Quotes of the Day

Games People Play
While it may be interesting that China is working hard to present itself as a benevolent power on the world stage, why do we ignore the cost of its goals [June 30]? When did it become acceptable for a 14-year-old girl to be taken from her home and forced to become a weight lifter? When did we start to treat such actions as nothing more than growing pains? America didn't become the world's athletic powerhouse by placing athletes in servitude. It didn't search rural Alabama for Jesse Owens, take him from his home and tell him to teach Hitler a lesson. China needs to understand that it will never be a real power until its people are free to choose their own direction, that national pride comes from personal pride in a (freely chosen) job well done. We need to stop treating China like our precocious little brother and, instead, have it play by the West's rules: democracy. Robert Rakoczy,
Hamilton, Ontario

Although Hannah Beech's article underscores some important truths about young Chinese athletes, it is also a throwback to cold war depictions of the Chinese as brainwashed "pawns of the state." When will TIME stop making value judgments and maintain a sense of cultural relativity? I grew up with many athletes in America who, just like the athletes in this article, have neglected higher academics to achieve success in sports. I've not only known but had coaches who are just as tough, if not tougher, than the coaches described in this article. And, oh, yeah — the "propaganda director" of Weifang City Sports School? I believe he would be called a "public relations" agent in the U.S. Samantha Chen,
Alameda, California

Given that our unofficial national motto is "Too much sport is not enough," I am surprised that Australia and its games did not get a guernsey in your "Games People Play" issue. Polocrosse, a wild fusion of lacrosse and polo, has horses fitter than polo ponies and far more bruising action than polo does. Australian Rules, a cross between rugby league and Gaelic football, requires the utmost fitness, as there are virtually no stoppages and minimal reserves of replacement players. As for equestrian competition, when the Australian team won the Three-Day Event over the killer course at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, it was rumored that they practiced by hunting kangaroos across barbed-wire fences. J.-Alice Hofler,
Sydney

Report Mistaken
Your story "General Command," about the political situation in Bangladesh, cites an April International Crisis Group report alleging that in January 2007, the U.S. secretly urged the Bangladesh military to intervene in politics [June 30]. If the author of this story had contacted the Embassy, we would have let him know that this is simply not true. The U.S. Government has been consistent in its message that Bangladesh should be governed by leaders chosen by the people of Bangladesh in free, fair and transparent elections. This was our message before the declaration of the state of emergency, it is our message during the state of emergency, and it will be our message after the state of emergency is lifted. James F. Moriarty, United States Ambassador to Bangladesh,
Dhaka

Kids Vs. Obesity
As a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant to the Cartoon Network, I commend you on your coverage of the epidemic of obesity facing American children, as well as its impact on parents and teachers [June 23]. You highlighted what I consider to be a main culprit in this dilemma: portion distortion. Instead of attempting to impose restrictions, if the hypothetical "bite diet" were followed — cut off a bite of each food on your plate (except vegetables) — people would significantly reduce calories without deprivation or reducing taste. Small steps produce big results. Bonnie Taub-Dix,
Woodmere, New York

There was one important omission from your excellent set of articles: breast-feeding. You note that "it's good for kids to learn to stop eating after feeling full." One way bottle-feeding promotes obesity is that the person wielding the bottle often determines when the feeding is over; breast-fed babies stop eating when they are full. The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that breast-feeding is a way to lower a child's risk of becoming overweight, along with increasing child activity, monitoring growth and promoting healthy eating patterns. Nikki Lee, R.N.,
Elkins Park, Pennsylvania

Internet Wars
Thanks for Josh Quittner's excellent article on who will rule the Internet [June 16]. He's right that the mobile platform is increasingly the primary interface for millions of users, but it might not be the iPhone. Here in the U.S., we are far behind in the mobile revolution. Powerful handheld computers with features like wi-fi have been available in other countries for a while, and in these countries, Symbian is already a leader in the smart phone OS market. Regan Coleman,
Austin, Texas

Cheers for Coldplay
When critics rant over the success of Coldplay, they give away the real reason they dislike the band [June 16]. Its music is clean. I am grateful to Coldplay for making music that a 40-plus mother can listen to with her teenaged kids without hitting the mute during the disgusting parts. Elizabeth Fifielski,
Meridian, Idaho