We recognize limits because we’re better

To the editor:

In reference to Sunday's letters to the editor from Jim Hayes, Richard Vertrees and Bob Wong under the banner "So only America has to follow the rules?":

I can understand them somehow not wanting to punish the Marines who urinated on the bodies of Taliban terrorists, because it is somewhat satisfying to get a bit of revenge after what the Taliban, Muslim fanatics, and others have done to our fallen soldiers. At what point, though, would they agree on what is enough?

Should we just stop at urinating on the bodies, or should we cut off their heads, drag their bodies through the streets, hang them from light poles, then bring their bodies down and defecate on their cut-up remains?

Yes, revenge is a two-sided sword. Don't they think that this video footage is the greatest recruitment tool for other insane religious nuts to join their comrades and see what they can do to avenge such acts as this?

Somehow I would think that in a civilized society, we would not act the same as insane religious fanatics and lower ourselves to their status. I just wonder how many Muslim zealots have joined the cause just because of incidents like this and others such as the degrading of prisoners at Abu Ghraib in Iraq.

Yes, our first inclination is to do to these insane people what they do to our soldiers. Yet we don't -- and we shouldn't, because this is what defines the difference between civilized and uncivilized people. Yes, America does have to follow the rules.

Frederick H. Spoerl

Las Vegas

Try Cuba

To the editor:

In response to Saturday's letter from Nadia Romeo, "Greedy rich":

Ms. Romeo writes, "Corporations pay little or no taxes." The statistics for 2010 show that U.S. corporations paid $191 billion in taxes. Now if that figure represents little or none at all, maybe Ms. Romeo is used to the deficits that our current administration is posting yearly.

The current federal tax rate for corporations is 35 percent, almost tops in the world and just slightly below Japan. Yes, it is true that some corporations pay less than this because of tax breaks that Congress has pushed to encourage various projects that they deem socially valuable. Others may not pay the maximum in a given year because of the previous year's losses.

I encourage Ms. Romeo to look up an article by Jed and Rachel Nunno written in 2010: "Top 10 Greatest Benefits of Capitalism," which can be found with any search engine. One of the greatest benefits is freedom and the potential of upward mobility with hard work, something not found in other systems.

Ms. Romeo goes on to say that after seeing capitalism she sympathizes with communists and that "what we need are a few Bolsheviks to come and take care of these greedy, rich pieces of manure." I would like to point out to her that most corporations are owned -- in large amounts -- by pension plans for the masses in our society. Therefore the common man is "the greedy rich."

And Ms. Romeo obviously isn't a student of history, or she would know that approximately 100 million humans were killed by various horrible means under the communist experiment of equality worldwide. This is in addition to the approximately 30 million killed by wars that were instigated on its behalf.

I would personally offer air fare to Ms. Romeo to go and stay in Cuba or North Korea, if that is her dream. I would love to see her write such a blog after living in these peoples' "paradises."

Don C. Whitaker

Henderson

Iran no threat

To the editor:

As a former scientist in the nuclear weapons test program, I am disturbed by the near hysteria gripping our politicians, talking heads and the media over the prospect of Iran building a nuclear weapon. With or without a nuke, Iran poses no significant threat to the United States.

While the Mullahs will not hesitate to send poor, brainwashed young Muslims on suicide missions, they have no interest in dying themselves. You won't see them or any of their family members strapping on suicide vests. They are also not foolish enough to take any action that could result in the complete annihilation of their country.

The only nation being seriously threatened by Iran is Israel. But with hundreds of nuclear weapons at its disposal, Israel could turn all of Iran into a smoking heap of radioactive rubble, and the Mullahs know that. The saber-rattling war hawks in this country who are talking about pre-emptive military action against Iran are leading us down the same path that got us into Iraq and Afghanistan. We all know how well that has worked out. Most of them have never been in battle or even worn the uniform but, like the Mullahs, they are always ready to send our young men and women off to fight and die in another futile and unnecessary war.

David Stevenson

Henderson