Somebody is paying for Obamacare

In her Aug. 25 story, “Assurances given on health care costs,” Review-Journal reporter Pashtana Usufzy writes how wonderful it is that the Affordable Care Act has made it possible for insurance companies to raise rates and profits while the enrollees will be saddled with stable or even decreased premiums. Amazing — no losers.

Oh, wait. Someone must be paying. Possibly, just possibly, the taxpayers will be stuck with the bill again.

John McCarthy

Henderson

Birth of ISIS

I realize it is popular to blame former President George W. Bush for just about everything these days, but I have to take issue with John Esperian’s Aug. 24 letter, “Blame Bush.”

Mr. Esperian claims that President Bush’s decision to invade Iraq led to the Arab Spring and a political vacuum that was filled by ISIS. I am not a foreign policy expert, but I do know that a number of military leaders who were in power when President Barack Obama ordered all U.S. troops out of Iraq now say that our complete exit left the door open for ISIS.

Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno was the top commander in Iraq after the surge ordered by President Bush. That surge all but eliminated al-Qaida and things were pretty well contained when Mr. Obama took office. In an interview, Gen. Odierno said he thought if we had stayed a little more engaged, ISIS could have been prevented. He believed that the United States played the role of “honest broker” between all of the groups there and when we were pulled out we lost that role.

Linda Caterine

Henderson

Marxism’s toll

It seems like only yesterday that clowns such as Sean Penn and Danny Glover were fawning all over Hugo Chavez on the dais in Venezuela expounding on the wonders of Marxist socialism.

But what we don’t see today are the horrifying results of this pure brand of Cuban communism, as the collective population of Venezuela is just weeks away from starvation. Today in Caracas, if you can find an open hamburger stand be ready to shell out $170 American. Since your average Venezuelan doctor is relegated to about $50 a month, eating out is rare. In fact eating at all is rare.

Marxism is a sin against humanity. And the only sin greater is the refusal to report its despicable outcome.

Mark Mendonsa

Laughlin

U.S. priorities

The same day that we see all the horrible damage from wildfires in the West and devastating flooding in Louisiana — where thousands are left with nothing, and many have little or no insurance to rebuild their lives — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announces additional humanitarian assistance to South Sudan of $138 million.

The same South Sudan that doesn’t want its “sovereignty violated.” Pretty sure they will take the U.S. taxpayer money, don’t you think?.

William Wagner

Las Vegas

False info

I see that Hillary Clinton received an intelligence briefing last week. I wonder if Harry Reid suggested that she be given fake intelligence. After all, he recommended that for Donald Trump.

Owen Nelson

Las Vegas