The New Europeans Of Today

Our issue celebrating Time‘s 60-year presence in Europe took a look at how shifting identities — of the family, the state, East and West — are propelling the Continent into new realms of exploration, friction and self-discovery. Readers cast a wary eye to the future but found good things cooking in the kitchen

In the introduction to the cover package on “Europe’s New Frontiers” [Oct. 9], Time Atlantic senior editor Jim Ledbetter asked, “How far should European governments go to make their Muslim citizens feel at home?” Muslims who live in Europe have made themselves at home, but they do not embrace European values — nor do they try to.
Zygmunt Brzezinski
Vienna

Re “Sixty years, new frontiers,” Time International editor Michael Elliott’s discussion of how Europe has changed since mid-century, when Time first published an Atlantic edition: Looking back over my 31 years of reading Time, I would like to boldly say that it has been worthwhile. Sixty years may be a very short span in the view of historians, but, to many of your readers, a 60th anniversary is a good reason to throw a big party. Time, please take a bow for excellent news reporting.
Kester Ekekwe
Jos, Nigeria

I was pleased to read “Adoring a vacuum,” about the Gastrovac, a new tool that vacuum-cooks foods at extremely low temperatures. I have tried to put at ease friends who are wary of the kitchen by stating that cooking is just an experiment in chemistry and physics in which the end result is something to eat. I am impatiently waiting for the Gastrovac to go into mass production.
Suzanne Dokolas
Athens

Re “Nuclear implosion,” on how traditional family structures are giving way to new, improvised setups: a patchwork of competing cultural factors is prompting European families to adopt a wider variety of living situations. In rural Catholic regions, e.g., Pope Benedict XVI’s birthplace in Bavaria, people still appreciate traditional gender roles: men make money, while women stick to kids and kitchen. But Western egocentrism invites young couples to reduce family to a meager dinks model (double income, no kids). At my workplace, I am surrounded by such married couples. And more and more female singles see the emancipation of women as closely connected with leading a solitary life and trying to win a place in the fast lane. One thing is undoubtedly true: German governments have been unable to cope with countless problems for the past few decades and must be blamed for a lack of reflection on how families can best help secure our future.
Hans Gerbig
Gersthofen, Germany

The G.O.P. and the Green Stuff
“The G.O.P.’s secret weapon” [oct. 9] described the Republicans’ advantages over the Democrats in the upcoming congressional races: more money and a formidable ground game to turn out voters. But even more reassuring for G.O.P. leaders is knowing that they, as members of the party in power, have gerrymandered electoral districts; booby-trapped election processes in such states as Ohio and Florida; and widely mandated unreliable, unsecure and unverifiable voting equipment. Time should invite international judges and journalists to monitor the elections and report their findings in the magazine.
Robert Travis
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.

Compromised Standards
I am ashamed of our congress for adopting legislation that allows coerced testimony to be used as evidence in trials of terrorism suspects [Oct. 9]. President George W. Bush can sugarcoat the inhumane methods of interrogation all he wants, but there are moral standards that we Americans uphold. If the President is really a Christian, I don’t understand how he can request such a bill and use political pressure to force it through Congress over the objections of moral and knowledgeable opponents. We suffered a great loss of life and property on 9/11, but the attackers damage us far more by inciting us to compromise our standards to match theirs. The bill is not an act of courage, strength and resolve. It is an act of fear and desperation.
Craig Littlefield
Tucson, Arizona, U.S.

The Right Force for Darfur
Peter Beinart’s essay “How to save Darfur” [Oct. 2] addressed the moral concerns reasonable human beings in the free world have toward what is happening in Darfur. A military force might easily be able to invade Darfur territory after destroying Sudan’s military infrastructure and militias. But what happens after that? Does Beinart really believe peace will reign in Darfur once the Arab militias are defeated? Imagine if Islamic militants claimed that so-called Crusaders invaded Arab lands for their own purposes. The consequence would be terrorist attacks, and the victims would be the people of Darfur. Why not gather a robust force from Islamic nations? What about Turkish ground forces supported by nato? The outcry in the Islamic world could be silenced if it is non-Westerners who go into Darfur.
Michael Richarz
Wuppertal, Germany

It is with increasing incredulity that I watch the unfortunate events in the Darfur region of Sudan. The phrase “paralysis of analysis” applies to the U.N. in this regard. How is it possible the U.N. has not yet formulated an appropriate response? And where is the U.S.? I appeal to my fellow Africans, because the first responsibility lies with us. Our governments lie when they say they do not have the resources to beef up the African Union and give it the teeth to get to the bottom of this problem. If all government officials in Africa stopped stealing for a day, we could equip a peacekeeping force for Darfur and have enough left over to engage the Khartoum government in constructive dialogue to finally bring peace.
Lucas Mboya
Nairobi

Stumbling Toward Democracy
Andrew Marshall’s viewpoint on Thailand’s military coup, “Dictators’ Delight” [Oct. 9], would have been more appropriately titled “A Dictator’s Demise.” Before the coup, the stress level of all educated and well-informed Thais was at an all-time high. It seemed inevitable that Thai blood would flow on Bangkok’s streets. The army’s intervention against Thaksin Shinawatra’s autocratic rule came as a great relief to Thais, who had been living on edge for at least the past year. Marshall seems to believe in democracy for democracy’s sake. Under Thaksin’s five-year rule, we lived with massive corruption and oppression. I know we have to wait and see if the people in power keep their promise of finishing the revision of the constitution and calling a new election within a year. At least they kept their promise of choosing a Prime Minister — Surayud Chulanont — who is universally acceptable to the people, and the tanks and soldiers disappeared from the streets immediately thereafter. Democracy may yet have the last laugh in Thailand. And that is definitely what every Thai is looking forward to.
Supoj Homprasert
Wat Chalor, Thailand

Bangkok’s elite may have forced their way into power peacefully, but they have discarded democracy and the rights of the majority, which voted in the Thaksin government. While the minority rejoices, the majority will remain voiceless, helpless and puzzled at the way the power game is being played and how national interest is defined.
Loh Seng Hock
Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Stick Figures
Despite the cheeky allusion to underpants in the headline, “I See London, I See France …” [Oct. 9], what I immediately noticed in the pictures of the models sporting the new micro-minidresses were the painful grimaces on all their faces. Were they unhappy with the ridiculously short hemlines? Or were their bony legs barely strong enough to carry their torsos?
Nick LaVecchia
Parker, Texas, U.S.