America’s political mess; a Palestinian state; fixing Social Security

Political novices

Re “Romney, Perry again trade accusations,” Sept. 15

I recently took a cruise to the Galapagos Islands. I met wonderful people from all over the globe. It was embarrassing that they all knew so much about events in the United States, yet we knew so little about their countries. They were amused about our never-ending presidential election.

When I returned home, I was amazed to learn that, although no one had yet cast a vote, the media has declared this to be a two-man GOP race. Still, no one seems to be enthralled by any candidate.

A little more than 230 years ago there were about

2 million people in the Colonies, and we had giants like Jefferson, Franklin and Paine. Now we’ve grown to more than 300 million and we have Romney, Perry and Obama.

What did I learn in the Galapagos? Darwin was wrong.

Stan Gordon

Encino

Every time I listen to Texas Gov. Rick Perry speak about the “regulatory-burdensome administration,” I feel a slap to those who appreciate such institutions as the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which protect our lives by keeping a tight rein on the companies that would slowly poison us to make a buck.

No matter Perry’s words, all I can hear is, “Dust off the smokestacks boys, we’re going to party like it’s 1929.”

Reggie Kenner

Manhattan Beach

Divided over a Palestinian state

Re “Yes to Palestine,” Opinion, Sept. 15

In portraying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as intransigent regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state, Reza Aslan omits key facts.

In 2000, the Ehud Barak government offered the Palestinians a state; afterward, the Palestinians engaged in a suicide-bombing campaign, prompting Israel to build a separation barrier. In 2005, the Israelis unilaterally evacuated their settlements in the Gaza Strip, which was answered by a constant barrage of rockets as well as the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier.

Gaza is now ruled by Hamas, a terrorist organization with its roots in the Muslim Brotherhood. Israel accepting a state close to its population whose government calls for Israel’s destruction would not be responsible to its own population.

Richard Friedman

Los Angeles

Every time I read something regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, I want to ask those who helped to form this state why they have forgotten what it’s like to be homeless, to wander in the “wilderness,” dealing with persecution, hate and denial of a home.

We all long for a place to be safe from hate and turmoil. For years that was the message: the yearning to be free from pogroms and the ghettos. That longing for home is what drove many to plant trees in Israel, for others to relocate to this desert they would be able to make bloom.

Where are these pioneers who longed for home? Their memories have faded and vanished. In denying the Palestinians a place to call home, they have forgotten that longing. How we treat others says more about us than those “others.”

Beverly Franco

Monterey Park

Aslan’s Op-Ed article is missing several important facts to properly inform the reader.

First, he fails to mention the Palestinians’ ongoing violence. Second, he cites Israeli leaders’ rhetoric as unhelpful while ignoring Arab leaders’ rhetoric calling explicitly for a violent end to the Jewish state. Further, Israel declared independence after the United Nations voted on partitioning the British Mandate into two states with defined borders — hence Israel did not act unilaterally.

Aslan should have mentioned that the Arabs rejected independence after the U.N. vote and that, in the Khartoum Resolution after the Six-Day War in 1967, declared, “No peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel [and] no negotiations with it.”

Gal Sitty

Studio City

Yes to Aslan, one of the most American and moderate Muslim voices in society today. He has laid out five reasons for the U.S. to support the Palestinian bid for statehood.

Here is a sixth: It is good for Israel.

If a Palestinian state does not come into existence soon, then the occupied territories become a de facto part of Israel proper. Israel must then either continuing denying rights to its residents, absorb an Arab population equal in number to the Jewish population or somehow remove all Arabs from its territories (ethnic cleansing).

All three would be fatal to the preservation of a Jewish democracy.

Erica Hahn

Monrovia

Social Security: Tough choices

Re “Touching the ‘third rail,’ ” Opinion, Sept. 15

Doyle McManus laments that Social Security needs to be fixed but questions how we can do it. The simplest explanation is to at least raise the cap on payroll taxes. Why should someone making $106,000 pay the same amount to Social Security as someone making $106 million?

Our government has a problem making the difficult choices. Marion Blakey of the Aerospace Industries Assn. has said, “Defense has been cut into the bone.” We are spending more on defense than the rest of the world combined.

Let’s make the choices that need to be made to save our economy. Some taxes need to be raised, defense needs to be cut and useless regulations should be gutted.

Hopefully our lawmakers can put aside partisanship and make a real difference in the lives of those who are struggling.

Debbie Cassettari

Chino Hills

McManus is correct to say that Social Security is unlike a Ponzi scheme. In the real world, when a Ponzi scheme is exposed, people go to prison and the bleeding stops. Social Security, though likewise exposed, keeps chugging toward that cliff.

Any notion that the government views this tax as anything other than a revenue stream and not a retirement account has to be weighed against the following fact: The Social Security Act was passed in 1935 and placed the full retirement age at 65. The life expectancy for men was not even 60 years.

Robert Brennan

Van Nuys

A true Bruin

Re “U.S. News gives USC the edge,” Sept. 14

The good news is that Los Angeles offers tremendous higher education options. Our faculty is pleased that UCLA maintained its top 25 position despite years of flagging state support. It makes for a catchy story to frame UCLA’s sterling academic reputation in the context

of our game-day rivalry with USC.

In this regard, your article told only a small part of the UCLA story. Washington Monthly ranked us second in the nation last month (USC was 50th) based on factors such as cutting-edge

research, graduating low-income students and community service. The London-based Times Higher Education ranked UCLA 11th in the world.

U.S. News & World Report rankings favor private universities by emphasizing alumni financial support and student-faculty ratios.

Andrew Leuchter

Los Angeles

The writer chairs the UCLA academic senate.

On free speech

Re “Defense in Irvine 11 trial rests its case,” Sept. 16

I am a UC Berkeley graduate who listens to all opinions. That same philosophy permeates the whole UC system.

The most disgusting thing I witnessed at Berkeley in the early 1960s was classmates shouting down a speaker. Though I felt the same way as the noisy hecklers who made it impossible for the fellow to complete a sentence, I went to listen and learn.

I couldn’t care less about the motives of the Irvine 11. They weren’t shouting down the Israeli ambassador; they were drowning out free speech.

Tom Sloss

Fountain Valley