport News, Virginia

Kudos, Mrs. Gunn. That is one of the finest pieces of writing that I have read in The American Spectator. Keep on contributing to the "Letters" section, as I can not remember any submission by you that I disagreed with in any particular. You have it right, and you express it in a way that I often wish that I could.
-- Ken Shreve

NO HALL OF FAME?
Re: Ryan Young's Decisions, Decisions:

First, I have been a huge fan of Brett Favre, even though not necessarily of the Green Bay Packers. I must say, however, that he has forfeited every bit of respect that I had for him. Quite simply, he is behaving like a petulant three year old, throwing a tantrum in a restaurant, and disturbing every diner therein. He needs to be taken out to the car and given a good butt beating. As for his wife urging him on to return to football, I can understand her being desirous of that. I seriously doubt if I would want him moping around the house stirring up trouble either. He has gone, in my mind, from being a first ballot Hall of Fame candidate to someone that I could not vote to enshrine, ever.
-- Ken Shreve

TRANS FAT CITY
Re: Jay D. Homnick's Fault Lines of Freedom:

Mr. Homnick is completely correct, but the crazy train has already picked up speed. Another law to ban trans-fats from all restaurants by 2010 was recently signed by California's governor. Such a surprise...

As H. L. Mencken noted: "The kind of man who wants the government to adopt and enforce his ideas is always the kind of man whose ideas are idiotic." That quip ought to replace "Eureka" as California's state motto.

Not that it matters now. For as he also noted, "The urge to save humanity is usually only a false-face for the urge to rule it"; and it is more than clear that the boot of an unreflective righteousness is once more settling on all our necks.

Nevertheless we can take comfort in the fact that these silly laws will probably solve one of America's most vexing problems. I speak of illegal immigration. No one will want to come to a country that has been turned into a PC gulag, jobs or no jobs.

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Education, John McCain, Barack Obama, Environment, Constitution, Law, Founding Fathers, Military, Iraq, Iran, Russia, Pakistan, NATO, Immigration, Energy, Oil