Taft was right: NATO more likely to start a war
Re: “The need for NATO still exists,” June 11
I strongly disagree with James Carafano’s propositions and would like to stand up for the late Sen. Robert Taft. If anything, NATO has morphed into an internationalist facade for aggressive pre-emptive militarism — and has become the farthest thing from a defensive alliance.
Witness not only the bombing of Yugoslavia during the Clinton administration, but also NATO’s recent activities in Libya. Indeed, minor states such as Georgia assuredly rely on that hair-trigger mentality when affecting diplomatic relations with such “disruptive power[s]” as the Russian Federation.
Continued U.S. participation in an aggressive NATO both damages our relations with other states and provides an easy justification for increased military spending and intervention across the globe.Carafano should seriously reflect on Sen. Taft’s warning and reconsider his policy suggestions.The U.S. should either reform NATO according to its founding principles, or abandon the project entirely.
Ryan Mulvey
Washington
Many young adults cannot afford health care
Re: “Slacker mandate lets adults play Peter Pan,” Editorial, June 8
This editorial argues that allowing children tostay on parents’ health care policies until age 26 seeks perverse incentives, suchas less motivation to look for work, suggesting that the under-26 population should be paying their own insurance rather than transferring costs to others. But it’s illogical to suggest thatany young adult will notlook for work simply because he or she already hashealth coverage.
I suggest that your editor read the CNN Money article titled “Young adults skip health care as medical debts rise.”According to a Commonwealth Fund study, 41 percent of young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 failed toget medical care in a recent 12-month period because of cost.The survey author notes this reflects the high cost of medical care, high co-paymentsand health plans that do nothave good coverage for this population, 36 percent of whom reported problems paying medical bills.
With high unemployment or underemployment in this age group,inclusion on parental policies is the only way many of them will have any medical coverage.
Richard Prunchak
Mount Vernon
Farm subsidies are a national security issue
Re: “Depression-era farm subsidies should end,” June 8
With selected, misleading statistics, Veronique de Rugy tries to portray the farm safety net as “cronyism”. Low commodity prices over the last half-century encouraged farmers to increase the size of their farms in order to increase efficiency. So now we have a lot of large farms, but they receive support at the same rates as small farmers.
Farmers face greater risks than the average business, from natural disasters to prices too low to cover their costs. During the great drought of the 1930’s known as the Dust Bowl, many desperate farmers abandoned their land in search of work. The safety net helps them stay on their farms.
Agriculture is a national security issue, just like defense. We don’t want to become dependent on foreign countries for our food supply.
Free trade agreements have eliminated quotas for most agricultural products, but the cost of farm products is not the major factor in the price of food — oil is. Food-processing companies also add considerably more to food costs. Nevertheless, the U.S. enjoys lower food prices as a percentage of income than almost any other country on Earth.
Letting down our farmers could potentially lead to food shortages. A nation that does not respect its farmers does not deserve to eat.
Terry Nuhn
Arlington
