Inside the FBI

  • In the wake of Osama bin Laden's death, this report exposes just how sharp and tactful the FBI truly is in its action-film-like investigations [How the G-Man Got His Groove Back, May 9]. Yet, does anyone else ponder why Bob Mueller — or any of the involved FBI staff — didn't really express any qualms about President Obama or the incumbent government? Or did they perhaps wish to retain their jobs, unlike a certain Stanley McChrystal?
    Shahid Mahdi, LONDON

    Taking On Anglophilia
    Any laughs raised by Joe Queenan's piece were quickly throttled by his reliance on that sloppy and tiresome old equation: England=Britain=England [America's Nitwit Anglophiles, May 9]. Has the guy never heard of Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland? These are not outlying English counties, but nations in their own right, which also happen to be constituent parts of the U.K. Please note that Anglophilia, or -phobia or otherwise, applies to England alone.
    Jim Lawrie, GLASGOW

    Please thank Queenan for the best laugh I've had in ages. I'm not an Anglophile by any means; I'm an Irish woman living in Germany, but I watched every second of the royal wedding with an English friend and had a great day.
    Gráinne Meyer, GOETTINGEN, GERMANY

    As a card-carrying (two-passport-carrying) Anglo-Brit I concur with nearly everything in Queenan's Commentary. Except that Prince William is by no means amorphous nor is Kate Middleton unemployable. Wise up, Queenan. Brits have a habit of busting Yankee stereotypes. Watch out for William and Kate: they're going to surprise everyone.
    Peter Lloyd, SOUTH YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND

    I enjoyed reading Queenan's wise and witty Commentary, but on the whole I think the world's flare-up of enthusiasm for the royal wedding has not so much to do with Anglophilia. Rather it bears witness to the archetypal position that the fairy-tale prince and his Cinderella hold in the "commoners' unconscious."
    Leo Karrer, GENEVA

    Just Another Guru
    I had to laugh at Jyoti Thottam's characterization of the late Sathya Sai Baba's philosophy as "unique" [Milestones, May 9]. He parroted the same line taught by generations of Hindu gurus. The only unique thing about it was his hubris in claiming to be an incarnation of God.
    Paramananda Pahari, BANGKOK

    Not a Sure Thing
    Re "Power Shifts" [May 9]: Thank you for speaking up on the reality that China's rise will not happen with as much predictability as everyone says. There are other implications of growth besides just getting bigger. How will China keep filling the ever growing demand for resources, and how will that affect the needs of other countries? How will the population react as the inequities of Chinese society become more and more unequal? Can the current imbalance in world trade continue getting bigger without limit? The question of soft power is just one of many that needs answering before we start talking about the Century of China.
    Leon Stark, BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA

    The TIME 100
    People will always debate who should be on your annual list of the world's most influential people. However, it seems extraordinary that there is no mention of Mohammed Bouazizi [May 2]. If there was any single person who has "changed our lives in the past year — inspiring ... and challenging us by leaving their mark on the way we communicate, govern," then surely it was Bouazizi. His desperately sad and hopeless suicide is reverberating around the Arab world (and beyond) and will continue to do so for many years to come. The absence of the catalyst of the Arab Spring from your list is a glaring and surprising omission that must be hard to argue.
    Peter Phillips, LONDON

    I could not help but notice the excellent illustrations in the TIME 100 issue. The "Rogues' Gallery" finally moved me to find out the name of the artist in the attributions: Peter James Field. Kudos to him for his combination of finely detailed drawing style and posing of his subjects to convey the very essence of their personalities.
    Andrzej Dabrowski, QUEENSWOOD, SOUTH AFRICA

    I was greatly moved by how Takeshi Kanno risked it all to help the Japanese people after the earthquake and tsunami disaster. As a health professional, I know that doing this job is like a calling, and unless you have courage and perseverance, one can never do what Kanno did, especially on such dangerous ground. God bless you, Doctor.
    Timothy Sifuna, NAIROBI