Reagan's Rule

To the Editors:

Ronald Reagan is no more a great communicator [Dec. 13] than a speech is a conversation. Communication is a two-way street. Although the President may be a persuasive speaker, he does not like to listen. Once his mind is made up, he hears only what he wants to hear.

Norman E. Tandy Winchester, N.H.

The picture of our President presented in your article "How Reagan Decides" is scary. I wonder if our country can afford two more years of governing by such an inflexible man.

John Moffitt Unionville, Va.

Contrary to the statement by one of his aides that the President "is an optimist," I say that Reagan does not come close to fitting this description. The President fears that an enemy will subdue the country or blow us up. As a result, he insists that we join him in this all-consuming dread. He could not possibly be considered an optimist.

Edwin W. Butler Waldport, Ore.

All our modern Presidents lived through World War II. Consequently, they have been conditioned to fight anywhere, any time. Perhaps the next generation will lift from us this burden of policing the world.

Lee Wakefield San Francisco

Many citizens count the President's policies as the last hope for economic stability in the U.S. and are thankful that he is stubborn.

George E. Bagwell III Montgomery, Ala

You say Ronald Reagan is inflexible. I say that he shows firmness of purpose, and I welcome the quality, which was so lacking in his predecessor. The President las every reason to be optimistic. Because of his policies, I no longer have to brace myself whenever I go into a store against the soaring prices caused by inflation. In addition, you note that the President ignores the advice of his subordinates. We elected Reagan, not his aides.

Alcestis Oberg Dickinson, Texas

I disagree with your article "Job Specs for the Oval Office," in which you say that Governors are qualified to handle the presidency. Governors have no experience in foreign or military affairs. Reagan never had to worry about being attacked by Nevada. A Governor may handle the economy of his state brilliantly, but he does not have to pay for tanks, missiles and bombers. Only Senators and Congressmen deal with the many issues a President has to face.

Douglas Robert Barry Lutherville, Md.

Has the "quality of the incumbents fallen off," as your piece asserts, or do officeholders just look worse because of television? No one can emerge from such scrutiny without appearing as human as the rest of us, not even a George Washington or an Abraham Lincoln.

David A. Robinson Springfield, Mass.

Your analysis of the job specifications for the presidency stopped short of detailing what can be done to improve the caliber of candidates. I believe that a diminution of the open competition in American politics has been a major contributor to the selection of poorer candidates, and therefore less qualified elected officials. For the 1988 election, a list should be drawn up of 200 of the most promising leaders. Then an advisory review board, similar to the American Bar Association, would rate the individuals. Mediocre candidates would be discouraged. Excellent ones would be encouraged to get into races. This system would focus on who ought to be President rather than who has the best chance to win.

John C. Armor Washington, D.C.

I disagree with your assessment that John Kennedy was not a great President because "his accomplishments were meager." If that is the criterion, then Thomas Jefferson, whose only significant achievement was the Louisiana Purchase, would not qualify for greatness.

Robert J. Quirk, Mayor Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

We look to our President for peace, prosperity and freedom. We do not want our way of life jeopardized by risky foreign policies, economic experimentation and fiscal destabilization. Thus the job specifications for the Oval Office do not call for the election of the perfect administrator. The position can be filled only by someone who can pull us together to correct a bad situation.

Richard C. Hannibal York, Pa.

Kennedy Dropout

Four more years of Ronald Reagan, or possibly Fritz Mondale or John Glenn? We will need Ted Kennedy [Dec. 13] in 1988 to save this country.

Greg W. Prindle Toledo

Senator Kennedy has finally done something good for his country.

Lewis E. Wai berg Haverh II, Mass.

Gay Benefits

Gay families should receive the same rights as those allowed to traditional families [Dec. 13]. Since gays are among the taxpayers and consumers who pay for such benefits, they should have a share in them.

Flinn Hudson Cedar Falls, Iowa

Every one of us, straight or gay, came from a union of male and female. To pretend that the basis for marriage or the family structure is anything but that is intellectually dishonest. We should not allow ourselves to be intimidated into passing legislation to accommodate these self-styled martyrs and misfits.

Carol Bachelder Boise, Idaho

Patricide

Richard Jahnke severely beat his children Deborah and Richard for minor infractions [Dec. 13]. Thus it is not surprising that the children killed their father. Deborah and Richard were reacting in the only way they knew, with violence. This situation was criminal before the murder ever took place.

Rosalie Lemberger Paramus, N.J.

Richard and Deborah Jahnke should not be prosecuted; they should be hired as consultants on child abuse. We are misguided by the notion that children have to be all but killed before they should be removed from the home.

Michael Hagan Milwaukee

The Jahnke children committed a heinous crime and must suffer the consequences of their actions. If they do not, they may try to solve more of life's problems in the same manner.

Kris Quail Rochester, Mich.

Australian Intrigue

Your article "Many Questions, Few Answers" [Dec. 131 reviews old allegations, often by anonymous sources, about CIA involvement in Australian domestic politics and particularly in the affairs of the defunct Nugan-Hand Merchant Bank. You correctly assert that the case set out by James A. Nathan in Foreign Policy magazine "is long on speculation and short on evidence." Vice President George Bush, former director of the CIA, specifically confirmed during his recent visit to Australia that there had been no CIA involvement. Former Senator Frank Church has stated unequivocally that his Select Committee on Intelligence, which investigated the matter, uncovered no evidence implicating the CIA. By continually reviving these unsubstantiated allegations, we are ill-serving our special relationship with valued allies.

John H. Holdridge

Assistant Secretary of State

Washington, D.C.

Countering Arbatov

In trying to portray America as an enemy of the Soviet Union, Georgi Arbatov [Dec. 6] can think of nothing better than to drag out the feeble and ineffective American Expeditionary Force that was sent to Russia in 1918. These troops were soon withdrawn. What Arbatov forgets is how we helped the U.S.S.R. survive in World War II. As a reward we received only Stalin's lies, treachery and broken agreements, which are exemplified by the seizure of Poland and Czechoslovakia.

David E. Renshaw Pittsburgh

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Acid rain is a serious and expensive problem to resolve [Dec. 6]. Yet one solution, nuclear power, is not even mentioned in your article. Until the antinuclear lobby came along, nuclear energy was well on its way to reducing air pollution. Is it possible that in the final analysis nuclear power offers the lowest hazard to our environment and possibly even to genes?

Harry Wetzel

Chairman of the Board

Garrett Corp.

Los Angeles

Utilities balk at the cost of cutting emissions. They should be reminded that the air is more than a convenient, low-cost dump site for their garbage. A spring rain is now a sobering reminder that our lakes and rivers are receiving yet another lethal dose of water.

Garry L. Finnestad Maple Grove, Minn.

Namibian Pullout

In the article "Troubled Talks" [Dec. 61, which describes the current negotiations over the independence of Namibia, you state that "the South Africans appear to have fashioned a stalling tactic" by insisting that the Cuban troops in Angola are to withdraw on a schedule comparable to the pullout of South African troops from Namibia. Is it unreasonable for the South Africans to demand a withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola while offering to remove their own from Namibia? Any other approach would ensure that no permanent peace could come about.

Marion H. Smoak

Shipley Smoak & Henry

Legal Advisers to the

Government of Namibia

Washington, D.C. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.