What to make of the Bush administration

Re “There’s no there there,” editorial, Oct. 12

Why should we believe that “a sober and thoughtful national debate” will take place in this country while George W. Bush is president? It hasn’t been a part of any decision-making since Bush took control in 2001. In fact, Bush and the Republicans have made every effort to destroy debate in favor of complete dominance over all decisions.

The only solution left to us is to remove all those who support the administration from office and replace them with people who will take part in debates and make their decisions based on the results.

TOM PETERSON

Madison, Conn.

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You state, “This crude formulation is tiresome and insulting to Americans’ intelligence” -- referring to when Bush says that if the U.S. does not defeat the terrorists “over there” in Iraq, it will have to fight them here in the United States.

Even more than being insulting, it makes me cringe for the Iraqi people. The other side of what Bush is saying is that it is better for the Iraqis to get maimed, killed, threatened and have their lives turned upside down than for us to go through that. Their lives are less important than ours. Why should we be inconvenienced or damaged? Let it all happen to the Iraqis, who didn’t ask for this.

To me, that statement represents the core of this administration -- thoughtlessness and immorality.

JUDITH ZIEVE

West Conshohocken, Pa.

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Re “No Solo Talks with N. Korea, Bush Insists,” Oct. 12

President Bush said that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s “intransigence ... speaks volumes.” That’s a unique position for Bush to take, considering his own inflexibility on Iraq. The time for bullying tactics is over. North Korea has nuclear weapons already; it’s going to have more; nothing we do is going to stop them.

The president might do better to address North Korea with a page from the Amish playbook: Simply forgive them and walk away.

BART BRAVERMAN

Los Angeles