TIME: Letters

	LETTERS	JUNE 22, 1998 VOL. 151 NO. 25
Letters NUKES...THEY'RE BACK "What nonsense! The Chinese and French have had nuclear tests, and it was no big deal. India nukes, and suddenly the world is unsafe?" DEVIKA VERMA New Delhi India, the world's largest, thriving, secular democracy, has done nothing illegal in firing off five nuclear explosions [May 25]. It has only taken a small, first step in pursuing its national security. The concept of taking action should be understood by the West. I hope future governments of India will be even bolder and take more definitive steps to safeguard the country's security. SUNIL KARNIK Dayton, N.J. India's nuclear tests are nothing more than a thumbing of the nose at the rest of the world, and have little military or scientific significance. The real "bomb" India has in the offing is its human time bomb, which will "explode" sometime in the next century when India's population exceeds that of China. With India's byzantine social structure, incendiary racial mix and intense religious rivalry, the fallout from the population explosion will be far harder to contain than the fallout from the nukes. CHIMAN YEUNG Toronto A an Indian I have never before felt so proud. The Big Five nuclear countries thought they alone had the right to maintain stocks of nuclear weapons, while others could only shiver in fear. Not so. DHRUBA GHOSH Calcutta Indians can and do hold responsible positions in medicine, computer software development, research, space exploration, finance, manufacturing and the media. Why is it assumed they will not handle their nuclear program as responsibly as the Big Five nuclear countries? Why all the hue and cry over the tests, when the loudest protesters have themselves reserved the right to testing and have done so umpteen times? DAN JOG, editor Khaleej Times Doha, Qatar India not only has detonated its nuclear devices but also has blown up global efforts toward nonproliferation. All the peace-loving countries, except Pakistan, are in a state of shock. The West will never be able to understand the double standards of India. KAMRAN HAFEEZ ALAVI Lahore, Pakistan In an age of tension in the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Northern Ireland, we should not be shocked that India chose to flex its nuclear muscles. Nor should we be shocked when a test happens in, say, Iraq or Libya. Getting the upper hand is the name of the game. Unfortunately, it is human nature for mankind to take the lead in destroying itself. Marco S. Babic Frankfurt, Germany The world was never safe. With developed countries having nukes on the order of multiples of thousands on their shelf, they have no moral right to ask any other country not to go nuclear. It is high time they realize they can't force any nation to sign anything at gunpoint. The world will be a better place only if nuclear arsenals are totally eliminated, without bias. S. MURTHY PRAKASH Mysore, India TREMORS FROM INDIA What, exactly, is Charles Krauthammer trying to say in his commentary on India's nuclear tests [May 25]? That a threat against a country, perceived or real, gives it the right to nuclear armament? Or that any nation aspiring to "great-power status" can get there only through nuclear weapons? What, exactly, does he suggest in place of treaties? Krauthammer's statement, "Sure, [India] will be penalized in the short term. But inevitably the world will have to reckon with it," is not only the epitome of cynicism; it also signals to every two-bit nation that the only way to be taken seriously in the modern world is to become a nuclear power. Come on, Charles! MANIE MULDER Pretoria, South Africa Krauthammer distorted the perspective by narrowly focusing on India's size to show its quest for world-power status in a sympathetic light. But India is in no way comparable to the Big Five nuclear powers. Thirty percent of India's population (300 million) lives below the poverty line; since independence, the country has intimidated or attacked five of its neighbors, and its human-rights record has been strongly condemned. There is a mismatch between the power and dignity that India seeks through its nuclear weapons and the indignity of its starved and impoverished millions. FARHANA KHAN Islamabad, Pakistan PUT YOUR DREAMS AWAY Your in-depth article was perhaps the most descriptive and interesting piece I have ever read about Frank Sinatra [May 25]. His contribution to the world of entertainment was so great because he gave his singing his "all." And for that reason, his faults, whatever they may have been in the minds of his listeners, were "nothing at all." JOE KAZANCHY Deal, N.J. With his voice sinatra moved people around the globe. He was able to cut across all national boundaries and color, caste and creed. We should not be ashamed to weep for the man whose music united us in joy. RAJENDRA K. ANEJA Sao Paulo Even though I am only 16, I am a gigantic Sinatra fan. Some people find it hard to believe that a high school student would listen to someone as "dull and old" as he. That was exactly how I felt until about a year ago, when I discovered the hip coolness that Frank and his