Letters

Low-Carb Nation "Carbs, shmarbs! Fad diets come and go, but eating smart and exercising will always stand the test of time." JOHN SHIN, M.D. Edgewater, N.J.

In your report on eating foods with relatively few carbohydrates [May 3], you stated that "nutritionists are horrified" by America's obsession with low-carb diets. As a registered dietitian, I disagree. This is a great opportunity for people to develop a healthy and balanced long-term eating plan to manage their weight. In my years of counseling clients, I learned you can certainly attract more bees with honey--though in this case I'd use honey with fewer carbs. ELISA ZIED New York City

As a result of switching to a diet low in carbohydrates, I lost weight and lowered my blood pressure. I'm happy, and so is my cardiologist. CHARLES J. PAYNE Tucson, Ariz.

Low carb, high protein, no fat--our efforts to get rid of excess weight have become complicated to the point of comedy. What works for most people is two simple steps: 1) eat anything you want, but eat smaller portions and less often; 2) turn off the TV and move! Don't wait for someone to come along with a weight-loss patch that you can stick on. It ain't coming. JOHN R. MAYER Melville, N.Y.

Go low carb to shed pounds? You can also lose lots of weight by eating only popcorn and dill pickles, but that doesn't make for a healthy diet. WENDELL COVALT Redondo Beach, Calif.

If we ever expect to conquer the problems of excess weight, we must be willing to turn away from fad diets and use common sense, which tells us to eat less and exercise more. MARJIE GILLIAM Dayton, Ohio

Salesman in Chief?

In "Does Bush Really Get Us?" [MAY 3], columnist Joe Klein described the President as a political pitchman, dedicated to conning the public, ignoring criticism. Bush dismisses contradictory feedback and reinforces his original message by repeating the same talking points. The President and his handlers know very well that there are ample numbers of customers willing to buy their shallow rhetoric. Simplicity trumps relevance much too often, and there are far too many uncritical Americans who remain susceptible to the White House sales job. ANDREW CLARKE Harleysville, Penn.

Klein said that Bush's style of leadership is condescending and that the President assumes Americans are too busy to ask tough questions about Iraq. Intelligent debate should always be encouraged on matters of life and death. Many Americans understand what is at stake if we fail in Iraq. The President's poll numbers are solid because the public is paying close and critical attention. THOMAS SCHAUB Honolulu

Lifting the Shroud

I got chills looking at the photograph of a planeload of flag-draped coffins of U.S. soldiers [May 3]. There was nothing morbid about the picture; it just showed the reality of war. It brought home the finality of some Americans' sacrifices for their country. Let the people see the price of freedom. DEANNE HUNTER Frankfort, Ind.

The image of flag-covered coffins being reverently cared for is not an invasion of privacy; it is somber proof that our troops were willing to lay down their lives for their commitment. What is the Bush Administration afraid of? That at some point the country will figure out there are too many coffins coming home? The cost of those lives demands to be acknowledged, not just by grieving families and friends but also by the nation that called them to service. (THE REV.) CHRISTINE MILLER Waldorf, Md.

Heroism Personified

Thank you for your article on Pat Tillman [May 3], the Arizona Cardinals football star who courageously gave up his career to join the Army and was killed in Afghanistan. It made me realize how few of the most fortunate in U.S. society are willing to take on the burden of defending it. MARTY CAMPBELL Hopatcong, N.J.

I was saddened by the story about Tillman. It's too bad there isn't enough space to publish reports about all the other men, women and children who have recently died in Afghanistan and Iraq. Famous or not, these people were just as important and remind us of the true costs of this war. PHOEBE TOLAND Helena, Mont.

I have devoted 20 years of my life to serving my country. I was very proud of that until I heard about Tillman. Now each day I look at myself in the mirror and ask, Do I measure up? Would I have given up $3.6 million the way Tillman did? I pray that I am half the man he was. I intend to use Tillman and his life story as a model of honor, courage and commitment whenever I counsel the young sailors on my submarine, the U.S.S. Springfield. I hope Tillman's family takes some comfort in the fact that he exemplified the spirit of service and sacrifice for one's country. GAYLORD D. HUMPHRIES MASTER CHIEF, U.S. NAVY Groton, Conn.

