Unfettered Letters

‘Nation building’ vs. ‘socialism’

I am an independent voter, and I want to answer Jeanie Adkins-Peine’s question (12/22, Letters) “Why does our government continue to send millions of dollars out of this country when we desperately need it here?”

Jeanie, our current government spends billions of dollars a month in Iraq on a war that has absolutely nothing to do with our country’s national security, and recently it sent $74 million to Egypt for that country’s health care.

Republicans call this “nation building.” If Democrats want to spend billions on less fortunate Americans, Republicans call it “socialism,” and Republicans hate socialism.

John J. Martin
Kansas City

Keep health care dollars in U.S.

I was appalled when I read the “Intelligence Report” in Parade Magazine (12/14) regarding the money our U.S. government has allotted for other countries. The particular one that upset me was the $74 million to Egypt for health care. Give me a break!

We are helping Egypt with health care, when we are told we cannot afford to do this for Americans. This is ludicrous. Why does our government continue to send millions of dollars out of this country when we desperately need it here?

Health-care reform should start with “Take care of our own.” How many other millions are being sent out of this country to meet “needs” that we can’t provide for our own people here?

Jeanie Adkins-Peine
Overland Park

U.S. stance on Israel

Ross Balano’s well-intentioned piece on anti-Semitism misses the mark when he implies that supporting the state of Israel is an effective way to fight anti-Semitism (12/13, Opinion, “As Jews remain targets, U.S. must stand resolutely with Israel”).

Creating the state of Israel (rather than accepting Jewish refugees into the U.S. before and after World War II) was a major contributor to the continuing political problems in the Middle East.

We would be better advised to fight anti-Semitism and other racial and cultural intolerance right here at home and encouraging our allies to do the same.

The United States should adopt a balanced foreign policy in the Middle East, supporting both Israel and the Arab states.

Roy Busdiecker
Overland Park

U.S. must help manage crisis in Zimbabwe

With so many problems at home, it is easy to lose sight of world issues. Yet events such as those occurring in Zimbabwe are impossible to ignore (12/4, A-11, “Zimbabwe police break up protest; A human rights activist is abducted from her home amid the new crackdown on dissent”).

Health care in Zimbabwe is abysmal. There is no public access, and there are no medicines available to the general population. All medical schools and major hospitals have been closed for weeks.

A cholera epidemic — the result of a collapse of the entire country’s infrastructure — has claimed more than 500 lives. Attempts by the medical community to request assistance are being met with violent, government-sanctioned responses. Estimates by non-governmental organizations suggest that half of the country’s population will require food assistance as soon as next year.

As an American medical student, I am moved by the conditions that my peers face. We must stand up to support health professionals throughout the world.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the U.S. State Department must do something to help manage this situation before it becomes so unstable that it compromises the entire region.

Kyle Berens
Kansas City, Kan.

Plan would help end poverty

As President-elect Obama generously takes on the overwhelming responsibilities that await him, there are a couple of fundamental changes in perspective that need to be kept in mind.

Our country needs to learn to act not merely for economic benefit but to encourage people’s natural inclination toward justice. We must reward the love, generosity, compassion, imagination, and wonder that would protect the beauty of the planet Earth and all life that abounds here.

We must also realize that terrorism is not stopped by wars, walls or interrogation under torture. Terrorism is stopped by education and by building relationships of trust that even out the playing field for everyone.

A way of demonstrating generosity is the proposed Global Marshall Plan, which would devote 1 to 2 percent of the gross product of each developed nation over 20 years to help 2 billion of the world’s people move out of poverty through aid and investments specifically directed toward them.

This proposal was introduced in the House of Representatives as H. Res. 1078, and more information is available from the Network of Spiritual Progressives.

The United States should take the lead in initiating the building of a just and compassionate world order.

Linda Ray
Prairie Village

U.S. wastes golden opportunity

As disappointing as it was to see the U.S. collect 15 fewer gold medals than China, American athletes’ performances outside their respective playing surfaces won a far greater portion of my disappointment.

For a three-week window, during which these athletes had the greatest audience listening to their every word, all went silent. American athletes stated that the Olympics were neither the time nor place for politics, referencing the genocide in Darfur.

