Six thoughts about Mr. Bush and his ongoing war in Iraq

Six thoughts about Mr. Bushand his ongoing war in Iraq
EDITOR:
These are the facts about President Bush's war.
First, the Iraq invasion and subsequent war were unnecessary to fulfill any American interest, especially national security.
Second, no WMDs have been found, and there is a likelihood that such weapons had long since been destroyed while Saddam's oral belligerence continued.
Third, there was no link to terrorists such as Al-Qaida before the war, but there is now, and the slaughter of civilians and Iraqi police and officials is proof that terrorists exist where there were none before.
Fourth, more than 550 Americans have given their lives there, and thousands will spend their lives adjusting to the terrible wounds suffered there.
Fifth, we have spent or plan to spend billions and billions rebuilding Iraq. This is not as galling as the loss of American lives, but the need for money in this country and uselessness of pouring in billions where the population is only mildly conscious of the effort is a personal humiliation to many Americans.
Sixth, the administration refuses to come clean and disclose the real reasons for the invasion of Iraq, but oil, revenge and the relationship between the Saudi dynasty and the Bush dynasty appear more and more to be the realities of the situation.
MYRON GARWIG
Youngstown
Free trade deals keep upassault on American families
EDITOR:
In the Feb. 12 issue of the USA Today, Gregory Mankiw, an economic aide to President Bush, describes the shipping of well paying, American jobs overseas as, "A new way of doing international trade." I am more inclined to call it, "International slave trading for cheap labor."
Corporate America has, for decades, moved its factories to Third World countries for the cheap labor, which in most cases involves what has become known as "sweat shops" and in other cases has used child labor for slavelike wages. This large corporate labor savings has not affected the price of goods in this country because the "savings" have been used to line the pockets of corporate executives and grease the palms of those in office who allow such goings-on.
On the other side of the spectrum, we have foreign corporations buying up American companies or building factories here. Since we are not a socialist country, they save big bucks. In their own countries, since the governments are responsible for total health care and retirement benefits, the tax structures are higher. Besides all this, who knows what tax abatements and other perks they are given, and then there is our minimum wage to attract them.
Are we to be grateful for this? All these so-called foreign free trade treaties and agreements have become a direct assault on all Americans and their families. The result is becoming more and more evident as we and our children become less likely to earn a livable wage, no matter what the "brilliant" economists might tell us.
Here in the United States, labor doesn't need another Walter Reuther, John L. Lewis, Jimmy Hoffa Sr. or George Meany. What we need is another Abraham Lincoln!
DAVID P. GAIBIS
New Castle, Pa