Letters

In Search of Paradise
Your story “The Quest for Paradise” [July 26-Aug. 2], stated, “Paradise can be an ideal, a state of being, a discoverya candle lit in the darkness.” Asia has many paradisial spots of natural beauty, but when it comes to simple day-to-day survival, most of Asia is a living hell. Poverty, joblessness, political instability and corruption are the rule. Asia is no place to live.
Ayesha Riaz
Peshawar, Pakistan

I was greatly moved by Pico Iyer’s essay “The Paradise Within,” in which he answers a question pertinent to our times: Where is paradise? We all seek betterment and the perfect paradise that we envision for ourselves. Toward that end, we are a few steps closer today to the paradise that we craved for yesterday. And as Iyer rightly points out, quoting the Zen temple sign, it’s right beneath our feet.
Saritha Rao
Chennai, India

Vietnam’s Highlanders
Thank you for your coverage of the plight of the Montagnards in the Central Highlands of Vietnam [July 26-Aug. 2]. I served in Vietnam as a fraternal worker of the Evangelical Church (Tin Lanh) in the 1960s and ’70s, and returned three years ago on a travel-study tour. So I know Vietnam’s state culture of denial and deception regarding the Highlanders. It must be very frustrating to seek to independently corroborate the claims of Vietnamese officials when access to locals is so controlled.
James F. Lewis
Professor of Religious Studies
Bethel College
St. Paul, U.S.

The Candidates
I totally disagree with your portrayal of John Edwards as “the Natural” choice to be John Kerry’s running mate [July 19]. My pick for the natural person to hold high elective office is President George W. Bush. He is not afraid to lead and make tough decisions. Edwards depends on his good looks and smooth speaking for support; Bush sticks to his principles. I will always back a candidate who has true values and stands by them. That is why I will be voting for Bush again this November.
Doug Le Mahieu
Pella, U.S.

The choice of Edwards is like a breath of spring. His good looks bring back memories of President John F. Kennedy. Is it possible that we could once again experience Camelot? The race between Kerry and Bush could be decided by the two vice-presidential candidates. Edwards is young, charismatic, intelligent and ambitious and is from a working-class family; Dick Cheney comes across as old, stodgy, curmudgeonly and boring. His health is a real negative. Keep in mind that the Vice President is just a heartbeat away from the Oval Office. Now, who do you want in the line of successionEdwards, who is trim and fit, or Cheney?
McConnell Sanders
Los Molinos, U.S.

Before putting Senator Edwards on a pedestal, please look at what he has not done for the citizens of North Carolina. He has been occupied with running for President for the past three years. Time should take a poll of North Carolinians and learn their true feelings for Edwards. Each state is supposed to be represented by two Senators in Congress. While Edwards is out campaigning, North Carolina has only oneRepublican Elizabeth Dole.
Charles E. Dees
Washington, U.S.

How can Kerry or Bush understand what life is like for the middle class? When was the last time either of them had to search under the sofa cushions for milk money? I have an idea that would really help jump-start the economy: instead of spending all those campaign contributions on stupid ads that no one pays attention to, why not send part of the money to every registered voter? We could try to pay off our debts and get the economy moving upward.
Suzanne Pontius
West Alexandria, U.S.

The Danger of Absolutes
The U.S. deserves admiration for its great achievements, as well as the world’s sympathy for the atrocious attacks of 9/11 [July 19]. But having just returned from a lengthy stay in the U.S., I was amazed by how little most Americans seem to know about the rest of the world and by their inability to see things in other than absolute terms. The most dangerous leaderspolitical and religiousare those who paint the world in black and white. They profess to be able to distinguish very clearly, at first sight, the good from the bad. They have absolute certainty that God is on their side. Such demagogues can be Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Democratic or Republican. But the world’s challenges are not black and white. Despite what the Bush Administration maintains, the war in Iraq has nothing to do with freedom. The U.S. invasion was based on lies. There were real geopolitical and business motives for overthrowing Saddam Hussein.
H. Christian Eggenberger
Platja d’Aro, Spain

Fahrenheit 9/11
Critics are willing to apply a stricter standard to Michael Moore’s presentation of his opinions than they do to Bush’s argument for his [July 19]. That’s exactly the reason Moore’s movie is necessary. Those who desired a serious debate in the lead-up to the Iraq war waited in frustration for serious journalists to ask hard questions and apply critical scrutiny to the Administration’s case. Moore’s questions are the ones that should have been debated before we went into Iraq. Why should Moore’s movie receive closer scrutiny than the Administration’s decision to go to war?
S. Ann Robinson
Ashburn, U.S.

Because Moore is too old to spank, he deserves a good slap in the face. He reminds me of a spoiled child who runs around saying outrageous things, to the delight of his dim-witted parents. Moore isn’t cute; he’s dangerous. To imply that 9/11 could have been prevented is ludicrous. Moore’s anti-American rhetorical bomb throwing should not go unanswered.
Joseph Calvini Sr.
Mamaroneck, U.S.

China’s Problem Child
Michael Elliott’s essay “Asian Values” effectively described the political reality of Hong Kong today [July 12]. Last February I found myself there for a few days, and I was completely smitten with the city and its people. My single greatest impression was the willingness of many of the locals to express their disdain for Beijing. Everyone I spoke with described the prc leadership as being dishonest and heavy handed. The citizens of Hong Kong are clearly not interested in toeing Beijing’s line. I hope that the prc has the wisdom not to turn Hong Kong into a slaughter ground in order to enforce its will.
David Golden
Jefferson, U.S.

Let Saddam Live
Re your notebook item “Saddam’s Latest Foes” [July 12], on the former dictator’s first appearance before the Iraqi tribunal: Why can’t we punish Saddam Hussein and let him live, provided he agrees to cooperate with the new Iraqi government? He is responsible for the crisis in Iraq, so let him fix the things he destroyed. Let the Iraqis vent their anger on the person who made them suffer, instead of on coalition troops. Saddam’s dictatorship is gone forever, and killing him is not a solution. Why not let him becomeunder strict supervisionan adviser to the new Iraq? For years he was the only one Iraqis obeyed. There is no way to have an effective government with entirely new people in political office.
Dagmar Lubczanski
Bielsko-Biala, Poland

Accountability for Sudan
Simon Robinson’s report “Nowhere to Hide” [July 5], on the humanitarian crisis and the genocidal atrocities affecting the Darfurians, non-Arab blacks of Sudan’s Darfur region, left me disgusted. I’m convinced that our world is doomed to a brutal and sad end. The article noted, “The U.N. and the U.S. do not call the pogroms genocidein part because doing so could oblige the international community to intervene to save the Darfurians.” Excuse me, but what is so wrong with taking action? We cannot afford to wait for 500,000 people to die and for more women and children to be raped before the international community intervenes. Where are the leaders of the larger, more powerful countries of Africa while the atrocities are going on? African nations and organizations should be called to account for letting this happen in their backyard. Their silence will be recognized as consent to the killing of Darfurians. Africa should hold the leaders of Sudan accountable. The U.S. cannot be expected to come running to solve every problem in the world. It has its hands full dealing with the mess it has created in Iraq.
Bukola A. Jejeloye
Lagos, Nigeria