Quotes of the Day

Women in the Workforce
Re "Confidence Woman" [March 18]: While it is commendable that Sheryl Sandberg is taking it upon herself to encourage women to make the most of themselves in their careers, she has missed a fundamental problem facing many of them. For those women who are not "worth hundreds of millions of dollars," the prohibitive cost of child care is usually the deciding factor in the direction of their careers after the birth of their children. So perhaps the question that Sandberg should ponder is not "How can I make a success of my career and have children?" but "How can I afford to return to work after having children?"
Emily Shaw-Leam,
Bournemouth, England

On the one hand, reporter Belinda Luscombe seems to celebrate Sandberg's supposedly feminist mission. On the other, she does so by employing blunt imperialist language, namely in branding Papua New Guinea as a primitive "country that still has actual cannibals." In advocating for women's rights, feminist activists should walk hand in hand with postcolonial writers who take likewise action on behalf of hundreds of millions of marginalized people.
Thomas Altmeppen,
Tübingen, Germany

Leaning on the Job
Sandberg potentially narrows what it means to be successful ["Why I Want Women to Lean In," March 18]. I wonder if she would be able to consider her children "successful" should they one day choose to lean in to their family even if it meant leaning away from career advancement. Some people express their nurturing sides in spheres other than feeding colleagues and using their emotional intelligence in the office. Surely we can choose to do either and still be successful human beings? Or does feminism still have so far to go?
Robyn Dove,
Auckland

Revolutionary Road
Re "End of the Revolution" [March 18]: Hugo Chávez's brand of socialism involved large-scale land redistribution and renationalization of key resources designed to benefit the wider community, while leaving questions concerning efficiency. Crucially he contested the unbridled market system, without delivering a workable alternative that would ensure his legacy. By contrast, Brazil secured nearly as much economic redistribution coupled with growth, low inflation and foreign direct investment while remaining politically moderate in its espousal of a "third way" between capitalism and socialism. This model may offer a better future for South America than its more firebrand rival to the north.
Richard de Zoysa,
Beckenham, England

If Chávez's rise to power was facilitated by a failure to build the kind of democratic institutions in Latin America that could close the region's wealth gap, then U.S. politicians should give some thought to the fact that their country's wealth and income gaps have been expanding for decades. I am certainly not entitled to judge Chávez's leadership style, but unlike most U.S. politicians, he at least did not turn a blind eye to the negative impact of unchecked capitalism, where only a small minority thrives at the expense of the broad majority.
Alexander Schneider,
Brixlegg, Austria

Train of Thought
Fareed Zakaria should not write off trains for delivering Canadian oil so quickly ["Build That Pipeline!" March 18]. While constructing the Keystone pipeline will bring temporary jobs, it should be noted that when the oil dries up, the pipeline becomes redundant. Investing in pre-existing rail infrastructure would allow the expanded use of many types of freight and passenger trains, which would ultimately yield more benefits.
Laurence Fryer,
London

Institutional Dysfunction
Re "Oscar Pistorius and South Africa's Culture of Violence" [March 11]: What Alex Perry refers to as the "pervasiveness and persistence" of violent crime in South Africa should come as no surprise. After all, we have an unabashedly criminal government that knowingly subverts the instruments of justice on a daily basis. And let us not forget our illustrious President Jacob Zuma, who regularly prances about in public, singing his favorite piece "Bring Me My Machine Gun." I would imagine the average criminal must feel quite encouraged.
Jeff van Belkum,
Warner Beach, South Africa

Taste the Difference
As a longtime resident of Spain and a lover of good food, I cannot praise the Dutch tomatoes mentioned in the article "Welcome to Ground Zero of the Modern European Tomato" [March 11]. Hothouse-cultivated tomatoes are beautiful to look at; each one is perfect in size and color. However, the skin is thick and tough, and the fruit is tasteless. You cannot compare them to tomatoes grown in small pueblos. People here will go out of their way to find a shop that has real, and not synthetic, produce.
George Mahl,
Madrid