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Apparently there is no end to the self-absorption and arrogance of the movie industry's big names. "You start with a little idea and make it happen," said Bruckheimer. Pearl Harbor "a little idea"? Exploiting the attack is bad enough, but by describing it according to its utility to him and his movie, Bruckheimer demeans and insults its victims as well. LEN DIAMOND Westminster, Calif.
Second-Guessing the General
If the three lessons General Wesley Clark says he learned from his experience in Kosovo became policy, modern warfare would become more indiscriminate and ever more lethal [BOOK EXCERPT, June 4]. Clark's first lesson is to "move when a crisis is still ambiguous"--in other words, before any consensus emerges about the nature of the conflict. The second lesson: "Once you cross the threshold for the use of force, use it as decisively as possible." In other words, jump in with both feet and fire away! The third lesson, "continue to strike until the negotiations are successfully concluded," is an argument for the mindless use of force and firepower. Clark may be a fine general, but he makes me grateful that generals do not make policy. JOHN D. COPENHAVER JR. Winchester, Va.
Losing Faith in Ford
Even if Firestone tires were made of bicycle inner tubes patched together with bubble gum, vehicles are not supposed to flip over at highway speeds in the event of a tire blowout [BUSINESS, June 4]. Who is the automaker trying to fool? Let's not forget that the fine people at Ford are the ones who sold the American public the Pinto. "Safety is job No. 1"? Sorry, Ford, but you have completely lost my confidence. JON POPE Warwick, N.Y.
Economics for Dummies
In "Relief From Painful Gas," Joel Stein's essay on climbing fuel prices [NOTEBOOK, June 4], he wrote, "I have no idea why DVD players are so cheap and house paint costs so much." That's a naive statement, even for Stein. DVD players are cheap because the industry wants you to buy DVDs, which are pricey, at $20 to $30 each. On the other hand, you paint your house only once every five years, so the paint folks have fewer opportunities to gouge you. MICHAEL PODRAZA Chicago
Afterschool Salvation
I was appalled to read that the evangelical instruction of the Good News Clubs may be allowed in our public schools [SOCIETY, June 4]. My tax dollars are being spent for a myriad of projects I do not endorse, but most of those are at least fundamentally constitutional, not fundamentalist Christian. Marshall Pennell, the Child Evangelism Fellowship's coordinator, states that he thinks "kids have a need for a relationship with God." This is misleading. Pennell wants kids to have a relationship with his god. Those zealots who believe a person cannot be moral without their particular brand of religion are no different from the fanatics who make the Middle East the tinderbox it is. MATTHEW BLITZ Monroe, N.Y.