Quotes of the Day

A'jad in the Big Apple
Joe Klein wrote a wonderful commentary about the excessive media attention Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad received [Oct. 8]. Our obsession with that man has provided a distraction from our shortcomings in Iraq and allowed us to lose sight of our primary objectives in this war. It also prevents U.S. presidential candidates from discussing peace, for fear of seeming weak on national security. The buildup of Ahmadinejad culminated with the passage of the Kyl-Lieberman resolution in the Senate, which potentially gives President George W. Bush the ability to use military force to resolve conflicts with Iran. Americans are being primed for another costly war that does not need to be waged.
Piruz Motamedinia,
New York City

I spent the last two weeks of August in Israel, and while some people in this country may laugh at Ahmadinejad, Israelis take very seriously his threat to wipe Israel off the map. Perhaps when people are within firing range of Iranian missiles, they develop a different point of view.
Ross H. Stemer,
Roswell, Ga., U.S.

While Klein is right that the Columbia audience momentarily laughed at Ahmadinejad's remark that there are no homosexuals in Iran, he conveniently omitted mention of the applause throughout the speech. Klein's commentary adds to Ahmadinejad's good run in recent weeks: an invitation to speak at a prestigious university, prominent platforms from which to spew his propaganda and now Western "intellectuals" minimizing the danger and challenges he poses to the world community. Ahmadinejad may be no Hitler, but nuclear arms in the hands of fanatics who have no compunction about setting them off among civilian populations is not something to be taken lightly. I became aware of terrorism at the age of 9 when I was jarred awake by a bomb going off outside my home, so I have a small appreciation for it.
Ramana Sonty,
Tenafly, N.J., U.S.

Ahmadinejad's incendiary rhetoric may seem harmless enough now, but we should remember that Hitlers don't become Hitlers unless they are underestimated and appeased. The Adolf Hitler of 1933 was much smaller than the 1944 version.
John Root,
Grover Beach, Calif., U.S.

I have often admired Klein's thoughts, but in "Inflating a Little Man" he missed the mark by a mile. He wrote that Ahmadinejad's "words had no practical import, only symbolic, global import. He has very little real power in Iran." This leaves me incredulous because Ahmadinejad is the mouthpiece for the mullahs, who hold the real power in Iran. They hide behind him, sending him out in the world to do their dirty work, just as they send IEDs to Iraq to kill our soldiers. Ahmadinejad is the symbol of the very real poison emanating from Tehran. Symbols can be powerful and consequential and must be confronted.
Leonard Schwartzburd,
Berkeley, Calif., U.S.

Reading Nancy Gibbs' article about first Lady Laura Bush's snubbing of Ahmadinejad made me queasy [Oct. 8]. It is that holier-than-thou attitude that gives America's enemies more ammunition. I don't wish to condone Ahmadinejad's policies, only to say that we will get nowhere by childishly ignoring him. Eventually, no matter how much it deflates our self-esteem, we will have to begin an open dialogue with our enemies. There are too many to simply dismiss them as tyrants and ostracize them from the global community. Currently, our only policies for dealing with hostile nations consist of sanctions and military action, and America's troops are already overextended.
Mitchell Kinnen,
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.

Gibbs' assertion that Laura Bush snubbed President Ahmadinejad was an attempt to smear her. From the first picture you published, it seems to me that she was acknowledging the President of Iran, and it was he who ignored her. Did Ms. Gibbs expect Mrs. Bush to give Ahmadinejad a hug? If the President of Iran were a gentleman, he would have stood in the presence of the lady.
Maria Fernandez,
Boca Raton, Fla., U.S.

Shutting Our Doors
Thanks to Samantha Power for her commentary on the humanitarian crisis created by Bush's war in Iraq [Oct. 8]. The refugee problem is virtually ignored in this country because it is another reminder that the U.S. occupation of Iraq is a horrible blunder. As bad as Saddam Hussein was, it is impossible to believe that the Iraqi people are better off now than before our invasion. It is our shame that we have granted asylum to so few refugees. The President's pre-emptive war of choice must be judged by history as a crime against a people who did us no harm.
James G. Whiteley Sr.,
Paducah, Ky., U.S.

Change for a Fiver
I was interested in your account of the redesign of the $5 bill [Oct. 8]. But with all the good ideas that went into the makeover, nothing was done to aid the blind. Many countries print different-size notes or have a bit of Braille on each so that the blind can truly know what they are using. As more and more disabled move into the mainstream, it is up to us to make ordinary activities like bill recognition a reality for them.
Eleanor Carter,
Glendora, Calif., U.S.

As a sadly increasingly myopic (only in the ophthalmological sense) European, I had often asked myself how long it would be before the land of the free realized that having all its banknotes the same color and size was perhaps not the savviest concept. I know that change is not necessarily in the best interests of the inherently protective U.S. green-ink industry, but we all face sacrifices these days, especially when it comes to green issues. So, as you can imagine, a spring came into my step on this autumnal day when I read the news that your $5 bill will be taking on a different hue.
John Fowler,
London

Race for Resources
That big piece of melting sea ice on the cover was identified as being on the shore of Nunavut, Canada [Oct. 1]. So what prompted you to take such artistic license and use the combination of flags you inserted into the image? Why isn't Canada's flag more clearly represented on your cover? You seem to have shown disrespect for the best neighbor the U.S. has.
George Walsh,
Victoria, Canada

It's madness! We've been destroying our planet's environment by overusing fossil fuels-, and the resulting melting ice has made even more fossil fuels accessible. Universal greed for profits regardless of further consequences will be our doom. At this juncture, I'm ashamed to be part of the human race.
Leah Epstein,
Golan Heights, Israel

The Arctic will be owned by the new species that will evolve after the speedy extinction of the greedy human race. The dinosaurs did not have a choice, as a celestial accident put them to rest. But the human species is accelerating its own demise, and for what? Sheer greed. Instead of worrying about the perils of global warming, nations and corporations are eyeing the benefits that arise out of it. The new and more intelligent species that should evolve after our extinction will have the impossible task of figuring out why humans were lost to corporate bottom lines.
Jagmohan Rathi,
Ghaziabad, India