Rat Pack buddies displayed in their heyday. When I broke up with my girlfriend a few weeks ago, I went into my room and listened to In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning...for an entire night. Even with the variety of music around these days, I cannot find any other singer or group that gets to me the way Frank can. JASON TSAI Topeka, Kans. I will remember Sinatra as an arrogant, offensive bully. He treated the fans who made him with contempt, refusing even to acknowledge them. As the singer and his burly entourage walked through a Honolulu hotel lobby, I saw Sinatra's bodyguards shove fans aside when they approached. Sinatra's voice was made of gold. The man behind it was a monster. ALAN L. LIGHT Iowa City, Iowa With "the voice," Sinatra was able to convey the one emotion that singers of my generation, and even my parents' baby-boomer generation, were never able to achieve; the pathos, bittersweet joy, hurt and exhilaration of love. ROBBY BUEGLER Sacramento, Calif. Through his songs, Sinatra was my first, and best, English teacher. ROMAN CAMPS Barcelona, Spain INDONESIA IN CRISIS The crisis in Asia is the result of the arrogance of the region's leaders [May 25]. People here used to say we can achieve anything because we are smart and work hard. Now, even as Asia faces severe problems, the rulers are behaving just as before. Outrageous expenses still exist, corrupt officials stay in power, and special deals to the leaders' cronies continue. I believe what Asia needs to end its crisis is not just economic reform but also for the people in charge to admit to the mistakes they have made and to concede that they are not invincible. FAIZ HANIF Karachi, Pakistan History is repeating itself in Jakarta. Leaders come and go; some last a few years, others several decades. There are several creative ways of "overstaying" in power; one just has to review the recent historical events of many countries to appreciate this. There is one thing, however, that is very consistent: absolute, excessive and prolonged power can and will corrupt. Power blinds the correct perception of human dignity, justice and honor. Whether it is dollar, rupiah, yen, peso or ringgit, the results are always the same: corruption, nepotism, guns and gold for the ones in power. But do we ever learn? PERCIVAL PUNZAL Quezon City, the Philippines Regarding the Indonesian crisis, the director of the International Monetary Fund said, "Don't blame the doctor for the illness." I agree fully with his statement. But I wish to add that the doctor sent by the IMF to Indonesia was a witch doctor who gave wrong prescriptions, causing more pain to the people instead of curing economic illness. ZAKARIA ABDUL WAHAB Kuala Lumpur THE DEPTH OF CARTER There are two things that Lance Morrow failed to mention in his review "The Lives of the Saint," concerning President Jimmy Carter [May 25]. In spite of the mistakes made during the 1979-81 Iranian hostage crisis, Carter brought 53 Americans home safe and sound, including my husband Bruce, then charge d'affaires in Teheran. Those of us who went through that ordeal with Carter were grateful he was President at the time, because he and Rosalyn Carter showed the hostages and their families enormous compassion. They sincerely felt our pain. Your review also should have mentioned that in the week prior to the dedication of the multimillion-dollar Reagan Building and the renaming of Washington National Airport, it was barely noted in the press that Secretary of the Navy John Dalton held a ceremony at the Pentagon naming the latest nuclear submarine the U.S.S. Jimmy Carter. As Dalton so aptly put it, Carter is very much like a submarine in that he runs "silent but deep." It's a pity that many of our leaders and politicians these days are just the opposite--loud and shallow. PENELOPE B. LAINGEN Bethesda, Md. THE BERLIN AIRLIFT Your story "doing well by doing Good"[May 25] contains two major inaccuracies. The Berlin airlift was conceived and driven forward by a Royal Air Force wing commander against initial opposition. You also failed to mention the facts that over one third of all flights were made by R.A.F. or British civilian pilots, and over one third of the casualties were British. ALFRED EVANS ex-R.A.F. (1941-46) Twickenham, England MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS Several readers wrote about their admiration for Frank Sinatra [May 25]. Dick Kettenbrink of Jefferson City, Mo., says he "probably heard Sinatra in the womb. My first nonclassical album was A Swingin' Affair, which I got 40 years ago as a 13th-birthday present." He still clearly remembers Sinatra's I've Got the World on a String blaring out of the radio. "I went from being a discriminating music lover to a rabid fan." Another was Richard Wight of Cliffdell, Wash. But he counted himself only a casual admirer until 1962, when he lived in the village of Estartit, Spain. "A small back-street bar had a great collection of Sinatra records," reminisced Wight. "The owner cared for them and played them nightly for his patrons. I have been a Sinatra fan of the first order ever since."
time-webmaster@pathfinder.com

