Madam, - As an American-born US citizen of Irish-born parents, living in Ireland for the past year (and for the foreseeable future as I am married to a wonderful Irish woman), I find it truly enlightening that the writers to this page are so knowledgable about the problems of America and the world today.
I only wonder why these people don't go to America and straighten it all out themselves. We "dumb" Americans would really appreciate the help.
Sarcasm aside, I find it quite insulting to read day after day about how ignorant and foolish Americans are. And that George W. Bush is the biggest threat to security in the world today, like Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. The fact is that the only power a US President actually has over the military has to be given him by the US Congress. Why nobody mentions this, I am not sure. (There would be no easy scapegoat, perhaps?)
I am not a supporter of Mr Bush, though I did vote against Mr John Kerry in the recent election (interpret that as you wish.) And I do not agree with many of Mr Bush's policies. I felt this past election was a no-win situation, honestly. But 59 million American people voted for Mr Bush, so, like it or not, I think it is about time the rest of us accepted this and got on with our lives.
Mr Bush is President of the United States for four more years; and as an American I hope that these will be remembered for the accomplishments, rather than the failures.
And, somehow, I think the former will turn out to be the case. - Yours, etc.,
PATRICK E. RUDDEN,
St Alban's Road,
South Circular Road,
Dublin 8.