Letters to the Editor, cont’d, June 9

It's Time for America To Quit Making Cars
Editor, Times-Dispatch: Maybe it is time for the U.S. to get out of the auto manufacturing business. We don't seem to be particularly good at it, and we can't seem to do it profitably. Blame it on the unions, the greedy executives, dunder-headed bureaucratic over-regulation, or whatever you want. They are all part of the problem, and will never change. The result is still the same. For the money, Asian car companies have us beat, hands-down. When China figures out how to get into the market, we will be completely left in the dust.

At one time our cars and their manufacturers were the envy of the world. Now they are becoming an embarrassment. Why should we wait for the federal government's involvement to prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt? Why not cut our losses and allocate our human and financial resources to areas where we excel -- like technology, medicine, and education?

Let's focus on what we do well, and let other countries do likewise.

Rick Vogt.
Richmond.

Orin Deforrest, a CIA agent, used this approach in Vietnam, setting up the best intel group of that war. Col. Stu Herrington used "rapport-building" in Panama that caused Manuel Noriega's henchmen to spill key secrets. Ali Soufan, an FBI agent who interrogated hundreds of al-Qaida suspects, got Abu Zubaydah blabbing within the first hour, before CIA "contractors" clammed him up with waterboarding.

Bob Baer, with more than 20 years with the CIA in the Mideast (Iraq); Eric Maddox, who got info to find Saddam Hussein; Matthew Alexander, who got intel that led to the killing of al-Qaida leader al-Zarqawi; and former chief of CIA European ops Tyler Drumheller all have stated that torture is slow, not reliable, and strengthens our enemies.

No experienced CIA nor FBI field interrogator has testified that waterboarding and other forms of torture work better than manipulative verbal skills. For the "ticking time bomb" scenario, torture is not the choice by CIA nor FBI experts. Too slow. Not reliable.

It appears when waterboarding was tried, it was done by CIA contractors, not by CIA personnel. Why would Dick Cheney, who knows CIA techniques work faster and are more reliable, push CIA to use contractors to gain false statements?

Tom Little.
Glen Allen.

What is missing in the telling of the miracle that allowed his father to walk again is the part played by the backbone of our health system: Medicare for seniors. When Medicare began, no one could have prophesied that today, millions of our elderly would have hip and knee replacements, extensive heart operations, free motor scooters, and expensive diabetes care at little cost to them; and it is the payment for these life-extending practices that has swallowed up the revenue from taxes on the jobs of our younger generation. The outgo far exceeds the income -- and is why Medicare will eventually become bankrupt.

So, the future is no longer rosy for seniors, and is murky for baby boomers and anyone younger. Changes must come about, and even I, as a senior, can see that we will not fare as well if all are provided for. It will take much deliberation to come up with a good plan. My hope is that some consideration will be made for those who watch their weight, practice good nutrition, exercise, take vitamins, and who make every effort to see that their bodies do not break down before the twilight of their years.

Mildred H. Allen.
Chesterfield.

I seem to recall statements referring to these hard times and that we all must sacrifice to make it better in the end. The president needs to practice what he preaches. If the citizens and companies of this country are to work together and sacrifice where they can, then he must not continue to flaunt his power at our expense. It is not acceptable in these times.

People come to this country to the American dream of making it big. This country is founded on small businesses. We can't continue to pour millions and billions into franchises that may or may not make it -- and forget the small businesses that have helped form this country as well. We must work to help all, not just the chosen.

Jane B. Fain.
Richmond.

His letter, from beginning to end, is full of falsehoods he would like us to accept as facts. Does he really believe termites produce more CO2 than humans? Does he really believe global temperatures have gone down in the past decade? A 15-minute search on the Internet shows the falsity of these "factual" claims as well as the sources of his erroneous claims.

If I wrote a letter claiming research shows the average IQ of a Democrat is 10 points lower than that of a Republican, would the editors print it? Obviously the editors use intellectual criteria and judgment in choosing which letters to print; shouldn't they use some of that same intellectual power to at least perform a cursory verification of the "facts" claimed in those letters?

Rod Elser.
Powhatan.