Rising Son
“Immigrant Son” shows the good side of America as a country of hope for the downtrodden of the earth [Feb. 18]. But Marco Rubio’s rise to power through his appeal to those who are to the right of the Republican Party makes us Europeans feel uneasy about where he might lead the U.S. Our world has put behind us a faded communist ideology, and a failed Cuba under Fidel Castro still seems to motivate Rubio’s crusade.
Isabelle le Millour de Scoville,
Saumur, France
It is good to see Rubio trying to move the Republicans toward a more rational view on immigration, but it was a stretch to brand him as their savior. Immigration is the only thing that sets him apart from other conservatives; his other views are the same old far-right foolishness. Being the poster boy on the one issue on which Republicans had no choice but to change makes him a face-saver, not a savior.
James Brady,
Dallas
The Sniper’s Tale
Re “Killer. Healer. Victim.” [Feb. 18]: Chris Kyle is an American hero who saved American lives by killing the enemy. Now, after his death, you disrespect him by calling him a killer when what you should be doing is thanking him. Men and women like Kyle have protected your right to free speech and freedom of the press since the inception of the U.S.
vreyes78,
on time.com
I find the equanimity with which Mark Thompson tells the story of Kyle quite breathtaking. The story reads as if it were the most normal thing in the world to invade a country based on lies, cause death and destruction and then leave a legacy of shattered lives. Kyle’s sharp-shooting abilities are lauded in this bizarre context. The piece almost brags about Kyle’s “160 confirmed kills” and his statement that “you just view these guys as the terrorists that they are” and that “they’re bad people.” The citizens of Ramadi, Iraq, were neither terrorists nor bad people. Their country had been invaded by aliens on an unqualified pretext. What right did Kyle or anyone else have to kill Iraqis, for whatever reason?
Gabrielle Graser,
Pretoria, South Africa
Drawing the Line
Re LightBox [Feb. 18]: I was horrified to discover the unbearable sight of Masha, the 11-year-old bear, balancing precariously on a wire (note: no safety net), high above the floor of the St. Petersburg circus ring. How much fear and pain must have been inflicted by cruel tormentors to reduce a powerful, dignified bear to a muzzled, frightened, submissive animal, clinging desperately to a tightrope. How can any human being with feelings attend and enjoy such a barbaric spectacle? It is high time that the use of wild animals is banned from circus performances worldwide.
Monique Nathan,
Sarlat, France
Talking Kurdistan
I read with great interest Jay Newton-Small’s article on the tensions between Iraq and Kurdistan [“Blood for Oil,” Feb. 18]. This issue has often been overlooked by the media but is of critical importance. This crisis and the situation in Syria overlap, and tensions in Iraq could blow up into a wider conflict sucking in Iran, Syria and Turkey, since all have a stake in the issue of Kurdish nationality.
Muhammed Bulbulia,
Roodepoort, South Africa
Elementary Motive
Re “Precious Holdings” [Feb. 18]: Rare earths are indeed relatively rare; some of these elements have only been found in a few countries. China is said to possess the largest (yet limited) reserve of rare earths in the world. That said, it is only natural that Beijing would want to control the export of these precious elements needed for most modern electronic gadgets. After all, this must be the best way to ensure that industries concerned will continue to stay and expand in China.
Mencius Ding,
Beijing
Savior and Pariah
Re Briefing [Feb. 18]: A question was posed in light of Israel’s air strikes in Syria: “What kind of threat can you put in the face of a terror organization?” No doubt the free world will rely on Israel to answer with necessary action. But, without doubt, the global community will express its gratitude with cries of despair and horror. What else is new?
Jack Lynes,
Middlesex, England
Scrutiny of Drones
Dante once said the hottest place in hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in a time of crisis [“Drone Home,” Feb. 11]. Before we talk about the “overwhelming success” of military drones and their future use in our everyday lives, the crisis posed by the questionable killings of Pakistanis, in defiance of international law, is still one that needs to be addressed by the world.
Mariam Kizilbash,
Islamabad
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