Quotes of the Day

Yemen Fights Back
I am amazed by your cover story's headline, "The End of al-Qaeda?" [Sept. 17]. If this were the title following Osama bin Laden's death, it would have made more sense. But eliminating an odd leader in Yemen means nothing at all. Al-Qaeda is more of a cult, and we in Pakistan are suffering directly because it helps any organization that can further its expansion.
A. Rahim Yousefzai,
Islamabad

Upon seeing "The End of al-Qaeda?" it struck me that TIME had a similar headline on its Dec. 17, 2001, cover: "The Last Days of the Taliban." I'm glad you added a question mark this time around.
Andre Colling,
Cape Town

I visited my son in Yemen in December 2010, and we both agreed on one thing: it's extremely hard to acquire reliable and useful information on the strength of any of the conflicting groups fighting for power there. Yemen continues to be one of the most difficult countries in the world to analyze. Its complicated past and present situation defeats basically all attempts to foresee the future. Still, if there are signs of hope, we're very happy to hear about them.
Ingemar Lindahl,
Lidkoping, Sweden

Unsung Champion
Re "Grandmaster" [Sept. 17]: One remarkable quality of Viswanathan Anand is that he has remained down to earth and devoid of eccentricities that characterized past champions. What is not remarkable is the scant coverage in the Indian media of his exploits, while the less deserving cricketers hog all the attention.
Viswanathan Subramanian,
Bangalore, India

India can produce more of the likes of "Vishy" if parents loosen their rein on their children who want to pursue interests like chess. The government also has to help facilitate these activities in India, where sportsmen do not earn the same respect as scholars.
Neena Mittal,
Singapore

Eat at Your Own Risk
Re "Taste Invaders" and the idea that armadillos be used for human food [Sept. 17]: Research in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that armadillos carry a strain of leprosy that can be transmitted to humans. Up to one-third of the new cases each year result from contact with armadillos. This risk should be considered before they are added to the menu.
Bill Britton,
North Port, Fla., U.S.

European carp have invaded a great deal of Australia's fresh waterways, so it is too bad that their boniness makes them too difficult to eat and their flavor makes them unpalatable to Aussies, who are spoiled by eating fish like barramundi.
J.-Alice Hofler,
Sydney

Subsidized U.S. Lives
Many thanks to Michael Grunwald for exposing the reality most of us ignore ["The Welfare State," Sept. 17]. I am happy and proud to pay my taxes for the comfort of knowing I have electricity when I flip the switch, a library available many hours a week and roads cleared after a snowfall.
Emily Navetta,
Groton, Ga., U.S.

Your story combined maximum need-to-know value with all necessary pertinent data at a time when Americans have to better understand the role of government in everyone's lives and in the job market — including the use of tax deductions to provide services without formally raising taxes. Well done!
Ralph Manns,
Rockwall, Texas, U.S.

Grunwald refers to the U.S. Postal Service as "subsidized delivery" and complains that it is hemorrhaging money. The USPS is the only government service that receives no taxpayer funds to operate, and it was completely profitable until 2007. Most of its current losses are due to a 2006 mandate rammed through a lame-duck Republican Congress by voice vote. That absurd mandate, signed into law by George W. Bush, is forcing the USPS to prefund its health care costs decades into the future within a 10-year window, a burden no government agency or private company should have to bear.
Douglas B. Smith,
Quincy, Ill., U.S.

A Narrow Spotlight
Aamir Khan's efforts to highlight the plight of the common man deserve accolades ["Star Power," Sept. 10]. But I find that his TV show defies the basic journalistic practice of giving a balanced picture. In almost all instances, only the victim's side of the story is given. Before an audience's emotions are swayed, they should get a view from all angles.
Vijay K. Rustagi,
New Delhi

Different Sides of London
I know just what Lev Grossman is talking about in his review of two novels, in which he points out the stark contrast between a glittering Olympics and the darker side of the city ["London Falling," Sept. 10]. It is a place that is many things to many people, religions and ethnicities.
David Byerlee,
Palm Beach, Australia