Quotes of the Day

Since you acknowledge that Person of the Year Vladimir Putin has distinguished himself by "choosing order before freedom," I wonder why you didn't select President George W. Bush a third time for his choosing safety from terrorism before terrorists' rights [Dec. 31, 2007 - Jan. 7, 2008]. No, TIME would much rather recognize a virtual dictator for his supposed achievements: violently suppressing dissent, crushing the free press and heading a regime that has been accused of murdering opponents and expropriating private property for the state. On the other hand, TIME loves to natter on about how Gitmo prisoners should be granted U.S. constitutional freedoms, privileges and rights because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time during a war. You have lost all perspective and are (quite literally) incredible.
Paul Burich, LOS GATOS, CALIF., U.S.

Putin comes across as a leader of great character and vision. In years to come, the Putin era will be a case study of how to use oil riches. Surely many oil-producing countries in the Middle East can learn valuable lessons about ways to use petrodollars that don't involve supporting terrorist organizations.
Sudarshan Kumar Singh, NAINITAL, INDIA

In explaining how the influence game is played in Putin's Russia, you quoted an insider who referred to "money that the politicians raise quietly from corporate 'sponsors' that expect special treatment in return." Golly, the Russians are becoming as democratic as we are.
Harry Torgerson, GREAT FALLS, MONT., U.S.

Your selecting Putin as POY certainly surprised me. I was expecting Al Gore or maybe someone else. However, your choice was correct. Recognition of Putin as a world leader has been long overdue. The West needs to engage him and work with him, not against him. Russia's importance in the world cannot be ignored. The country still has a big nuclear arsenal and substantial oil reserves. This is not the cold war. It is the 21st century.
Majid Rauf, LAHORE, PAKISTAN

I wish you had chosen Nobel Peace Prize winner and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore for raising the world's awareness of the dangers caused by global warming and climate change. We must all act together and pool resources to save the planet.
Jim Victa Hipolito, KAWIT, THE PHILIPPINES

Why did you characterize Putin, the savior of Russia, as "Tsar of the New Russia"? He has done much to develop Russia's economy and its ties with other countries; he has brought about widespread stability. Tsars were lazy, useless, upper-class leaders who dictated to everyone. Putin has instead proved diligent and well loved by many Russians.
Victor Looi Yi En, SINGAPORE

Putin has a strategic vision for his country, as Henry Kissinger noted in your interview. While Putin's place in history is still a matter of speculation, the resurgence of Russia is not. It isn't clear whether Russia will become a full-fledged democracy, but it is already much freer than countries like China. It is not by chance that svoboda — freedom — is a much celebrated word in Russia today.
Pedro Paulo A. Funari, HEAD, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES, STATE UNIVERSITY OF CAMPINAS, BRAZIL

I was so happy to see that Chinese President Hu Jintao was a runner-up. I think China has been transformed by Deng Xiaoping's exhortation that "to get rich is glorious," but it is Hu who would like to create a more equitable society by narrowing the gap between rich and poor to create a harmonious society in which every Chinese can share in the wealth of economic growth. Hu has successfully built a good image of China's peaceful rise and expanded China's reach around the world during the past five years. His confidence and wisdom in handling internal and external affairs is a marvelous asset that will eventually encourage the Chinese people to accelerate political reform.
Song Xiaowen, ZHONGLI CITY, TAIWAN

R.B. as J.C.?
My Dec. 31, 2007 - Jan. 7, 2008 issue arrived just in time for Christmas. While I admire 10 Questions subject Richard Branson as an adventurer and businessman, I think you overdid it with the picture. Branson looked like a Western vision of Christ: long, flowing hair; beard; eyes raised to heaven. All he lacked was a crown of thorns.
Gerald White, PORT ORCHARD, WASH., U.S.

