Arrogance in Washington

Re “Why Reward Iran’s Zealots?” Opinion, Feb. 17: Nikki R. Keddie shares the view of most people outside the U.S. when she describes as bizarre President Bush’s inclusion of Iran in his “axis of evil” speech. Not long ago the U.S. was praising Iran for offering its cooperation in Afghanistan. When it became apparent that the Taliban and Al Qaeda were on the run, Washington not only reverted to form but upped the stakes by using fundamentalist language that would put a hard-line cleric to shame.

A Persian proverb tells of the peasant who loses his fear of God once his overladen pack animal has crossed a rickety bridge. George Bush Sr. behaved in a similar manner at the time of the Persian Gulf War, when he promised much to Tehran before hostilities had begun and delivered little after Saddam Hussein was defeated.

America sees it as a right to go halfway around the world to bomb Afghanistan and introduce sweeping changes, including the establishment of military bases that could be seen as a threat by others in the region. Yet Iran is castigated when trying to protect its interests in a neighboring country with which it shares a porous 550-mile border. Listening to Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, one may be excused for thinking that arrogance had replaced statesmanship in Washington. Maybe a single superpower was not such a good idea after all.

Kewmars Bozorgmehr

London

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Once again, history repeats itself. Bush’s belligerent speech and saber-rattling remind me of the 1950s, when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles engaged in what was then called brinkmanship. While traveling in Europe in 1958, I was told by a fellow passenger from England that, while they really did like Americans, they were very worried by Dulles’ doings. I had to assure him that we did not all agree with Dulles, et al., but were doing our best to change things to a policy of peace. Now, reading what our European friends think of us, I am once more embarrassed that our president is making us look so arrogant and dangerous in the eyes of the world.

Julie May

Los Angeles

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The news is raising my blood pressure these days. First, I’m appalled at the Bush administration’s arrogant expansion of a much narrower mission and wonder why no citizens or members of Congress are speaking out about it. Have we been blinded by patriotic revenge for 9/11? I supported the invasion of Afghanistan and the pursuit of Al Qaeda but don’t support, without further evidence of imminent threat, this hawkish stance with regard to the so-labeled “axis of evil.” We need to motivate the U.N. to renew inspections in Iraq, and elsewhere if needed, but I don’t believe we’ll get international support by “declaring war” on sovereign nations without provocation or adequate justification.

Second, I’m flabbergasted at the audacity of saying that to restrict campaign contributions is to limit free speech. Paid-for speech, in the first place, is not free and, second, this theory means that the more money I have at my disposal, the more “free speech” to which I am entitled, making any notion of equality under the law ludicrous. Government for the people becomes government for the wealthy and moneyed organizations like Enron, whose voices get heard and drown out all other voices.

Judith A. Lewis

Huntington Beach

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Re Robert Scheer’s Feb. 19 column, “Making Money, the Bush Way”: It appears that the Desert Storm military action was a ruse to protect the Saudis, the Carlyle Group and especially the oil interests. Hussein was forgotten after these objectives were accomplished. He’s still around, and we are still facing this problem--to the delight of the military interests.

The people who are part of the Carlyle Group read like the friends of Bush Sr. and Bush Jr.--military interests, oil interests--they are one and the same. The only interests they have are money, profits and power. The people do not seem to matter. Too bad for the American people that Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. are part and parcel of this group.

Beverly Klein

Pismo Beach

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James Baker is a principal in the Carlyle Group. Scheer could have added that W. owes Baker--big time.

Dove Menkes

Fullerton

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Is Bush the most dangerous man in the world? Apparently a lot of people think so, but will anyone in the American press have the guts to ask this question?

Tom McKibben

San Diego