Letters

WHO IS THE REAL DEAN?

"Howard Dean is hard to pigeonhole because he is not an ideologue and doesn't surround himself with ideologues." LAURENCE E. THOMSON Richmond, Vt.

The major contribution that Howard Dean has made to the presidential campaign is to provide voters with a clear and dramatic choice [Jan. 12]. In recent years, Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have run poll-based campaigns that all sounded the same. Dean is not George W. Bush; Dean has different ideas about how to keep America safe and prosperous. If he becomes the Democratic nominee, voters will have a real choice this November. Isn't that what democracy is all about--two candidates with different views? PAUL FEINER Greenburgh, N.Y.

Dean lacks the folksy charm that attracts many Americans to George W. Bush. If the Dems are looking for a clear alternative to Bush, is Dean the right guy? A question to ponder before voting this primary season: Is it more important to teach Bush and the Republicans a lesson or to elect someone who can work with people from both sides of the aisle? BOB AUGUST Nashville, Tenn.

Discouragingly, Dean reminds me a lot of the Democrats' 1984 presidential candidate, Walter Mondale. In that campaign, Mondale proclaimed he would raise taxes. As a result, he went on to lose by a landslide, with Ronald Reagan winning 49 states. I fear a similar scenario may transpire in 2004, considering that Dean is talking about rescinding all of President Bush's tax cuts. MICHAEL DUKES Toronto, Ohio

Dean is a sensible, intelligent, moderate former Governor who has proved he can balance budgets and create jobs. He is optimistic and straight talking. His background as a doctor makes him capable of looking for facts, diagnosing problems and prescribing solutions. He will serve as a President for all of us, not just a chosen few. CHRISTY DAY Amherst, N.H.

Despite the TIME/CNN poll numbers that put Dean within five percentage points of Bush, 46% to 51%, voters will wake up to reality on Election Day. Dean is like the crazy guy in your neighborhood who everyone thinks is kind of cool but who would never be called on in an emergency. STEVEN F. DITTMANN Arabi, La.

Speaking of Dean, you asked if the country is "willing to elect a Brahmin who grew up in East Hampton, N.Y., and on Park Avenue, who brings virtually no national-security experience to a post-9/11 nation." I ask if the country is willing to re-elect Bush, a Brahmin who grew up the son of a rich politician with a summer estate in Maine; who had no national-security experience when he entered office; who has effectively turned much of the world against the U.S. since 9/11. I'd take the Brahmin doctor, who I believe genuinely wants to help people in this country, over the Brahmin oilman, who caters to his wealthy and powerful friends. ZOE WEIL Surry, Maine

THE POWER OF POPULISM

Joe Klein questions the wisdom of the Democrats' using classic populism ("the people vs. the powerful") as a strategy to win the presidency [Jan. 12]. I say more power to them. It is the common people who work, pay taxes and fight our wars. Klein noted that the by-products of the 1890s' wave of populism were a progressive income tax, antitrust legislation and other reforms. Dean is proposing the same type of progressive political, social and economic agenda. ONOFRIO PERZIA LeRoy, N.Y.

If the only alternative to Bush-style elitism is classic populism, I'll take it. For millions of Americans who lack jobs, health care, homes and a rosy future, populist issues are more important than the risk of terrorism. JON KOPPENHOEFER Springfield, Ohio

DELAYS AHEAD

"Grounded By Terror," on the scrutiny of international airline flights because of security concerns [Jan. 12], provided an excellent snapshot of what air travel will be like in the future. The Homeland Security Department did a good job of preventing a holiday-season terrorist attack. The majority of the traveling public does not mind security inconveniences if everyone is flying safer. DAN R. THIES Interlachen, Fla.

CATTLE CRISIS

"How Now, Mad Cow?" described the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a dairy cow in the U.S. [Jan. 12]. Mad-cow disease? They should call it mad-human disease! Only we humans would feed a vegetarian animal contaminated meat-and-bone meal, exposing it to a horrible disorder, and then be mainly concerned with our inability to eat it. Which species, I ask, is mad? LAKSHMI JACKMAN Austin, Texas

Europe has been able to live with and protect itself against mad-cow disease, which seems to be manageable if farmers and slaughterhouses are willing to test cattle before slaughter. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization encourages the testing of all slaughter cattle for mad-cow disease, but since this is a U.N. agency, I guess the U.S. won't consider its advice. MARKUS G. SCHRIBER Geneva

Canadian beef consumption went up after Canada's single reported case of mad-cow disease last May. We rallied around an industry that we knew was being devastated by paranoia. Unlike Americans, whose media have institutionalized the use of fear, and the Japanese, who used the BSE incident to make a political statement, Canadians looked first at the practical risks. Beef isn't dangerous. This is a matter of faith as well as common sense. JESSE HEFFRING Montreal

