Letters

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TIME reported that the National Security Agency (NSA), with help from phone companies, has been tracking the calls of tens of millions of Americans—in secret, without a warrant and without Congress's approval [May 22]. President George W. Bush will never stop al-Qaeda by spying on innocent Americans. In addition to being a waste of resources, that expansion of government power invades our privacy and tramples our freedoms. It must be stopped. If our government continues to spy on ordinary citizens, then the terrorists will have succeeded in eroding our liberty.
Robert Boden II
Tecumseh, Michigan, U.S.

Thank you for your article on the government's data-mining program. Like most Americans, I understand that al-Qaeda is planning more attacks on U.S. soil. But I have noticed something equally troubling. Every time Bush defends an action for which he is criticized, he states it is necessary for national security. Over time it seems more and more power is being amassed by the Administration at the expense of Congress and the courts. That is tinkering with the U.S. Constitution, and that concerns me just as much as any threat of terrorism.
Marcia Morocco
Thousand Oaks, California, U.S.

President Franklin Roosevelt said it well: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." TIME's reporting on the NSA seems aimed at making the American people paranoid. Let the civil libertarians be anxious. If monitoring our phones keeps just one American from being harmed, the government can listen to my calls anytime it wants.
Norm Rossell
Fallbrook, California, U.S.

Ben Franklin is thought to have written, "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." I am not willing to give up the constitutional freedoms that Americans have died to protect just because I have nothing to hide.
Jeff Morris
Saugerties, New York, U.S.

Even if the NSA and the president never abuse the power to invade the privacy of Americans, who can say that a future Administration will not abuse the power obtained through the precedent? History teaches that the dearly bought rights of individuals may be more easily lost than regained. Let us guard against future abuse by demanding respect for our privacy now.
Robert E. Mann
Chandler, Arizona, U.S.

Send Missives, Not Missiles
"Why not Talk?" [May 22] described the reasons President Bush will not respond to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's rambling 18-page letter. Although Ahmadinejad's missive wanders, covering a multitude of issues, the central message is that Bush does not live up to Christian teachings. The letter repeatedly refers to Jesus Christ and Moses, followed by the acronym for "peace be upon him." Indeed, Ahmadinejad cites Jesus but never mentions the Prophet Muhammad. Bush should reply in kind by citing Koranic passages to point out how Ahmadinejad does not live up to Islamic principles. Who knows? A continuing correspondence might reveal some common ground between two religious heads of state.
Charles Moskos
Santa Monica, California, U.S.

At a white house luncheon in 1954, Winston Churchill said, "To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war." Besides, failing to respond to one's mail is not polite. Before we choose war and death, perhaps we should try diplomacy.
Joe E. Dunlap
Clearwater, Florida, U.S.

In Defense of the Dems
In Joe Klein's "Easy Targets for Karl Rove" [May 22], the description of Congressmen John Conyers and Charles Rangel as "embarrassments" was excessive and uncalled for. Conyers and Rangel express a clear-eyed African-American perspective gained from hard experience. Klein may not share their politics, but he still owes them respect.
Adele Batchelder
Rocky Hill, New Jersey, U.S.

Klein noted that Conyers could become chairman of the Judiciary Committee and that he has threatened impeachment hearings against President Bush. Klein said that would be a case of Democrats "emphasizing witch hunts instead of substantive policies." Impeachment might be incendiary, but it is important and necessary to discuss and explore. Impartial and thorough Senate and House investigations need to be conducted to bring to light the massive corruption of Bush and his Administration.
William Warner
Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Catalan Pride on the Pitch
I was disappointed by Franklin Foer's essay about European football, "Homage to Catalonia" [May 22]. Foer said that over the years, his view of the Barcelona club "has grown ever more romantic," owing to its anti-Franco traditions. If he was willing to link football with politics and religion, he should have written at least a couple of lines about Athletic Club de Bilbao, the last romantic soccer team worldwide. It's not that I don't like Foer's favorites, Arsenal and Barcelona, but he should have mentioned that Athletic Club de Bilbao is one of the oldest teams in Spain and has always played with only Basque players. So if somebody wants to be romantic about the game, he should be an Athletic Club de Bilbao fan. It's not an issue of cups and success. It's a matter of pride and principles.
Mikel Lazaro
Bilbao, Spain

I am very glad some people abroad are able to fully understand the Catalan spirit. I have to say, your article was very close to the thoughts and feelings of many Catalans. May one day freedom reach us as well. As a matter of fact, we in the south of Europe are a key component in preventing fanaticism around the world. The day the geographically big nations listen to the small ones, things will be better for all.
Roger Bofill
Vic, Spain

I'm a Catalan living in London and, of course, a great Barcelona club supporter. Usually Catalans are portrayed as selfish people focused upon their narrow-minded identity, but your article offers an evenhanded take on what my nation is—a small but vibrant, civic and open community.
Ivan Serrano-Balaguer
London

The TIME 100
Your selection of the world's most influential people was heartwarming [May 8]. Those individuals, especially the King of Bhutan, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, portend a bright future for mankind. There will surely come a time when despots, dictators and Presidents-for-life will be a minority among world leaders. Those like the King will no longer be described as surprising. Able and people-oriented leadership will have become the norm and will no longer be an aberration.
Gabriel A. Amadi
Aba, Nigeria

The world's most influential people are always behind the scenes. The "Artists & Entertainers" selected for the TIME 100 are undoubtedly the world's best known but not the most influential. Real influence has the same nature as real political power: it is under the surface and very rarely—or in some cases, never—seen by the public. An entertainer, however famous and accepted, can't affect the world so much as, for example, the companies whose financing is the most important factor in producing a film or an album. To me, that's real influence.
Mate Endredi
Budapest

The Secret History
A.M. Rosenthal, the irascible top editor of the New York Times for 17 years, died last month at age 84. TIME's June 28, 1971, cover story related the events leading to the publication of the classified Pentagon papers:

"Neither [reporter Neil] Sheehan nor the Times is talking about the source of the material. But the evidence is that Daniel Ellsberg, a former Defense Department analyst, is the man who volunteered the files to Sheehan. The reporter wrote a long, controversial book-review essay in March, weighing the question of whether U.S. officials had been guilty of war crimes. Ellsberg told friends that he admired Sheehan's analysis. A short time after the essay appeared, Sheehan ... was in New York City carrying a sample of the 47-volume report. He spread the papers on the desk of Times Managing Editor A.M. Rosenthal, whose eyes widened. 'The decision to publish,' said Rosenthal, 'was made almost the moment it came into our hands.' Rosenthal dispatched Assistant Foreign Editor Gerald Gold to Washington, where he set up headquarters with Sheehan ... They were joined by a team of eight or nine Times men and women selected not only for their knowledge of Viet Nam but also their ability to keep a secret." Read more at timearchive.com.