Quotes of the Day

A Good-Faith Effort?
As an ardent reader and fan of your publication, I am finding it hard, even 24 hours later, to close my jaw after reading your story on Tony Blair's faith [June 9]. How dare Michael Elliott refer to "the chattering classes of London'' who think of Blair as smug. I think you'll find this is a common view, echoed from Lands End to John o'Groats, and with very good reason. Blair's ideas detailed in this article bear little difference from much of his work as British Prime Minister; hollow, disingenuous and designed to give him a godlike status. His deeds — and those of his unelected inner circle of cronies — have left the British public with little faith in politics and politicians, let alone religion.
Colin Wright,
County Down, Northern Ireland

By conveniently waiting until after he stepped down as Prime Minister to embrace Roman Catholicism, Blair demonstrated that his political career was more important to him than his faith.
Frédéric Renard,
Brussels

You've put into words what I have always felt was the truth about Blair. I don't think he's achieved what he has set out to do yet, but I know he will, and history will judge him better than the U.K. media have.
Rosamund Hubley,
London

Re your statement about Blair being "curiously reticent in talking about his own faith ... characteristic of British politicians, not American ones": American politicians who loudly tout their faith are usually touting membership in one of the Christian sects, and rarely Judaism (and even more rarely Islam). The political climate in the U.S. makes it useful to boast about one's belief in Jesus and the Christian God, and political suicide to mention any faith that is focused in a different direction. Sadly, what really should be the valuable part of any faith — namely, the way one's integrity guides one to live it — is not something that needs advertising.
Deborah Greymoon,
Cascade, Colo., U.S.

The Art of the Export
Re Justin Fox's "A Port That Exports": you don't wipe away an $800 billion annual trade deficit by further weakening the dollar, exporting raw materials and wishing for good luck [June 9]. It takes real change in trade policy — labor and environmental standards that will raise living standards at home and abroad, better guarantees for safe food and toy imports, and no more NAFTAs and other corporate trade deals. We need more trade — but under a very different set of rules that work for our families and our communities.
Sherrod Brown, U.S. Senator,
Avon, Ohio, U.S.

Uncle Sam's Energy Lag
In his story on how to solve the energy crisis, Jeffrey D. Sachs says President George W. Bush "dithered for eight years instead of investing in new technologies for a sustainable planet" [June 9]. This year alone, the Bush Administration will dedicate more than $5 billion to research, develop and promote technologies including low-emission coal, renewables, nuclear power and vehicles powered by advanced biofuels, electricity and hydrogen. More than $40 billion in loan guarantees will help put such technologies to use. The President's 2009 budget calls for nearly $1 billion in public and private investment for the world's most ambitious program to demonstrate nearly emission-free power from coal. Last year's energy-bill mandates include billions of dollars of private investment to improve efficiency of vehicles, lighting and appliances and call for replacing 15% of our gasoline with alternatives. These efforts will cut billions of tons of greenhouse gases. With the U.S. investing more than any other nation to advance new technologies, Sachs should join the country in urging the rest of the G-8 and other major countries to do their part.
James L. Connaughton, Chairman, White House Council on Environmental Quality,
Washington

Sachs' article should be required reading for every Senator and Representative in this great country — before it's not great anymore. The one point that really blows my mind is that the U.S. in 2006 spent $3.2 billion on energy research — nuclear, wind, coal, solar and biofuels — while the Pentagon spends that much in about 40 hours.
Howard Sandt,
Big Stone Gap, Va., U.S.