Letters

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Will Macau Become Asia's Las Vegas? Your report on the fast growth of Macau called it possibly Asia's most popular playground destination [Feb. 7]. You noted the "hottest part of the economy is property" and that the island resembles a "city-size construction site." That is an apt description. But if there's something to be learned from the correlation between developed economies and depressed people, it is that we shouldn't go bananas about development and make life hard for the majority of people. With Macau's residential-property prices soaring, we may soon be toiling most of our lives just to afford a few square feet of living space. And then there's air pollution. It won't be long before we will be living like our Hong Kong brethren. It is something to ponder before we decide to sell our residences and then find ourselves homeless.
Martin Chung Chi-kei
Macau

Reality in Iraq
Columnist Joe Klein's "The End of Rose-Petal Fantasies" suggested that hawkish neoconservatives may be losing their influence on the Bush Administration's policies in Iraq and elsewhere [Feb. 7]. Klein says Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who were "complicit in rose-petal scenarios" for Iraq, may now be less susceptible to fantasies. The only fantasy I can see is Klein's in thinking that what has happened in Iraq has been a failure. Iraq is far from a lost cause, as was proved when Iraqis in all walks of life braved the threats of insurgents and headed to the polls to take part in their first real free election.
Owen T. Mathews
Suffield, Connecticut, U.S.

Labeling the Insurgency
In "Hunt For the Bomb Factories," about the massive weapons depots around Baghdad [Feb. 7], TIME referred to "nationalist fighters" who use the arms for their deadly operations. You should reserve the term nationalist for the millions of brave and determined Iraqis who risked their lives to demonstrate their commitment to a new, democratic Iraq by voting in the election. The choice of bullets over ballots is being made not by nationalists but by foreign and homegrown jihadists, Baathists and insurgent Sunnis with a vested interest in holding on to a disproportionate share of the power and resources of the nation they once tyrannized. They are terrorizing the population they falsely claim to represent. The true Iraqi nationalists are those who seek, peacefully and constructively, to build their new nation.
Jeff Farkas
Munich

So Long, Johnny
The passing of late-night television entertainer Johnny Carson [Feb. 7] brought back memories of a simpler, more comforting time. During his nearly 30-year tenure on the Tonight Show, Carson delivered a special brand of wit and class, particularly during his sharp opening monologues. He interacted with a fascinating array of guests, accentuating his intriguing and often hilarious interviews with his deadpan expression. Heeere's to a legendary master of late-night talk TV who had an unforgettable impact on people's lives.
David Kaliner
Las Vegas