Madam, - I have simply had enough of people such as Brian Quigley (February 26th) criticising the president of the United States. Yes, Bush is a poor speaker and doesn't have the golden touch of a Clinton or the charisma of a Kennedy. But does this obsession with style over substance not tell us more about his critics than about Bush himself? Would substituting the JFK smile for Bush's irritating smirk change a single thing about his policies?
There are many reasons to criticise Bush but to lambaste him for using speechwriters, like almost every president in modern times, is simply unacceptable. Did we not just see with our own president a few weeks ago how costly a slip of the tongue can be? Bush has made a career out of people underestimating him. It is time we looked past his questionable style and examined the president on the substance of his policies.
Bush is a visionary and as with all visionaries only time will tell whether he is right or wrong. The very least we can do is attempt to understand this re-elected president before prematurely casting judgment on his ambitious agenda. He could not be clearer about his vision.
He believes that spreading freedom and democracy is the only way ultimately to defeat terrorism and tyranny. Yes, he may have made the world a more dangerous place today, but Bush is not solely concerned with today; he is concerned with long term security and the future. I commend his courage for pursuing an agenda that may not gain him credit until long after he has left the Oval Office.
After personally attacking Bush and comparing him to a schoolboy, Mr Quigley went on completely to misinterpret the post-Cold War environment, suggesting somehow that power is shifting to Europe and that America needs us more than we need it.
In reality, America's need to combine with Europe to present a united ideological front against communism is gone - and gone with it is Europe's ability to exercise any control on American foreign policy. It is this powerlessness that has Chirac and Schröder really fuming.
It is Europe that is acting like the spoilt child, sulking over its inability to influence America. Bush is not the problem. Nothing will change in 2008. America will still look out primarily for its own interests and there is nothing Europe can do about it. The sooner Europe accepts this and moves on from bashing Bush the better. - Yours, etc.,
MAURICE CONWAY, Glenageary, Co Dublin.