Quotes of the Day

In Pakistan's Defense
Your cover story on "How Pakistan Let Itself Down" did not tell a complete story [May 25]. Yes, we have mountains of problems but so have other nations in the world and we the citizens continue our life here with respect and dignity. This country is beautiful — the problem lies with the installed regimes and landed aristocracy, all kept in power by Western interests. Our democrats and demagogues backed by the West effect little. All the while, magazines like this refuse to address the larger history at play that has brought us to this mess. It seems the less we talk about the legacy of the Cold War, the U.S. thirst for oil and the specious war on terror, the better.
Danish Azar Zuby,
Karachi

Our problems started, as the article admits, when the Americans used us to fight their war against the Soviets in Afghanistan, spawning the Taliban and creating a refugee crisis that drained our resources. Now, again, we are plunged into an American war that is pushing us to the brink. We love our country and we will not succumb to terror — al-Qaeda's or America's.
Nishat Mummunka,
Lahore, Pakistan

Sri Lanka's Good Guys
The moment by Romesh Ratnesar says that in Sri Lanka "there are no good guys" [May 25]. This is rubbish because 99.9% of Sri Lankans are good, peace-loving people. The U.S. is guilty of killing scores from collateral damage, be it in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan or other theaters of the war on terror. So why single out Sri Lanka for criticism? The Sri Lankan government ought to be congratulated for saving the Tamils in the North and East from the devilish clutches of the Tigers and restoring their liberty.
W.Y. Rambukwelle,
Invercargill, New Zealand

Racism or Pride?
Sharon Verghis' essay on racism in Australia resonated with me [May 25]. I returned from Europe almost two years ago to an Australia that frankly shocked me. Sadly, the "oi oi oi" bellowed boorishly at some gatherings reflects the oversimplified concept of country that is carried by the chanters. Further, this pseudo patriotism is being employed as an exclusionary device. Doesn't love of country mean that one does everything possible to build it into a happy, harmonious, inclusive place to live — a place where exclusion via overt, aggressive displays of identity are not welcome?
Marilyn Hunt,
Kent Town, Australia

That young people declare their pride in the nation is to be applauded. Your story should have questioned people who didn't show their Aussie pride on Australia Day. As to the suggestion that there is something wrong with adorning the Aussie flag's image on clothing, accessories and faces, look around: national pride abounds in cities and towns throughout the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere in the West. The minorities who do not want to assimilate into our traditional way of life feel ostracized by a society that says, "If you don't want to live like Australians, why did you come here?" That kids care enough about their national way of life is inspiring. However, it raises a question and a challenge to the notion of a multicultural nation: Whose culture is it? Globally we have not seen any sustainable examples of multicultural success so perhaps the answer lies in assimilation, and to paraphrase the author, the answer should be "We're in and you're welcome to join in, too!"
Ray Pedersen,
Coolangatta, Australia

I read the essay with equal measures of interest and concern. There is no denying that there has been a disturbing rise of bigotry, thinly veiled as nationalism, in Australia in the past decade. But to suggest that this may represent the emergence of a new national ethos is going a bit far. We should remember that former Prime Minister John Howard's rightist vision of Australia was buried in 2007 in an electoral avalanche. Pauline Hanson and her gaggle of xenophobes are now nothing more than a much derided footnote in Australian political history. The vast majority of Australians, irrespective of their ethnicity, regard the actions of the idiots at Cronulla or Newport, or wherever they choose to gather, with anger and disgust. The freedoms we value in Australia are, thankfully, comprehensive enough to protect the rights of fools to express their misguided opinions. The majority of Australians have an innate tendency not to remain silent when the acts of the few impact on the rights of the many. I prefer to think that this is what makes Australia worth celebrating.
Kelvin Walsh,
Springwood, Australia