The Legacies of Those We Lost
Your farewell section [Dec. 31, 2007 - Jan. 7, 2008] was a touching way to end the year. Norman Mailer and Kurt Vonnegut left us with wonderful literature, Luciano Pavarotti and Beverly Sills left us with the magic of music, and Anna Nicole Smith left us with ... what exactly? She might have been a so-called notable personality, but only because the media swarmed around her, waiting for her to do more and more ridiculous things. She became a bigger-than-life caricature of herself, a real-life burlesque act because of the media. She should be pitied, not honored.
Ray Schwartz, NEW YORK CITY

How could you leave out the fabulous, irreverent writer Molly Ivins? She died of breast cancer on Jan. 31, 2007, at age 62, in Austin, Texas. She was a co-editor of the Texas Observer; worked for the New York Times, Dallas Times-Herald and Fort Worth Star-Telegram; and later became a syndicated columnist. She also wrote for TIME and authored numerous books. In all her writings, Ivins stood up against the lies of the powerful. She devoted her life to questioning authority. She minced no words, and her loyal readers cannot find the words to say how sorely they miss her.
Margret Hofmann, AUSTIN, TEXAS, U.S.

I was disappointed that you didn't mention the passing of one of the greatest film directors of our time, Michelangelo Antonioni, who died the same day Ingmar Bergman did. Having mentioned Bergman — and very rightly so — you should have also commemorated Antonioni. Quite a large space was dedicated, for example, to Anna Nicole Smith — an ill-considered selection.
Tamar Ahronovitch, JERUSALEM

Maximum-Security Manger
Like Jamil Hamad, I too bemoan the changes that have transformed Bethlehem [Dec. 31, 2007 - Jan. 7, 2008]. I do so as a former Israeli soldier who had the honor of guarding the Church of the Nativity when the city was still under Israeli control. But I take issue with a number of subtle insinuations in Hamad's article. He was critical of the security checkpoints, but since the city is no longer under Israeli control, why should the crossing into Israel be different from those between the U.S. and Canada or Mexico, for instance? Hamad also took issue with the Israeli security wall but failed to mention that it was put in place to stop suicide bombers from crossing and snipers from shooting at apartments in the southern part of Jerusalem. When I was stationed in Bethlehem in the mid-1980s, the Christian population was thriving, and tourists arrived by the busload throughout the year, not just at Christmastime. One needs to ask what the difference is between then and now.
Aron B. Safran, WILLOW STREET, PA., U.S.

Hamad's propaganda piece clearly illustrated an issue that is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamad conveniently didn't note that the security checkpoints did not go up until years of Palestinian suicide bombings left the Israelis no choice. He failed to mention that during the recent peace conference, Palestinians gathered in the tens of thousands to denounce peace and chant, "Death to Israel." Muslims and Christians were free to travel throughout Israel and practice their religion in peace until radicals began attacking Israeli civilians. Hamad's need to blame someone for the horrid situation is understandable. But he chose his target poorly. He should look within his own community before blaming his neighbors who deign to defend their very lives from radical Islamists.
Michael Yanovich, LOS ANGELES

How appalling that TIME joined the chorus of Israel bashers with Hamad's "Postcard: Bethlehem." Christians, Palestinians and Israelis worked hard to make this the best Christmas for Bethlehem in many years. Security precautions were relaxed. Shops and hotels were full of joyous pilgrims. But unscrupulous partisan journalists buried this good news. Waiting for an hour at a Bethlehem security checkpoint is preferable to being blown to bits by bombers. The situation is not the fault of Israel.
Ami Isseroff, REHOVOT, ISRAEL

More Best & Worst
As your lists of the year acknowledge, every year is characterized by good and bad developments [Dec. 24]. To my mind, the best news items of 2007 were:
#1 Some peace and refugees returned to Iraq.
#2 More focus on climate change.
#3 Dialogue between Presidents Bush and Putin.
#4 Talks between Israelis and Palestinians.
#5 No war with Iran.
#6 Shakira enrolled to study at a university.

The worst news items of 2007 were:
#1 Continuation of world poverty.
#2 No cure for AIDS or cancer.
#3 Human-rights violations and beating of monks in Burma.
#4 Inflation around the world.
#5 Political instability in India and Pakistan.
#6 I could not become a movie star. I had planned a career move, since the pay is better in cinema than in professional management. But I failed.
Raju Aneja, DUBAI

• R.B. as J.C.?; The Legacies of Those We Lost; Maximum-Security Manger