War Against Islamists?
W ILLIAM KRISTOL'S citing of Churchill in "Victory in Spite of All Terror" (July 18) serves as a reminder of the value of leaders who deliver honest, direct, and sobering pronouncements to the public.
The war in which we are all presently engaged, however, is not a war against terror, but a war against Islamic fundamentalists. Terror, like, say, carpet bombing, is but a method of engagement. Not knowing who your enemy is invites sure defeat. Churchill made no mistake about stating who his enemy was, and we should heed his example if we desire victory.
Eric Hoppe
Düsseldorf, Germany
Cut It Out
REGARDING William Kristol's "Remember Tax Cuts?" (July 4 / July 11): Bush's tax cuts may have worked to pull us out of a mild recession, but that does not mean they need to be permanent. We might instead focus our attention on federal spending, which never decreases. In fact, in Bush's February budget submission, he projects that between 1999 and 2009 annual federal government receipts will grow by $566 billion, while annual outlays will grow by $1.031 trillion, twice the growth of receipts.
Federal spending goes up by 75 percent in that decade, and those numbers do not include any costs of Social Security reform or many of the costs of Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2009 the "on-budget" deficits (i.e., excluding Social Security) are projected to be running at nearly a half trillion per year.
The focus needs to be not on cutting taxes, but on eliminating the horrendous, fiscally irresponsible deficit, which means that the focus needs to shift to spending cuts. Cuts of 25 to 30 percent, necessary to eliminate the deficit, would not be as popular as tax cuts, but financial reality does need to be faced.
Bert McLachlan
Katy, TX
Forgetting The Belt?
MATT LABASH'S "Hunting Bubba" (June 20) was eye-opening. As an SUV-driving Republican from the South, I am sure that I can solve Mudcat's quandary about why northern liberals have not been able to infiltrate the South. Simply put: It is the Bible Belt of this country.
The good book says, "By their fruits you shall know them." Labash gives anyone seeking the truth about Mudcat more than one can stomach, for Mudcat, as seen in his language, certainly does not exemplify the virtues that many southerners value. Just because Mudcat fishes and hunts doesn't mean he knows anything about the culture and values of the South. In fact, his "fruits" stink to high heaven.
Susan Sykes
Tucker, GA
Job Options for Mom
MEGHAN COX GURDON'S "Professional Mothers" (July 18) describes the "greatest dilemma of modern motherhood" as whether to quit work for the sake of children or to keep working for the monetary and psychic benefits. The choice is not so stark, though.
Many jobs and professions have always allowed time for other activities, including children. Department of Labor data show that 26 percent of employed mothers work part-time (fewer than 35 weekly hours), as do 30 percent of such mothers with children under the age of six. Other employed moms choose jobs with flexible schedules: 73 percent of workers in education, training, and library occupations are women, as are 89 percent of workers in health care support occupations.
Although Cox's story of the sad redhead in day care was heartbreaking, it is not typical. Census data show that fewer than 20 percent of young children of employed mothers are in day care: Most are cared for by relatives.
Our dynamic labor force of 150 million has about 52 million new hires and 50 million separations annually, and an unemployment rate of about 5 percent. People change jobs until they find the best possible combination of pay and hours. There are jobs for everyone, and the choice of more time or more money is a dilemma common to all.
Diana Furchtgott-Roth
Washington, DC