Letters

(3 of 3)
D

emocrat Lyndon B. Johnson led the U.S. deeper into the Vietnam War. After years of American entanglement, the U.S. was finally extricated by Richard Nixon. The blunders of the Bush Administration are manifold and global, so artful comparisons like Krauthammer's are at least partly inaccurate and tend to blur the political picture. A truthful evaluation of what Bush has done is all the more important, as any additional unilateralism will further erode the U.S.'s standing and harm its allies.
EDGAR P. HAPPAP
Fianarantsoa, Madagascar

Krauthammer argued against the apparent Democratic logic that a decorated military man is capable of wise leadership as President. The biggest mistake made in Vietnam was to continue the war, as President Johnson did. And Kerry's calling Vietnam "Nixon's war" can be justified. Nixon was a cold warrior. He didn't want to lose in Vietnam, and he ordered the secret bombings of Laos and Cambodia.
WONG CHUN HAN
Singapore

Medals, schmedals! Forget all the hullabaloo about Bush's Guard service and Kerry's war decorations. The real question is, Who is honest? We know who is not! And that's pretty fundamental to November's presidential election.
IAN FRANK
Geneva

It is valid to note that having war medals is no guarantee of achieving a successful presidency, but Krauthammer missed one relevant point: the use and misuse of power and privilege to extract special treatment. This is how Bush managed to escape having to serve in Vietnam. The debate is not about the relevance of war experience or military medals; it is about character and moral values. Krauthammer did a good job of defending Bush's background, but it was not good enough. That Bush is flawed as a human being is clear from his use of his father's position to get special treatment.
MAN MOHAN KAPUR
Gurgaon, India

Kerry fought in Vietnam in the 1960s. That was a valuable experience because it gave him an understanding of the suffering, pain, brutality and injustice of war. And now Kerry may be more careful and reluctant to declare war on countries that don't fit into the U.S.'s view of the world.
KIM SAE-YUNG
Seoul

Krauthammer missed the point. It is whether Bush, because of his privileged background, was given a soft posting while others were sent to Vietnam and whether he failed to serve his country fully. It is fine for a President to talk about patriotism and land on aircraft-carrier decks, but it is not so good for that same President to appear to have had a different standard when it was his turn to serve his country.
MAHOMED LADHA
London

Stretching Credulity
In "When Credibility Becomes An Issue" [Feb. 16], you noted that President Bush must face questions about his trustworthiness in defending the intelligence about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) that he relied on and that led to war. It is shameful to realize only after hundreds of people have been killed that we were duped about WMD. The President owes us the truth about the reasons for starting an unacceptable war.
ANUAR ASFANDI JAMALUDIN
Kedah, Malaysia

Your report on Bush's credibility problems convinced me that Americans don't trust their President anymore. They desperately want a leader who can protect them. So long as al-Qaeda isn't destroyed and Osama bin Laden isn't dead, the U.S. and the international community won't feel safe. If bin Laden is captured or killed and al-Qaeda is vanquished, the world will be much safer for all of us. If Bush can accomplish those things, Americans may forgive him and let him stay in the White House for another four years. If not, a Democrat may defeat Bush. Americans must be careful about how they cast their ballots.
EZRA A. ADAM JR.
Addis Ababa

Penalty on the Play
The exposure of Janet Jackson's breast during the Super Bowl halftime musical show [Feb. 16] just proved that she is a good sister and loves her brother very much. She has succeeded in taking the entertainment headlines from Michael, giving him a break.
THERESA UBALDE
Las Pinas, the Philippines