Merkel Magic

Merkel Magic
Re “Angela Merkel’s Unfinished Business” [Sept. 23]: Catherine Mayer is right in addressing Angela Merkel as a trailblazer. Germans call her mommy; perhaps she is also mommy to many Europeans. Merkel practically glues all members of the E.U. and single-handedly holds them together. As the economic engine of the E.U., Germany has been the undisputed leader of Europe, and the person behind that success is none other than Merkel. For the past few years in the heyday of the crisis, she has persevered in working for economic recovery and sailed through hardships to prevent the euro zone from disintegrating. Give Merkel several more years to revive Europe. She certainly knows what she is doing.
Dann Mun Ti,
Singapore

Obama’s Choice
Re: “Stumbling Toward Damascus” [Sept. 23]: It’s said that people get the politicians they deserve. I sometimes wonder what the American people did to deserve George W. Bush and then Barack Obama. One made decisions without supportive evidence; the other has supportive evidence but does not make decisions.
Brian Dermody,
Blessington, Ireland

I have not always agreed with Joe Klein, but this time I agree 100%. I had a lot of respect for Obama until now. What he does not seem to understand is the concept of realpolitik. It is a policy without emotions. If he understood it, he would not try to offend Vladimir Putin at every other occasion. Obama would try to show Putin the respect he craves, and get the best out of him in pursuit of Obama’s own goals. And his own goal should be to stay out of wars without losing his credibility. One can only hope that history will not remember Obama only as a good orator.
Karl Schweitzer,
Edenvale, South Africa

I have more respect for President Obama, not less. Look where we got to in the past wars. No thank you! A war with Syrian President Bashar Assad would end up worse than the past two we are still paying for.
Bruce Piper,
Charlottenlund, Denmark

If President Obama wins the war in Syria without fighting it, he would show the world how strong the U.S. can be. The U.S. and its President would make history and give an example of war and its horrors being avoided. A very wise, honorable, significant and farsighted deed, indeed.
Christina Stahle,
Helsinki

For Obama and other spineless leaders to let Assad off the hook by such unworkable gimmicks as Assad turning over his chemical weapons, after he has used them, simply tells others that they too can test their own chemical weapons at least once, simply agree to turn over the nasty stuff and carry on living happily ever after!
Jamshed K. Fozdar,
Singapore

India’s Mining Sector
Re “Metal Fatigue” [Sept. 23]: Iron-ore import — despite the resource’s availability at home — is just one of the many factors causing India’s trade deficit. After the economy opened up in 1991, there has hardly been any increase in manufacturing foreign direct investment other than in the automotive sector, nor any notable investments in infrastructure. And whenever the current government embarks on projects that are growth-friendly, they have to face extreme resistance, thanks to our opportunistic opposition parties. Our country’s bureaucratic system is against investment, and that system is tangibly inclined more toward closing down industries or businesses rather than promoting them.
Suresh K. Parappurath,
Bangalore, India

Being a native of the former Portuguese territory of Goa, I cannot help but feel saddened and devastated by what the Indian Ministry of Mines, along with its Goan stooges, has wrought on the countryside and environment of this once paradisial enclave on the Indian subcontinent.
Allan de Sousa,
Caldas Da Rainha, Portugal