The Long Haul

Iraq is an increasingly precarious quagmire [May 3]. In the attempt to control Iraqi resistance, occupying U.S. forces have censored the country's news media, handpicked a provisional government, discouraged the Shi'ite majority from proportionate influence in a future democracy and labeled as thugs and criminals any who dared to resist. As long as the U.S. willfully creates new enemies at every turn, our rhetoric and military actions in Iraq will ultimately fail. BRAD A. HOFFMAN Solon, Ohio

This war was never about WMD threats or Saddam Hussein. It's about an obsession with power and control. STEVE MAWHINNEY Roseville, Calif.

The stress American soldiers are feeling is caused by their inability to fight a war with one hand tied behind their back. It's no use having the world's greatest military equipment and not being able to use it effectively. The coalition forces' ridiculous strategies represent weakness. The troops should not worry about upsetting Iraqis. Saddam ruled his people with terror. They understand only force; talking is ineffectual and a waste of time. JOSEPH WALKER Sherbourne, England

How many body bags will it take to convince President Bush of the insanity of his continued occupation of Iraq? By early May, 750 Americans had died. No one is counting the Iraqi dead, the broken homes and devastated families. And all for what? To place a few handpicked American apologists in power? To siphon off Iraq's oil for private, selfish ends? The principal thing that the U.S. has brought to Iraq is death and destruction. RALPH OMOREGIE Lagos

It is ironic that the U.S., a nation that historically has been averse to involvement in foreign wars, is almost the only one with the capability and will to win a war abroad. It is even more ironic that the U.S., a nation that has benefited from a peaceful, democratic society, seems unable to build a society based on similar values elsewhere. CHARLES GARNER Ascot, England

Give Peace a Chance

Your notebook item "A Truce On Terror" [May 3] stated that the cease-fire between the Pakistani military and pro--al-Qaeda fighters "could be a severe setback for the Bush Administration, which has been leaning on Pakistan to carry out a clean sweep of al-Qaeda and the Taliban from the tribal territory." It also stated that "the truce raises doubts about the resolve of the Pakistanis to root out al-Qaeda fugitives from the tribal areas." But violence only begets violence. In the Iraqi town of Fallujah, Americans were fighting the so-called liberated Iraqis, whereas in the Waziristan area of Pakistan, the Pakistan army is fighting its own citizens. It is better to resolve an issue through negotiation than through violence. The sooner the Americans learn this lesson, the better. AFTAB AHMAD KHAN Lahore

Think Better, Not Bigger

In "Condi: The Problem With Big Thinkers" [April 19], columnist Joe Klein contended that in the Bush Administration strategy overwhelms tactical thinking. But exactly which strategy would that be? Strategy involves some sort of relationship between intentions and accomplishments, between ends and means. You do not find that balance in the Bush Administration's planning. The result is not a bad strategy but no strategy at all. War is the continuation of politics by other means. Didn't the U.S. learn anything from Vietnam? CLAUDIO LEMA POSE Curacao, Netherlands Antilles

Birthing Methods

I couldn't help bristling at your report on the increase in elective caesarean births [April 19]. The privileged mothers-to-be who insist on being in charge of every aspect of their baby's birth are exceptionally arrogant. Here in Africa, for too many women, having a baby can still be a matter of life and death. WENDY TOERIEN Cape Town

America Goes Bollywood

In "A Cultural Grand Salaam" [MAY 3], you finally reported on the growing popularity in the U.S of the music, movies and literature of South Asia! It is difficult to convey the beauty and creative power of the subcontinent to my American friends, most of whom barely know where South Asia is located. It's time they learned about my culture and the irresistible tunes in Bollywood musicals. MONIKA MATHUR Southbury, Conn.