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Kenneth B. Demaree Southbury, Conn.
Uncomfortable Bed
We Americans like to rail against OPEC and its supposedly sinister oil-pricing policies [April 2], but isn't it just practicing orthodox capitalism as taught in every American business school and as honed to perfection by American businessmen? We have made our own uncomfortable bed, and now we must lie on it.
D.F. Downing Santa Barbara, Calif.
Where the Rich Invest
The article on the investments of those moneybags [April 2] may interest some, but unfortunately has little relevance to most of us. Those affluent few who can afford to invest in vineyards, professional football teams or Reno condominium developments can also afford to lose tens of thousands of dollars, while the small investor can be wiped out by the merest fluctuation of the market.
Charles Koch lacs Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Pinyin Chinese
Congratulations on adopting the Pinyin spelling of Chinese words [March 26]. I never did know how to pronounce an apostrophe.
Ann Williams Chicago
The English-speaking world is groaning about the adoption of Pinyin. Having been raised with a language that contains such combinations as "rhythm," "syzygy" and "gnathic," and in which gh, ph and ff can all sound alike, I don't see what the fuss is about. But then, conversion to the metric system hasn't progressed well, even though it too is easier to use.
Mary F. Schmidt Boston
There is no reason to gripe about changing the spelling of Peking to Beijing. Beijing is much closer to the Chinese pronunciation. One thing we can do to get even is to ask the Chinese to quit calling the U.S. capital "Huashendun" and the current President "Kate."
L.S. Chen Abernathy, Texas