LETTERS

JUNE 22, 1998 VOL. 151 NO. 25

Letters

NUKES...THEY'RE BACK

"What nonsense! The Chinese and French have had nuclear tests, and it was no big deal. India nukes, and suddenly the world is unsafe?"
DEVIKA VERMA
New Delhi

India, the world's largest, thriving, secular democracy, has done nothing illegal in firing off five nuclear explosions [May 25]. It has only taken a small, first step in pursuing its national security. The concept of taking action should be understood by the West. I hope future governments of India will be even bolder and take more definitive steps to safeguard the country's security.
SUNIL KARNIK
Dayton, N.J.

India's nuclear tests are nothing more than a thumbing of the nose at the rest of the world, and have little military or scientific significance. The real "bomb" India has in the offing is its human time bomb, which will "explode" sometime in the next century when India's population exceeds that of China. With India's byzantine social structure, incendiary racial mix and intense religious rivalry, the fallout from the population explosion will be far harder to contain than the fallout from the nukes.
CHIMAN YEUNG
Toronto

A an Indian I have never before felt so proud. The Big Five nuclear countries thought they alone had the right to maintain stocks of nuclear weapons, while others could only shiver in fear. Not so.
DHRUBA GHOSH
Calcutta

Indians can and do hold responsible positions in medicine, computer software development, research, space exploration, finance, manufacturing and the media. Why is it assumed they will not handle their nuclear program as responsibly as the Big Five nuclear countries? Why all the hue and cry over the tests, when the loudest protesters have themselves reserved the right to testing and have done so umpteen times?
DAN JOG, editor
Khaleej Times
Doha, Qatar

India not only has detonated its nuclear devices but also has blown up global efforts toward nonproliferation. All the peace-loving countries, except Pakistan, are in a state of shock. The West will never be able to understand the double standards of India.
KAMRAN HAFEEZ ALAVI
Lahore, Pakistan

In an age of tension in the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Northern Ireland, we should not be shocked that India chose to flex its nuclear muscles. Nor should we be shocked when a test happens in, say, Iraq or Libya. Getting the upper hand is the name of the game. Unfortunately, it is human nature for mankind to take the lead in destroying itself.
Marco S. Babic
Frankfurt, Germany

The world was never safe. With developed countries having nukes on the order of multiples of thousands on their shelf, they have no moral right to ask any other country not to go nuclear. It is high time they realize they can't force any nation to sign anything at gunpoint. The world will be a better place only if nuclear arsenals are totally eliminated, without bias.
S. MURTHY PRAKASH
Mysore, India

TREMORS FROM INDIA

What, exactly, is Charles Krauthammer trying to say in his commentary on India's nuclear tests [May 25]? That a threat against a country, perceived or real, gives it the right to nuclear armament? Or that any nation aspiring to "great-power status" can get there only through nuclear weapons? What, exactly, does he suggest in place of treaties? Krauthammer's statement, "Sure, [India] will be penalized in the short term. But inevitably the world will have to reckon with it," is not only the epitome of cynicism; it also signals to every two-bit nation that the only way to be taken seriously in the modern world is to become a nuclear power. Come on, Charles!
MANIE MULDER
Pretoria, South Africa

Krauthammer distorted the perspective by narrowly focusing on India's size to show its quest for world-power status in a sympathetic light. But India is in no way comparable to the Big Five nuclear powers. Thirty percent of India's population (300 million) lives below the poverty line; since independence, the country has intimidated or attacked five of its neighbors, and its human-rights record has been strongly condemned. There is a mismatch between the power and dignity that India seeks through its nuclear weapons and the indignity of its starved and impoverished millions.
FARHANA KHAN
Islamabad, Pakistan

PUT YOUR DREAMS AWAY

Your in-depth article was perhaps the most descriptive and interesting piece I have ever read about Frank Sinatra [May 25]. His contribution to the world of entertainment was so great because he gave his singing his "all." And for that reason, his faults, whatever they may have been in the minds of his listeners, were "nothing at all."
JOE KAZANCHY
Deal, N.J.

With his voice sinatra moved people around the globe. He was able to cut across all national boundaries and color, caste and creed. We should not be ashamed to weep for the man whose music united us in joy.
RAJENDRA K. ANEJA
Sao Paulo

Even though I am only 16, I am a gigantic Sinatra fan. Some people find it hard to believe that a high school student would listen to someone as "dull and old" as he. That was exactly how I felt until about a year ago, when I discovered the hip coolness that Frank and his Rat Pack buddies displayed in their heyday. When I broke up with my girlfriend a few weeks ago, I went into my room and listened to In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning...for an entire night. Even with the variety of music around these days, I cannot find any other singer or group that gets to me the way Frank can.
JASON TSAI
Topeka, Kans.

