Entries for November 2008

The American people are smarter than you think Mr. Pethokoukis ["How Tom Daschle Might Kill Conservatism," usnews.com]. Obama polled better on healthcare because his plan was better. You can say whatever you want about healthcare, but it will always be an issue that Democrats win because, to the core , most people believe healthcare should be mandatory just by being a U.S. citizen. Most Americans don't believe that healthcare should be a normal business with a sole purpose of profiteering.

Comment by Terrence J. of GA

The difference between the United States and Europe on healthcare is that a large percentage of the American population is used to getting state-of-the-art care and timely services with continuing advances. If socialized, Medicare takes that away (which it will do by taking away the profit motive) and the people who see the quality of their care slip will revolt. There are reasons people come from other countries to get healthcare services in the United States . . . such as not wanting to die while on a waiting list.

Comment by Joe of OH

Thanks for the articles that pointed out that all is not lost for the USA. Thomas Omestad's "Rumblings of Decline" and Fouad Ajami's "The Resilience of American Power" [November 3-10], both give hope to this citizen. From all the doom and gloom in the media today, one would think this country may be in a downward death spiral. Not so, according to these authors. The spirit of America is resilience. We may have our share of whiners, but the majority of Americans are tough souls who are willing to work to make the world a better place. It is good to hear that other people of Earth still appreciate Americans when we do our best to work together.

Bob Dimick, Brentwood, TN

How frequently many condemn our country for arrogance, etc., but how amazing it is that still people go to unbelievable lengths to come to our country. As [British] Prime Minister [Tony] Blair once said: (I paraphrase) Judge America by how many people want in, compared to how many want to leave. I commend Fouad Ajami, because he came here, for speaking out in favor of our country rather than constantly condemning it as do many.

Mr. Gail F. Stephenson via E-mail

Something the rest of the world should keep in mind: An axis-dominated planet was in large measure prevented only by the timely intervention of the "arsenal of Democracy," the United States of America.

Randall Keyser, Everett, WA

Mortimer B. Zuckerman's recent editorial regarding the housing crisis was focused and insightful ["Obama's Problem No. 1," November 17-24]. However, the statement that "mortgages are 'nonrecourse' " and buyers can just drop "the keys in the mailbox and walk away" is imprecise. Across the board, conventional residential mortgages are recourse debt, with the owner personally liable in the event of default even if there is no additional collateral. Commercial mortgages, and in particular the large loans, are mostly nonrecourse.

P.G. Waxman, Waxman Realty, Lakewood, NJ

Where is it written that a home's value must remain in excess of or equal to the principal of its mortgage?  Many commodities incur debt that exceeds their value, yet there is no raising of eyebrows regarding such debt on autos, or other items or services purchased on credit—items that are almost immediately worth less than the debt they incurred.  Forty years ago, when I purchased my first house, I heard that owning a home was a hedge against inflation, but not much was said then about the home's value in terms of appreciation as an investment. It seems that we have lost sight of a home's primary function, which is really as the place where we live. Keep it long enough, and its value will eventually exceed its debt, and meanwhile, you'll have a roof over your head. If compelling reasons to sell should arise and you must do so at a shortfall, then that's the time to negotiate with the lender.

Chuck Leigh, Truro, MA

I am thankful for all of those that came before us and laid the foundation for our great country and high quality of life. Certainly these are tough times, but our unparalleled history tells us that we will get through them and be even more prosperous in the future.

—Jason Palma of FL

After that grueling campaign, [Barack Obama] should have a vacation. Instead, he is focused on getting to work restoring the stability of this country. I don't want to be dazzled. I want hope and reassurance that we come out of this crisis intact and flourishing. 

—Z. Nixon of CA

Now you ask what role the media should play [Editor's Note: No Honeymoon for Obama," November 17-24]? Didn't anyone teach you the difference between news and opinion in journalism school? Never in my life have I witnessed such reckless abandonment of any semblance of newsroom objectivity during an election campaign. The media advocated relentlessly for their man. National Public Radio was fairly giddy on election night. Well, you elected him. Let's just hope you know what you were doing.

Susan Stephens via E-mail

Governor Palin has the same type of "star quality" that Obama has, and that has the libs worried. She definitely has an impressive record that she can be proud of and hasn't held back on revealing the person she is rather than allowing herself to be created in some party's image—as Obama has done.

—Ginger of IL

I am so not in favor of the bailout, either of Wall Street or the Big Three [automakers]. Let them tighten their own belts, just like the rest of Americans. The airline industry made it. They laid off workers, cut salaries, reduced traffic...and somehow they have made it through.

—B. Lucas Thrower of TN

While it would seem easier to impose ethanol mandates on every gas station in the nation so that producers can get their product out to drivers surreptitiously, this will ultimately prove to be problematic ["After Biofuels Boom, Ethanol Makers Want More," November 3-10]. Though ethanol can reduce our dependence on foreign oil, the idea of blending gasoline with 10 percent or 20 percent ethanol dilutes the potential supply for vehicles like mine that can run on E85. Those flex-fuel vehicles are everywhere, yet there are not enough stations selling E85. The closest station to my residence that sells E85 is a 60-mile drive away. If ethanol producers really want ethanol blends to catch on, they could just as easily make deals with major retailers who have added discount gas stations in front of their store (namely Wal-Mart through their affiliation with Murphy USA) to carry E85 at more of their outlets as they could convince various state legislatures to make everyone blend their fuels and dilute the supply.

Kyle Hill, Springdale, Ark.

I am a scientist who spent decades studying cancer and agree that we've made great strides in treatments [Editor's Note: "Winning the War on Cancer?" November 3-10]. However, unless we rein in the costs of the biologics developed to treat cancer, no one will benefit but the wealthy. The test for the BRACA gene mutation (which is responsible for 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers) costs up to $3,000 and is covered by insurance only if you show family history. This is a strange requirement given that more than half of these women with the mutation have no family history of breast cancer. A biologic used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer costs $40,000 a year. The costs are outrageous.

Jeff Kreisberg, Ph.D., Dallas