Today's Letters: On Iraq, administration continues to deny reality

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published August 23, 2007

Soldiers' lament Aug. 21, commentary

This essay should be required reading for the 30 percent of Americans who continue to believe in the "surge" in Iraq. It will be interesting to see how the administration will "spin" the basic facts outlined in this article by these courageous men who have risked their futures by bringing their "on the ground" perspective to our attention.

Will the president (a man who dodged combat in Vietnam) continue his self-serving propaganda that these sacrifices are necessary to "bring democracy to the Middle East?" Will the vice president (a man who had more important priorities than serving in Vietnam) imply that they are playing into the hands of the enemy? Will Gen. David Petraeus insist that we are making progress establishing democracy in the Middle East?

There is a degree of denial reflected here that reminds one of the English who refused to accept the inevitable outcome of their colonial domination in India, of the French in Algeria, of the Russians in Afghanistan, or the United States in Vietnam. In each case, the "dominant" outside force expended considerable blood and treasure in an unsuccessful effort to impose their will over a "recalcitrant local population."

As the real news becomes ever more grim, even the most ardent deniers will eventually be forced to accept Republican Sen. George Aiken's response when asked how to extricate our forces from Vietnam: "Declare victory and get out."

Jack Sandler, Tampa

Let's hear from soldiers who see progress

I would not dispute the opinion provided by these soldiers who obviously oppose the war and represent a minority of the combat forces in Iraq. I, like many others, agree mistakes have been made in prosecuting this war effort. The Bush administration must take responsibility for those failures. But that does not mean you raise the white flag and surrender!

My issue is the failure to report the other side of this story from the perspective of supporting soldiers. Let them relate some of the progress being made in the war effort since the surge, which is just now having an effect on the enemy. Based on other reported opinions, I would also take issue with the training progress of the Iraq army and police forces.

If you wish to be fair, run another similar article with the views of soldiers supporting the war effort. I know they are out there, because I read them daily on other news venues available in today's information society.

Robert Spencer, St. Petersburg

New wiretap law remains subject of debate Aug. 19, story

Congress again fails us

Once again we find that our legislators have voted for something that they apparently have not read through or understood. They did the same thing when the Patriot Act was passed. This time was it because they were in a hurry to get through and to leave for a summer break?

We would not accept this kind of mistake from any school student. Nor would the insurance companies and real estate people excuse us because we failed to read the fine print. And legislators have aides to help them, to read and summarize for them.

There is something wrong with our legislators when they cannot take the time to read something that affects all of our citizens as well as the rest of the world.

Maybe in the next election, we will simply not read their names on the ballot.

Lucy Fuchs, Brandon

Road planners reject controversial earmark Aug. 18, story

Government at work

If you haven't noticed, Metropolitan Planning Organization in Lee County recently turned down $10-million in federal funds to study an I-75 interchange. The funds were proposed by and "slipped" into a larger bill by Rep. Don Young, who by the way is a Republican from Alaska.

Why Young would be interested in funding a $10-million interchange study thousands of miles away from his constituency is quite questionable, until you realize he received $40,000 in campaign contributions from a local landowner who would benefit monetarily from the interchange.

The MPO sent the money right back to Washington, in effect saying we don't want another interchange, we want I-75 widened. They did the right thing, and others should look to them as good examples of "honest" government.

Don Mott, Largo

In defense of a real hero Aug. 17, letters

Aiding our brothers

The letter writer stated that John Kerry "directly caused greater suffering and misery for the POWs" in Hanoi, and that Kerry, Jane Fonda, Ramsey Clark and Joan Baez provided "aid and comfort to the enemy."

One of my Air Force ROTC classmates was a POW in Hanoi. I met him in Vietnam shortly before he got shot down. He told me he "wanted to get into the action."

Those of us who returned home from the war and joined the antiwar movement were not concerned with "aiding the enemy." We wanted our brothers home and we wanted the American people to know that our nation, with misdirected military power, suffered from an inner weakness. And it's true today.

Jim Willingham, St. Petersburg

Chinese imports

Bring jobs home

If the cost of goods imported from China is going to go up in order for them to be "safe," then I vote to bring all those manufacturing jobs back to the United States.

I would rather pay a worker in the Northeast than a worker in Bejing. It's time we stop sending all our money overseas.

As for Wal-Mart, remember when they started they advertised only American-made goods? Now is a good time to do that again.

Sylvia Fies, St. Petersburg

[Last modified August 23, 2007, 01:16:16]