Your Opinions
BENAZIR BHUTTO
U.S. foreign policy is partly to blame
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto has provoked a variety of reactions among our candidates for the presidency and, according to a Dec. 28 Journal Sentinel headline, “throws U.S. aims into disarray.”
The blood of Bhutto is on the hands of us Americans. She was encouraged by our government to return to the volatile atmosphere of Pakistan. The purpose, of course, was to serve the foreign policies of President Bush and his administration. Cloaking American imperialist aims with abstractions such as democracy and human rights, we intend to impose on the world governments that serve our interests and supposedly protect us from harm by foreigners.
Do our leaders not remember what our meddling did in Iran and the consequences so evident today? Iraq is another living example of U.S. foreign policy blunders. Word from the State Department is that there are now plans to support a new puppet in Pakistan to oppose Pervez Musharraf – more meddling. Musharraf apparently lost his usefulness to us. A recent Pew survey revealed that only 15% of Pakistanis have a favorable view of America.
Lastly, on democracy. Democracy requires not elections but an educated, engaged populace.
Albert Liebman
Fox Point
MIDWEST AIRLINES
Mediocrity coming in for a landing
As a regular business traveler who flies both Midwest and Northwest from Milwaukee, I say the U.S. Department of Justice should not approve the sale of Midwest Air Group to TPG Capital/ Northwest.
It is obvious to anyone what eventually will happen here: TPG will sell out to Northwest Airlines once things settle down and the Northwest bankruptcy is just a faded memory. Northwest then will slowly phase out Midwest, and Milwaukee will be left with Northwest’s legendary mediocre service. Even the Journal Sentinel has reported that Milwaukee is Northwest’s most profitable city outside its three hub cities. The Editorial Board “hopes” Northwest will clean up its act (“The Northwest factor,” Dec. 26). I have been waiting for 25 years for Northwest to clean up its act. That is simply not going to happen.
The only people who would benefit from this deal are members of the Midwest management team; they will get to keep their jobs awhile longer. Yes, Milwaukee will keep its hometown airline a little while, but not in the long run.
If the Department of Justice is doing its job, it will block the sale of Midwest to TPG/Northwest.
Steve Johannes
Hartland
Study airline history
The Dec. 26 editorial concerning the buyout of Midwest Airlines stated that it is not clear that a Northwest-Midwest combination would restrain competition at Mitchell International Airport.
I suggest that the Editorial Board and the Department of Justice go back and examine what happened to competition and air fares at the Twin Cities airport at the time Northwest bought Republic Airlines.
Tom O’Meara
Milwaukee
SMOKING BAN
Don’t tell others how they should live
I urge Milwaukee County politicians to reconsider enacting the smoking ban at the Milwaukee County Courthouse and Mitchell International Airport. I simply cannot understand the necessity of eliminating the smoking areas as they are remote and enclosed. I also resent attempts to tell me how to live, what I can’t do on my work breaks and during pre-flight hours.
The County Board, the Transportation Committee, County Executive Scott Walker and a few self-righteous, powerfully connected, vocal people have assumed the responsibility of making sure that we all live clean lives. It seems they cannot bear to see people enjoy a cigarette, even if we are not bothering anyone else. Most people didn’t even know the smoking rooms existed and did not complain.
It’s time politicians learned to listen to constituents and not other politicians. What happened to democracy and to majority rule? How about conducting a survey?
The anti-smoking zealots out there just can’t be happy until everyone in the county conforms to their idea of perfection. Why are they allowed to tell me what to do at work? No handful of people should have that much power. Now I know what the third-class passengers on the Titanic must have felt like trying to get a lifeboat – plenty of room but no room for me.
Eva Gengler
Greenfield
TAXES
People must decide what’s important
Cutting taxes is not possible without cutting services. Wisconsin newspapers should conduct a survey, asking as many readers as possible what they are willing to do without from their state government – just be sure to emphasize what people are going to do without after these services are cut!
For example, libraries all over the state are hurting badly for funding. Their collections are becoming dated and worn out. Of course, most people don’t really care much about reading anymore because they get so much of their information from electronic media. Our political system is based less on rationally reading about candidates than watching them “perform” on television!
Do we really need the almost useless “stuff” we keep buying and then eventually drop off at landfills? Or do we really need better schools, better-stocked libraries, healthier environments, etc.?
Why is it that countries like Ireland, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland have a better standard of living than we do? Their tax burden is noticeably greater than ours.
Richard E. Schallert
Winneconne
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