Is regime change the answer for Africa?

Re “Mercenaries, Not Musicians, for Africa,” Commentary, July 7

Once in a great while, Max Boot actually makes some sense. The problem of providing aid to Africa is the horribly corrupt supply chain. Foreign aid to Africa mostly makes corrupt leaders more rich and powerful. Less than pennies on the dollar actually reach the people in need, and a better solution is indeed regime change. What Boot failed to point out, however, is that our current administration has wasted our regime change goodwill on Iraq, where it has been futile, instead of Africa, where we actually could have gained world support and done some good.

Mark Van Leeuwen

Newhall

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Boot’s remedy for corruption and thuggery in Africa is brilliant! Now that the insurgency in Iraq is in its final throes and Al Qaeda is on the run worldwide, what better place to apply the successful neocon model than Africa? Invading six countries with mercenaries relieves the pressure on our thinly stretched military and provides work for companies such as Halliburton, which has performed so admirably in Iraq. The operations will be quick and relatively painless as we will surely be greeted as liberators with flowers strewn at our feet. Aging rockers should stick to what they do best and leave successful nation-building to the professionals.

Howard S. Blum

Thousand Oaks