Poindexter’s Insidious Hand

Even though the Pentagon has abandoned its plan to establish a commodity-style futures market to predict terrorist strikes (July 30), I am outraged that such a plan was ever conceived and was set to begin Aug. 1. The program, called the Policy Analysis Market, would have been under the direction of retired Adm. John Poindexter. It would have allowed investors to bet on whether specific terrorist acts would or would not occur.

Such madness must ultimately be placed at the door of the Oval Office. President Bush cannot duck his responsibility. If Bush claims he was out of the loop, then we have a president who is asleep at the helm or a liar. In either case, Bush and his administration are a danger to our country and the freedoms we cherish.

Leon M. Salter

Los Angeles

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This is how the Pentagon is using its money to fight the war against terrorism? At first I thought this was a high-level joke, yet another diversion to keep us from thinking about Osama bin Laden. Then I saw Poindexter’s name. The Energizer bunny has a lot to learn from this abhorrent guy -- he keeps coming back. And he keeps coming up with ways for Bush cronies to take money from taxpayers in the guise of fighting terrorism. This is disgusting.

Barry Greenfield

West Hollywood

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The Pentagon’s proposal was fundamentally flawed. Futures markets may be useful in forecasting events such as elections, which are the products of mass psychology.

However, predicting acts that can be carried out by a few would make these markets ripe for manipulation and could easily trigger the very tragedies they seek to prevent.

Larry Mason

Santa Barbara