STUDY THE TRIBES
STANLEY KURTZ is to be congratulated for his article on Middle East tribal culture ("I and My Brother Against My Cousin," April 14), as is Philip Salzman for his book on the subject, Culture and Conflict in the Middle East.
Left unaddressed, however, is the critical issue of American ignorance of the subject. Scholars like Bernard Lewis of Princeton were very clear and up front about the kind of culture we were dealing with years ago. We didn't listen then. Precious few are listening now. A large part of the limited success of General Petraeus is due to the fact that he listened, at least on the military front.
Americans, many in the highest government positions, just cannot seem to accept the notion that there can be a culture so different that violence is a part of everyday life. We overlook the fact that Arab culture can be sophisticated and violent at the same time. Armed by our wealth through oil, the jihadists see no reason why their culture should not overtake ours inevitably, and they have been proven very patient.
Hopefully more Americans will take the time to study the important work of scholars like Stanley Kurtz, Philip Salzman, and Bernard Lewis.
WAYNE G. SKAGGS
Wimberley, Tex.
MCCAINOMICS
I FOUND IRWIN STELZER's assessment of John McCain's options and predilections for economic policy generally compelling ("Embrace Your Inner Teddy Roosevelt," April 21). Stelzer rightly insists on overcoming the dogmatic free market advice of Phil Gramm as central to McCain's confronting the fallout from Glass-Steagall's repeal. But there is one crucial element of John McCain's personal experience that Stelzer did not bring into the discussion.
There once was a man named Charles Keating, and an enormous government bailout of the savings and loan industry was a result of the same forces of moral hazard Stelzer describes at play today. John McCain saw the savings and loan meltdown close up. He saw how easy it is for a well-meaning legislator to go to bat for a crook--persuaded every step of the way that his intervention against those overbearing regulators was justified by the need to keep the government from riding on the back of the defenseless entrepreneur.
McCain saw the whole mechanism up close and personal. What did he learn from the experience? Did he see how one really needs to use regulation to cure market imperfections? And if his experience with the Keating Five was not enough to make the lesson sink in, what hope can we have that the sensible and sober advice in Stelzer's column will do the trick?
JOHN CARRAGEE
Wayne, Penn.
NUCLEAR NECESSITY
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY sources with their interest groups and enthusiasts have found a level of popularity unsubstantiated by their technologies' performance, as William Tucker demonstrates in his article "Food Riots Made in the USA" (April 28). These technologies, although quite useful in appropriate settings, have little connection to their exaggerated claims and are not supported by agricultural, engineering, and societal realities. Tucker is right that "bad old nuclear power" is one of the few options we have to both minimize pollution and deal with climate change, and does not also result in the unintended consequences of taking food from people's mouths or using large quantities of the land they live on.
What is truly telling is that the rest of the world is not waiting for the United States to make up its mind to start building the first nuclear plant in 30 years. There are currently over 30 new plants under construction, with most of those in Asia where economic growth is in the double digits. Finland and France are building reactors, and Russia has five in the works. The world recognizes the necessity of nuclear energy, while in our country we are playing games that adversely affect the price of food.
MICHAEL CORRADINI
Madison, Wisc.
A CAPITAL CARTOONIST
IT WAS NICE to see THE SCRAPBOOK recognize Michael Ramirez in the April 21 issue for receiving the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartoons.
Upon receiving each issue of THE WEEKLY STANDARD, his political cartoon is the first thing I look for, always a great drawing and always capturing the essence of the message by his skillful illustration.
PAUL DONOFRO
Marianna, Fla.
CORRECTION
RYAN T. ANDERSON's review "Caution, Children" (April 28) incorrectly identified David Tubbs, author of Freedom's Orphans, as a professor at King's College in Cambridge. Tubbs teaches at King's College in New York City.