Aim of Tax Cuts Is to Cut Government

“No Stimulus in Tax Cuts” (editorial, Oct. 14) is correct. But I believe the extreme right has actually moved on. While still appearing to embrace the “trickle down” economics rhetoric, it has adopted the position that tax cuts are good because they hamper the government’s ability to function and because they will lead to a smaller government. Tax cuts are not meant to be a stimulus; they are meant to dismantle parts of the federal government.

“Haunted by Years of Missed Warnings” (Oct. 14) documented the failure of the U.S. intelligence agencies. It remains to be seen whether this failure was caused, in part, by considerable reductions in force within the federal government over the last two decades. The argument over federalizing airport security is also a clear reflection of the desire of the extreme right to reduce and hamper the abilities of the government. These are the New Age conservative “anarchists” in our midst, and they are potentially as big a threat to our well-being as the foreign terrorists.

D.A. Papanastassiou

San Marino

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We entered WWII pretty much a privately owned corporate America. We have evolved into what is now a publicly owned corporate America. Our leaders are asking us to spend in this time of crisis. Don’t ask what you can do for your country, ask what you can do for Wall Street. It seems to imply we have become the United States of America Inc.

Ken Johnson

Pinon Hills

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I can’t believe what I’m hearing. President Bush wants to give more tax breaks to benefit the rich. At the same time, he wants to have the nation’s children shoulder some of the burden of aiding Afghanistan (Oct. 12). I may have it backward, but shouldn’t those making money support aid to Afghanistan, while the government works to benefit the children of this country?

Bill Entz

Granada Hills