Obama must not like leading superpower
To the editor:
Now our rookie president wants to lead the world in doing away with nuclear weapons, the single most important reason why we have not had another world war.
Countries that either hate us or at least want to control us, such as North Korea, Iran, China and Russia, have no interest in disarming and are, in fact, enhancing their nuclear capabilities. Anyone who believes that just because the rock star U.S. president says we will disarm that the world will follow is a fool.
We might just as well paint a big bull's eye on the American flag and head for the shelters.
Mike Garrison
HENDERSON
Satellite? My foot
To the editor:
Concerning North Korea's rocket launch for the "peaceful exploration of space," who are they kidding? They're simply testing their ballistic missile delivery system so they can extort whatever they want from the United States and other nations. If North Korea launched a "communications" satellite, it would only give them the ability to watch their captive citizenry starve to death from space. Must be a new reality show.
Personally, the world would be better off if China invaded and annexed North Korea. That might end more than 50 years of paranoia and hysteria by this rogue dictatorship.
I'm sure that if this rocket's payload did in fact splash into the Pacific Ocean, then there are already ships and subs in the process of recovering whatever it was.
This is Las Vegas. Any bets on what it really is?
Roger Ouellette
LAS VEGAS
Attacks on freedom
To the editor:
In response to your April 1 editorial, "First the banks, now the automakers": Thank you for an excellent and accurate report on President Obama's adamant insistence on taking the United States into full fascism.
His devotion to altruism/collectivism has placed this country in extreme peril, commanding Americans to live for others while bowing to every other nation's demands. Statists such as North Korea are brazen in their unconcealed lust to be "noticed" and launch test missiles over peaceful and productive nations.
President Obama has the same kind of lust. His need to be popular fuels his commitment to collectivism as he launches brazen attacks on business and free enterprise.
Sylvia Bokor
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.
Pay later
To the editor:
An increase in our power bill couldn't have come at a better time ("Utility reps face flak," Tuesday Review-Journal).
People are worried about how to pay the rent, how to pay for food and how to pay for necessary medication. But they won't have to worry about paying the power bill -- because they can't!
The power company spokesman said a raise in costs now would benefit us in the future. I suggest everyone tell their landlord, the grocer and the pharmacist that they'll get paid sometime in the future. Let's see how that plays.
Darlien Breeze
LAS VEGAS
Incumbent protection
To the editor:
Your Sunday editorial "Public financing" hit on many points in criticizing a bill to force taxpayers to subsidize politicians, but there are even bigger problems with the legislation.
The Fair Elections Now Act, sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is touted as a way to give incumbents a break from fundraising so they can spend more time legislating. But it's really about protecting incumbents from challengers and giving politicians ready access to the public treasury to pay for campaign ads and political consultants.
Under the proposal, challengers to House incumbents must raise $50,000 from more than 1,500 different people from their home state, at only $100 per donor. That's feasible for incumbents with established fundraising networks or celebrity candidates with high name recognition and media coverage, but it's a huge burden to less-connected challengers. It's almost impossible to open an office and pay a staff with contribution limits so low. Candidates without party backing or the support of well-organized interests would find it almost impossible to qualify for funding.
This bill wouldn't provide fair elections, just more incumbent protection.
Sean Parnell
ALEXANDRIA, VA.
THE WRITER IS PRESIDENT OF THE CENTER FOR COMPETITIVE POLITICS.
Death of country music
To the editor:
Sometime in the last century, Nashville turned its back on real country music in favor of the second-rate, top 40 drivel that now haunts the airwaves.
But I hadn't actually seen the official demise of country until I watched the Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand on Sunday night.
The death of country music now has a name, and that name is Miley Cyrus.
Jeff Silverman
LAS VEGAS
