Letters to the Editor

War supporters should serve or be quiet

The Heritage Foundation study cited by Rowan Scarborough and Amy Fagan in “Rangel’s call for new military draft rebuffed” (Page 1, Tuesday) is based on Clinton administration data from 1999 and cannot demonstrate, as claimed, that “children of higher-income parents increased their enlistment numbers after the September 11 attack.”

If the war on terror is so important to our nation, one cannot avoid asking why no political leader has called on Americans eligible to serve to consider volunteering for military service, even if they plan other careers later in life.

No member of the extended Bush clan has served in the war on terror. Few senior administration officials, right-wing media figures or neocon think tank members personally know any enlisted service members. Who is or was the best-connected Wounded Warrior in Walter Reed’s Ward 57? Certainly not anybody they know.

If the national leadership establishment of our current governing party were indeed participating in the war on terror, wouldn’t the White House and the Republican National Committee want to publicize this with actual examples?

KARL OLSON

New York City

Reforming Social Security

When Milton Friedman was asked about private accounts and President Bush’s Social Security reform, his response was that private accounts were an insignificant change to a system that should be abolished. People should be provided with a mechanism that encouraged them to save for their own retirement.

In my opinion, Mr. Friedman’s view of Social Security was limited: it is a tax-and-transfer welfare system, not a retirement system with an actuarial link between savings and withdrawals. Consequently, you will have perpetual financial crises due to uncertain demographic, economic and political changes (“Retirement trendsetter,” Commentary, Friday).

The problem with William Shipman’s analysis, even though he alludes to uncertainty, is that it involves the same old compounded rates of return. Nobody is average; nobody obtains average rates of return — you are either above or below. The uncertainty in the long-term rate of return may diminish with time, but the uncertainty of each annual return compounds over time to give a distribution of final portfolio values that looks like a pancake. And it does not make any difference whether you are rich or poor. Everyone is subjected to the same cold mathematical reality.

So why should we trade in Germany’s approach to Social Security for Mr. Shipman’s? It is not because we will obtain the compounded portfolio values Mr. Shipman quotes. The best rationale is because it makes the entire labor force an owner of capital. If we are really interested in diminishing disparities in wealth and spreading it across the greatest number of people, it is impossible to support the current structure of Social Security. It provides only an uncertain mechanism for consumption and it maintains the status quo in terms of wealth distribution. Nobody is going to get rich or even guarantee a level of retirement income by taxing his or her children.

SAMUEL BURKEEN

Reston

Combatting the global threat

Finally, there is a sitting military chief willing to say “the emperor has no clothes.” Gen. James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps, said there is a need to grow to sustain commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan and remain ready for another crises (“Marines’ new leader sees need for growth of Corps,” Nation, Thursday).

If one truly believes we are at war with a global terrorist threat, then we are woefully undermanned to successfully combat it. Active-duty end strength today is around 1.4 million, a number that has steadily declined from a 1974-89 plateau of around 2.1 million. Both of these pale in comparison to the numbers in uniform during past major conflicts: Vietnam (3.5 million, 1968), Korea (3.6 million, 1952), and World War II (12.1 million, 1945).

Numbers alone are not a panacea for combating the terrorist threat. Then again, neither is our overreliance on technology. Technology is a tool for success, but ultimately flesh-and-blood humans are required to win battles, ensure security and guarantee peace. If a peak of 12 million in uniform, plus millions more of our allies took four years to win the global war against fascist Germany and totalitarian Japan, how long will today’s soldiers take to win the much more nebulous global war on terrorism, even with their advanced technology?

Success ultimately boils down to our national will and resolve. Unfortunately, too many Americans do not perceive a dire threat to our culture and way of life. This is “Bush’s War.” During 1944-45, Americans dedicated 90 percent of annual federal outlays and 38 percent of gross domestic product to the war effort. In 2005 we expended 20 percent and 4 percent respectively. During World War II Americans rationed food, gas, rubber, metals and many other items to support the war effort. Today’s Americans would surely scoff if asked to make the same sacrifices their grandparents made.

Unfortunately, it will probably require another September 11 to shake Americans, and the rest of the world, to their senses and realize the gravity and extent of the threat. I can only pray that this event never happens.

PATRICK MCGINN

California, Md.

The sickle cell anemia tragedy

The article, “Raising the issue of sickle cell,” (Metropolitan, Tuesday) provided a sobering insight into the tragedy of this genetic disease for 1 in 400 black children and 1 in 1,400 Hispanic children. Those who have this disease suffer a great deal and usually die before 45 years of age.

Missing from the article was any mention of the hopeful treatment of sickle cell anemia using umbilical cord blood stem cells. Here are three examples:

Neel Padonou (National Geographic’s stem-cell issue, July 2005, page 26) was saved from the ravages of the disease by his younger sister’s cord blood cells.

In April 2005, Keone Penn testified before Congress on behalf of New Jersey Republican Rep. Christopher H. Smith’s bill to store umbilical cord blood: “Believe me, as a teenager, being in the hospital more times than you can count is not a way to live your life. Stem cells saved my life.”

Mr. Smith explained: “The best-kept medical secret has been that thousands have been successfully treated with cord blood stem cells for more than 67 diseases including leukemia and sickle cell anemia” (LifeNews.com, June 12).

Denise Mallory, treated with cord blood stem cells from her younger brother, is the third person doing well who was treated at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. (Richmond Times-Dispatch, July 29).

Faces of Our Children founder Donald Cash Sr., said: “We raise money specifically for the education of sickle cell disease. The disease can be eliminated through education.” An advertising campaign to inform black and Hispanic mothers to save their children’s cord blood would be a good first step.

Government funding of sickle cell anemia education, treatment and research could make an immediate difference in the lives of many. On the other hand, funding the speculative embryonic-stem-cell research has helped no one.

CAROLYN NAUGHTON

Silver Spring