Inbox

A New Deal? Not Yet
The photo on the cover of your Nov. 24 issue is an O-bomination! Can we please wait to see how well the new President does before we canonize him?
Joseph Cortese II,
West Des Moines, Iowa

In putting Barack Obama’s face on a photo of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, you are going too far. Obama is a rookie-in-waiting who has not even entered the game yet. So far, all he seems to have done is start assembling a team of political has-beens from the Clinton era. I expect next week’s edition of Time to show Obama descending from the clouds preceded by angels blowing trumpets.
Don Moiso,
Ocean City, New Jersey

The media’s adoration of Obama is over the top. He has adorned five of your last six covers. Now he is F.D.R. Will he be God next week? Obama is a decent, intelligent man who may make a good President. However, people who think he is our salvation and that all of our national problems will be solved the day after his inauguration are in for a rude awakening. Enough already! P.S. Yes, I voted for him.
Marie Virene,
Louisville, Colorado

What Obama’s Win Really Means
I appreciated “The Messiah Myth” [Nov. 24]. As an Obama campaign volunteer, I was among the 40% of whites in the crowd at rallies, and I soaked in the amazing diversity of blacks in attendance. I began to learn, as you say, what blacks have “to show America and the world.” This time the fire is like burning coal: strong, quiet, productive energy. Your article rings true with my experiences: Obama is not the wave; he rides it. He represents what we are striving for in ways that transcend race.
Gerald Remington,
Orange City, Florida

Liberalism: The Next Generation
Kudos to Peter Beinart on “The New Liberal Order” [Nov. 24]. Because of a remote personal connection — I am a cousin of the infamous William Ayers — I have followed the details of the election avidly, though in the past I found the process quite boring. Time did a great job of highlighting different components of the race with articles from a variety of viewpoints.
Jayne Ayers,
Dousman, Wisconsin

Beinart’s article is extremely insightful. It never occurred to me that the liberalism of F.D.R. died in the ’60s, but it makes sense that it was redefined by baby boomers and that the new definition solidified in Grant Park in 1968. Thanks for the enlightening perspective.
Courtez Brown,
Richardson, Texas

Most informed people acknowledge that the financial mess began not with Republican deregulation but with social engineering by Democrats. It was exploited by Wall Street, to be sure, and the results went unchecked by Congress. A Republican House helped pass the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the most sweeping regulatory bill since the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt. If Democrats rule unconstrained, we won’t recognize our country in 30 years.
Lori Zimmerman,
Red Bank, New Jersey

The election of Barack Obama does not represent a “New Liberal Order” so much as the latest desire to establish responsibility in the congressional playpen. For decades, Americans have voted in politicians with the hope that they would work together for the common good. And for decades, most of these politicians have acted like spoiled, self-interested toddlers. “Change we can believe in”? Our needs are much simpler than that. At this point, we would settle for someone who can persuade Congress to act like adults — and maybe even share. If not, we will be interviewing for a new day-care provider in 2012.
Patrick Hester,
Cary, North Carolina

Do or Die in Detroit
Failure for general motors would be a national disaster, as Bill Saporito points out [Nov. 24]. What should GM do in the meantime? Get out and sell its vehicles. I have rented GM compact cars for the past 20 years and find them to be of excellent quality. GM salespeople need to get out of their cushy showrooms and offer to take people out for a demo ride and lunch at the deli. The company could win by a landslide.
Perry Munson,
Grosse Pointe, Michigan

Why do we assume GM must be saved in its present form? Why not merge it with another automaker? Toyota comes to mind. The two companies already jointly operate the NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc) facility in California, where both GM and Toyota autos are produced. Why not take that joint venture further?
Stephen V. Gilmore,
Charlotte, North Carolina

Is GM worth saving? Yes! With gas prices stabilizing, now is the time for the auto industry to shape up, and the government to help them. Otherwise, we all sink.
C. R. Prabakaran,
Sterling Heights, Michigan

Instead of bailing out an auto company that has not been competitive or innovative in years, why not give the funds to car companies that are doing well? Congress could require that the companies invest in the U.S., but other than that, let the market decide. Instead of throwing good money down a sinkhole, let’s reward businesses that are innovative and give customers what they want. That used to be called capitalism.
Carlos Gonzalez-Najera,
Burlington, New Jersey

Somalia’s Struggles
yes, the somali islamic government had its faults [Nov. 24]. But you left out that after 15 years with no government, Somali businessmen created one to establish order. They succeeded and actually stopped piracy. But the U.S. and Ethiopian militaries attacked the nation’s hospitals and civilians and destroyed the government, bringing back piracy — and possibly the worst refugee conditions in the world.
Don Lairs,
Austin, Texas

Congratulations to india and the Indian Navy for taking prompt action against the Somali pirates, who have committed their crimes with impunity for far too long. Piracy should be of concern to all nations, and the pirates’ booty could be financing terrorists. Well done, Indian Navy, and happy hunting.
Denzil King,
Perth, Western Australia

Creative Kindergarten
Your postcard on the blue school, the high-priced, flavor-of-the-month teaching experiment in New York City, tells us that preschoolers are encouraged “to mess with shaving cream” [Nov. 22]. I expect that with such “encouragement,” the little darlings in a few years will take up aerosol paint cans and leave their creative tags in the form of graffiti on public landmarks. But no doubt such “messing” with spray paint is just another form of self-expression.
Richard Orlando,
Montreal, Canada