Spy vs. Spy

Re your report on John Le Carre's new book, Absolute Friends [Jan. 12]: I discovered the novels of Le Carre relatively late in life but then very quickly understood the reasons for his prominence. He has been a brilliant chronicler of world politics, but his ambivalence and ambiguity have been frustrating at times. In Absolute Friends, he shows his moral outrage at the U.S., and this work is all the better for it. SANJEEV SHARMA Formby, England

A THREAT WITHIN PAKISTAN

You reported on the assassination attempts on Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf [Jan. 12]. Today the ranks of Pakistan's army are brimming with selfstyled Islamist officers who maintain strong connections with the mullahs. Despite the rhetoric of moderation, Musharraf continues to seek support from anti-U.S. Islamic parties. The threat from within the ranks of Pakistan's armed forces is as strong as the external threat from Islamic hard-liners. If Musharraf falls, there is no guarantee that a moderate general would take over. MUHAMMAD A. KHAN Lahore, Pakistan

No country or leader has done more in the fight against terrorism than Musharraf. The attempts on his life are ample proof of his value. Run-of-the-mill politicians in Pakistan would never dream of taking the stances and actions taken by Musharraf, like his approach to the issues of Kashmir, the Taliban and religious extremism. Politicians need votes and have to please the masses, no matter how. Luckily, this is not the case with Musharraf. Pakistan needs a leader like Musharraf, and the U.S. needs him too. ISPHANYAR BHANDARA Rawalpindi, Pakistan

WORDS AND MUSIC

Josh Tyrangiel completely missed the mark in his article about [the hip-hop magazine] The Source and our investigation of racism in hip-hop music [Jan. 12]. Tyrangiel focused on an alleged personal vendetta between Eminem and me, but doing so obscures the real issues. It is The Source's journalistic responsibility to bring Eminem's multiple racist rants to light and publish excerpts of the song tracks. Our hope is not necessarily to topple a talented musician; it is to make Eminem accountable for his words and engage him and his fans in a real dialogue about racism. The Source wants to reveal the racial bias that is leading hip-hop music down the same path as rock 'n' roll, which was created by African Americans but stripped from them by a racist music industry. The treatment in Tyrangiel's article of the issue of racism reinforces our cynical view of mainstream media: blacks are held accountable for everything they've done and oftentimes for what they haven't, while whites are too often given a free pass. DAVID MAYS, CEO The Source New York City

YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE FRIENDS

Columnist Charles Krauthammer's contemptuous dismissal of America's need for allies in today's dangerous world was breathtaking in its neocon unilateralism and arrogance [Jan. 12]. As he scorned the need for traditional U.S. allies, Krauthammer also acknowledged that the "war on many fronts" is consuming American "blood and treasure" while China builds an economic and military superpower and Europe "knits itself into another continental colossus." Shouldn't the U.S. be using its influence and diplomacy to rebuild relations with these rising powers to influence their evolution in ways favorable to American interests? Haughtily ignoring our traditional allies is shortsighted, naive and dangerous. JAMES FORD COOPER Punta Gorda, Fla.

Krauthammer indulged in some macho breast thumping about the U.S. standing tall and alone. That would be great if we Americans were as consistently right as we think we are and if our leadership knew what it was doing. The sad fact is that Americans have always been ignorant about the outside world, and that costs us dearly every day. Moreover, the Bush team may be setting a new low in the quality of American leadership. ERIC COLLIER Silverthorne, Colo.

Re Krauthammer's views on going it alone: I would rather have friends willing to tell me I am about to make a grave mistake than rubber-stamp yes-men. TOM FAULKNER San Diego

DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION

I was dismayed by your story on the new models being launched by U.S. car companies [Jan. 12], which showed that America's Big Three automakers continue to be propelled by adolescent aesthetic considerations like sportiness. Mature city drivers aren't focused on speed. Who cares whether headlights are pop-up or not? Thoughtful car buyers today are aware that they aren't just purchasing Middle East oil but are also buying into Middle East conflicts. Despite increased worries about global warming, U.S. car manufacturers appear unconcerned and uncommitted to improving gas efficiency. The Big Three still don't get it. MAURICIO L. AUSTIN Vancouver, Wash.

REMEMBERING "KING" ALAN

Your Milestone on the death of actor Alan Bates did not include his starring role in the 1960s antiwar film King of Hearts. Its message is still (unfortunately) timely, almost 40 years later. I am a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and this is the only war movie I own (other than The Lord of the Rings). Bates will always be my "King of Hearts." GARY PAX Carbondale, Colo.