I will remember Sinatra as an arrogant, offensive bully. He treated the fans who made him with contempt, refusing even to acknowledge them. As the singer and his burly entourage walked through a Honolulu hotel lobby, I saw Sinatra's bodyguards shove fans aside when they approached. Sinatra's voice was made of gold. The man behind it was a monster.
ALAN L. LIGHT
Iowa City, Iowa

With "the voice," Sinatra was able to convey the one emotion that singers of my generation, and even my parents' baby-boomer generation, were never able to achieve; the pathos, bittersweet joy, hurt and exhilaration of love.
ROBBY BUEGLER
Sacramento, Calif.

Through his songs, Sinatra was my first, and best, English teacher.
ROMAN CAMPS
Barcelona, Spain

INDONESIA IN CRISIS

The crisis in Asia is the result of the arrogance of the region's leaders [May 25]. People here used to say we can achieve anything because we are smart and work hard. Now, even as Asia faces severe problems, the rulers are behaving just as before. Outrageous expenses still exist, corrupt officials stay in power, and special deals to the leaders' cronies continue. I believe what Asia needs to end its crisis is not just economic reform but also for the people in charge to admit to the mistakes they have made and to concede that they are not invincible.
FAIZ HANIF
Karachi, Pakistan

History is repeating itself in Jakarta. Leaders come and go; some last a few years, others several decades. There are several creative ways of "overstaying" in power; one just has to review the recent historical events of many countries to appreciate this. There is one thing, however, that is very consistent: absolute, excessive and prolonged power can and will corrupt. Power blinds the correct perception of human dignity, justice and honor. Whether it is dollar, rupiah, yen, peso or ringgit, the results are always the same: corruption, nepotism, guns and gold for the ones in power. But do we ever learn?
PERCIVAL PUNZAL
Quezon City, the Philippines

Regarding the Indonesian crisis, the director of the International Monetary Fund said, "Don't blame the doctor for the illness." I agree fully with his statement. But I wish to add that the doctor sent by the IMF to Indonesia was a witch doctor who gave wrong prescriptions, causing more pain to the people instead of curing economic illness.
ZAKARIA ABDUL WAHAB
Kuala Lumpur

THE DEPTH OF CARTER

There are two things that Lance Morrow failed to mention in his review "The Lives of the Saint," concerning President Jimmy Carter [May 25]. In spite of the mistakes made during the 1979-81 Iranian hostage crisis, Carter brought 53 Americans home safe and sound, including my husband Bruce, then charge d'affaires in Teheran. Those of us who went through that ordeal with Carter were grateful he was President at the time, because he and Rosalyn Carter showed the hostages and their families enormous compassion. They sincerely felt our pain. Your review also should have mentioned that in the week prior to the dedication of the multimillion-dollar Reagan Building and the renaming of Washington National Airport, it was barely noted in the press that Secretary of the Navy John Dalton held a ceremony at the Pentagon naming the latest nuclear submarine the U.S.S. Jimmy Carter. As Dalton so aptly put it, Carter is very much like a submarine in that he runs "silent but deep." It's a pity that many of our leaders and politicians these days are just the opposite--loud and shallow.
PENELOPE B. LAINGEN
Bethesda, Md.

THE BERLIN AIRLIFT

Your story "doing well by doing Good"[May 25] contains two major inaccuracies. The Berlin airlift was conceived and driven forward by a Royal Air Force wing commander against initial opposition. You also failed to mention the facts that over one third of all flights were made by R.A.F. or British civilian pilots, and over one third of the casualties were British.
ALFRED EVANS
ex-R.A.F. (1941-46)
Twickenham, England

MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS

Several readers wrote about their admiration for Frank Sinatra [May 25]. Dick Kettenbrink of Jefferson City, Mo., says he "probably heard Sinatra in the womb. My first nonclassical album was A Swingin' Affair, which I got 40 years ago as a 13th-birthday present." He still clearly remembers Sinatra's I've Got the World on a String blaring out of the radio. "I went from being a discriminating music lover to a rabid fan." Another was Richard Wight of Cliffdell, Wash. But he counted himself only a casual admirer until 1962, when he lived in the village of Estartit, Spain. "A small back-street bar had a great collection of Sinatra records," reminisced Wight. "The owner cared for them and played them nightly for his patrons. I have been a Sinatra fan of the first order ever since."

time-webmaster@pathfinder.com