A United Front in Iran

Eli Lake’s article “Iranian Democrats Establish a United Front” reports on a recent movement among Iranians to bring about a referendum inside Iran [Page 1, December 7, 2004].

Changing the present constitution through a referendum, even if internationally supervised, to get rid of the all-powerful velayat faghih, or supreme leader with powers above and beyond any constitution, the president, the congress, the courts, and the people, while he and the present regime are in power, will not materialize. It will only legitimize them in ways that do not meet the eye right now.

The only way should be a referendum after the mullahs are out of the picture, and in that I agree that this will only happen if the mullah regime in Iran is isolated by the Western powers. Once a caretaker/interim secular government runs the country, a new constitution should be worked on with the participation of the people’s representatives and constitutional scholars who have the benefit of all of Iran in mind.

As usual, the sly and savvy present regime and its cronies, some good but misled personalities, and apologists for the regime (who wish only for some minor changes) are finding once again a way to give people hope with no results, as did the election of President Khatami almost eight years ago.

This has become an oft-repeated and unfortunate game, to the detriment of the many and to the benefit of the few.

SHAHLA SAMII
Manhattan

Pale Male and Liberals

It was with great satisfaction that I read Alicia Colon’s “For the Birds: Of Pale Male And Liberals,” [New York, December 17, 2004], in which she laments the trend toward infringement of individual rights through all manner of ersatz “rights.” How true.

Sadly, however, the concept of individual rights is not so much “the domain of conservative thought,” as Ms. Colon asserts. To eschew ersatz rights is not to defend individual rights.

To cite but one of countless examples, take the Social Security debate. We must implement a system of personal retirement accounts, conservatives say, because the system is facing insolvency.

PRA’s will create an ownership society with higher returns. True and secondary. Unfortunately, you will never hear a conservative defend personal retirement accounts based on individual rights.

America was founded on the premise that the proper role of government is to recognize, respect, and protect an individual’s freedom of action. Our founding principle – the inviolability of individual rights – remains to be rediscovered by those of all political persuasions, most notably by conservatives.

EDWIN R. THOMPSON
Manhattan

‘The Battle for ANWR’

Please let me offer my opinion as to the problem with drilling in the Arctic Natural Wildlife Refuge [“The Battle for ANWR,” Editorial, December 16, 2004].

It is the roads that open access to anyone that will destroy ANWR just as the roads into the rain forest of South America open the virgin forest to loggers and settlers. So little is left of nature and we seem so justified in destroying it for our benefit.

The old argument that we’ll only destroy 2,000 acres is lobbyist propaganda. A drill site needs less than 2 acres to operate. A thousand drill sites connected with hundreds of miles of road is what the oil patch wants unless they are forced to use only ice roads. Ice roads will thwart most casual access by hunters, trappers, and others to allow a little protection for the wildlife and habitat.

I worked 38 years in the oil patch and have been responsible for waste management plans in North and South America, West Africa, and Siberia. I was involved with the environmental damage assessment of 23 wells on the North Slope while working for a major oil company.

On the flight to Dead Horse, I spoke with a Native American. She wished the road to Dead Horse had never been built as it had destroyed so much of her home country and way of life.

I am retired now. I am trying to help ensure future generations have something left of nature. Please carefully weigh the real impact of this project. If you must push the drilling of ANWR, please insist on only ice roads.

CHARLES MARSHALL
New Ulm, Texas

Auf Wiedersehen for U.N.?

If the United Nations needs to expand its space, let it rent the top floors of the new Freedom Tower [“Could the United Nations Say ‘Auf Wiedersehen’?” Meghan Clyne, Page 1, December 20, 2004].

Downtown needs tenants and there’s worry over who will occupy the top floors, after September 11. With this move, we save a playground, rebuild the East Side, and fill empty office space downtown instead of outsourcing to Germany.

THOMAS LYNCH
Belle Harbor. N.Y.

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