Madam, - My dilemma, and I'm sure that of many like me, is that President Bush's visit to Ireland raises two very conflicting emotions:
1. Gratitude for American investment in this country, admiration for the country's contribution in so many fields, thanks for the American love of freedom, their apparent delight in things Irish and the welcome given to Irish emigrants, including relations of mine and many other families.
2. Utter disgust at Bush's deceit in attempting to justify the invasion of Iraq - the greatest con job in American history; his cronyism in awarding Iraqi contracts to his buddies; his blinkered support for Israel's blatant disregard of international law in assassination of targeted civilians, attacks on refugee camps, demolition of family homes and unilateral land-grabbing; his disastrous foreign policy which has stirred up hatred in Muslim countries and fomented anti-Americanism almost everywhere else, so that the world is now a more dangerous place than at any time in history; his woeful economic policies resulting in a weak dollar and almost frightening budget deficit; his failure to agree measures to counteract global warming (a world disaster in the making); his gung-ho posturing that surely betrays a lack of intellectual judgment.
The only solution I can think of is to adopt the slogan "America, Yes, Bush, No" to let the world know where we stand. - Yours, etc.,
REDMOND HOLLOWAY, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.