The Olympics should be the world’s greatest forum. The only thing having no place should be violence. So, whoever started the ruckus in Georgia is really the only one being impolite, but that’s an argument for another day.

The First Amendment allows any one citizen to speak out without having to reflect the opinions of the government, or of all citizens. This is why U.S. athletes missed the golden opportunity to show support for Darfur, having been given the ability to speak out without putting the U.S., as a whole, into any sort of conflict with other nations.

Despite earning 110 medals, the, U.S. failed to succeed in the challenge more important than sport, in which human lives, rather than medals, are at stake.

Michael King
Kansas City

Darfur needs help from U.S.

The continuing destruction of innocent life in Sudan’s conflicted Darfur region continues to haunt me (6/6, A-10). I commend our presidential candidates for their commitment to the people of Darfur.

However, the people of Darfur cannot wait for the election of a new U.S. president in order to survive. Genocide continues daily, hourly. The violence is escalating while, contrary to promises made years ago, U.N. peacekeepers are not yet fully deployed. Darfuris who have escaped the murderous rogue militias now starve.

The senators have promised to pursue peace and security in Darfur with unstinting resolve. President Bush must ensure that the next president is in a strong position to help the suffering people of Darfur.

Promises to Darfur made earlier in his administration must be kept. It is a matter of life and death.

Janice Stallings
Kansas City

Crackdown in Burma

The BBC reported this week that thousands of monks arrested in the peaceful demonstrations against the military junta ruling Burma have been forcibly rounded up, stripped of their robes, shackled and sent away to undisclosed locations. One can only assume it’s not for rest and relaxation.

And since the ruling junta has cut off Internet, media and most diplomatic access, we may never really know.

I lived in Asia and came to champion the cause led by the exceptionally brave imprisoned Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. I’m greatly saddened to see this country become the latest in a long tragic line of nations exhausted by despotic subhumans who bludgeon, teargas, shoot and otherwise trample the life out of their own people.

We like to sell America as the global upholder of democracy, freedom and liberty.

It seems, however, our moral authoritarian role and sense of purpose is selectively applied to countries in which we have more economic interest.

One can only wonder what the billions we have squandered in dollars, human life and influence in Iraq (and the sorry sequel-to-come in Iran) might have helped buy in terms of influencing positive change in countries like Burma.

Brent Anderson
Fairway

Cut U.N. and foreign aid

Dear President Bush:

For too many years, the United States has tried to buy friendship around the world through the means of foreign aid. Judging from the voting records of our so-called friends in the United Nations, we have not been very successful.

I suggest the following:

Politely inform the U.N. that the lease in New York will expire in five years, and they are expected to move out of the United States to another country. We have borne the burden too long. It is time to share.

Slowly begin to reduce foreign aid to all countries, perhaps by 5 percent per year.

Ask faith-based organizations, or other charitable groups, to pick up the slack by donations, if they so desire.

The fact that each and every American worker is currently on the hook for about $375,000 (See David M. Walker, U.S. comptroller general) for the promises made by our “spend it without regard for the future” Congress makes it mandatory that we start to reduce our outlays.

Reducing payments to the U.N. and gradually reducing foreign aid are two good places to start.

Stephen D. Bailey
Fairway

Support for Latin America

Prior to his recent trip to Latin America, President Bush stated that the United States doesn’t get much credit for its generosity to that region. He said that since he took office, U.S. aid to Latin America has increased from $800 million to $1.6 billion. He pledged an increase during his trip.
I would like to make the following points concerning this aid:
First and foremost, I challenge Bush, Congress or anyone else to find a clause in the U.S. Constitution that authorizes taking money from the taxpayers and giving to anyone, period.
Second, that $1.6 billion would be very handy for buying our troops in Iraq proper equipment, including armored vehicles.
Third, it has been shown over the years that countries that accept foreign aid usually wind up in worse shape than those that do not. This is due to several factors, one of which is that those in power in recipient countries take much of the aid, with little or none used for the intended purpose.
Fourth, if Bush is impelled to do something unconstitutional, then do more for the Katrina victims.
John P. Fitts
Noel, Mo.