Don't stoke America'scold-war mentality

Regarding the Oct. 4 article, "Russia flexes new muscle in Europe": This article about Russia's "resurgence" is a lot of warmongering disinformation.

The mainstream American media are reviving cold-war belligerence against Russia, using an enhanced style of presentation similar to the Soviet media with their rants against the West and the United States.

Now things are the reverse from what they were. The US is bullying other countries; bombing Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and Iraq; supporting terrorists in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Chechnya; demonizing people or countries that disagree with it; and condemning as "belligerent" any country with different interests than those of the US.

It is good that Russia, freed from its Communist hypnosis, has the power to revive its economy and pursue its own independent politics, independent of President Bush's aspirations for global domination by the US.

Look what happened to the Soviet Union in 1991 – the same thing will happen to the US if it doesn't cut out the current politics of insanity.

Arthur Rambler

Hugo Chávez promotes democracy

In response to Carlos Sabino's Oct. 9 Opinion piece, "Latin America doesn't need another radical like Chávez": Mr. Sabino sets up the weakest of straw men by making a comparison between Paraguayan presidential candidate Fernándo Lugo and Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez and then demonizing the latter with a series of assertions that don't bear inspection.

For example, Sabino describes the Venezuelan leader as "antidemocratic" when Mr. Chávez was elected by a process far more transparent than our own here in the United States was.

In describing Chávez as a "dictatorial strongman," Sabino mischaracterizes the reforms now being implemented in Venezuela, which include constituting nationwide community councils tasked with assessing local needs and developing plans to meet them using federal funds.

There may be a case to make against Mr. Lugo. Sabino doesn't make one here.

Elizabeth Ferrari

Clinton leads in negative polls, too

Regarding the Oct. 4 article, "Clinton moves up in polls and money": The problem with many of the news stories asserting that Hillary Clinton is supposedly doing so well in the polls, is that they do not take into account her negative polling ratings.

Senator Clinton has very high negative ratings, much higher than any nominee, either Democrat or Republican, has.

Why this is, is open to speculation. She is perceived by many to be hard, cold, calculating, and power-hungry. And many remember the numerous brushes with the law that she and her husband have had over the years concerning personal, financial, and political matters.

Democrats would be wise to look at the whole picture when they consider poll results and when they consider which candidate really stands the best chance of winning the actual election, not just the nomination.

Marianne Yarvis

Serious about fiscal responsibility?

In response to the Oct. 2 article, "GOP looks to reclaim fiscal responsibility mantle": This article – on the heels of the unaccounted-for money for an unnecessary war – is a joke, isn't it? The mainstream media isn't going to insult our intelligence with such a patently silly concept, is it?

Al Nettles

Tom Hallquist

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