Santa Anna, Si! Santa Anna, No!; Mayor MUGGER Gets Results; Unsolicited Treatises, Rambling Misapprehensions, Boneheaded Logic, Faint Praise; More

William Bryk: "Napoleon of the West" was a truly enjoyable article (9/4). I would like to suggest that you explore the history of Cinco de Mayo. My understanding is that the French moved in while the U.S. was distracted by the Civil War. The Mexicans faced not the French army, but the French Foreign Legion, recently formed to pursue French ambitions abroad. Cinco de Mayo was the battle in which the Foreign Legion established the tradition of fighting to the last man. Ex-Legionnaires have told me that the anniversary of that battle is the second most important day of celebration in the Legion. If that's true, then a lot more Germans than French perished in the Battle of Cinco de Mayo. Again, thanks for a great article.

Jerry Schnell, San Pedro, CA

Bomb on Goliad

William Bryk: Excuse me, but am I out of line in wondering how you could write a long article about the "Napoleon of the West" without mentioning the cold-blooded murder of approximately 400 men at Goliad in 1836? The article was engaging and well-written, but it's quite a bit harder to perceive General Santa Anna as a colorful rogue in light of his orders at Goliad to execute Fannin's men, who had surrendered with the promise of clemency.

Any intellectually honest description of Santa Anna would have had to at least mention Goliad, which your essay pointedly avoided. Shame on you.

Gary Haubold, Philadelphia

William Bryk replies: The Texans who rose against Mexican authority knew their lives were forfeit if taken in arms. At Goliad, a local Mexican commander offered clemency to Texans without authority. When overridden by Santa Anna, his commander-in-chief, he lacked the courage of his insubordination. Combatants on both sides fought with great cruelty. The Texans, being mostly American-born, white and English-speaking, have enjoyed kinder treatment from American historians and propagandists. The Mexicans see all this somewhat differently.

Mayor MUG

MUGGER: I usually do not read your inane, long-winded editorials, but the most recent one I could not let pass. In particular, I refer to the first part. You have already taken the heart of Times Square and Hell's Kitchen (sorry, "Clinton") and turned it into a holding pen for overweight, slow-walking Midwesterners. (Yes, I was born in the Midwest, so spare me the poisonous barbs.) You have already turned most of the East Village into the "bars and pubs" extension of the Epcot Center. You have already covered 125th St. with "Harlem, USA." Yes, the list goes on, and yes, you have done these things. Now you want to turn Coney Island into a safe and friendly place (9/4). Haven't you done enough? I'm not sure how to get my point across. It's probably something like if you opened up a newspaper and saw an editorial about how New York should create a red-light district, and it should be located in Tribeca.

Jabairu S. Tork, Boston

Russ Smith replies: It's odd that a correspondent from Boston gets so bent out of shape about the changes in New York City. I do appreciate, however, that he has elevated me to a city official who actually implements these measures.

Great?Now You've Made Him Quit

I do not understand why it is acceptable to use and print racial slurs against Saudis and Arabs ("Top Drawer," 9/4). Of course, certain people of Arab descent have proved to be vile people undeserving of any respect. But does this mean that newspapers and other widely read publications will now allow all Arabs to be subjected to vicious name-calling? Are we really going back to the days of "Japs" and whatever other labels are handy for those we are fighting against? Taki's message of these "traitorous times" might be heard a bit better were it not drowned out by his insistence on using the phrases "towelhead" and "camels" as descriptive terms. How can this possibly validate Taki as either a journalist or any sort of thinker with a clear enough mind to make sound arguments without having to turn to desperate generalizations and popular stereotypes to garner credibility?

Rijin Sahakian, Davis, CA

Nick Shoots, Misses Point

Christopher Caldwell writes ("Hill of Beans," 9/4), as parody, "'The community feels the loss of Kelly, and indeed, of all the students slain in this senseless killing, Brian,' says some random passerby in some Montana suburb after a shooting spree. 'Indeed, one hopes that Americans watching this evening will view it not just as a tragedy but as a wake-up call.'"

I'd point like to point out that you don't have shooting sprees in places like Montana, despite the gun culture. As a rough list, I'd point out that all the schoolyard shooting sprees have, with the exception of Texas, occurred in mostly liberal strongholds?Oregon, Colorado, Indiana, California.

I'd make the obvious point?gun culture often goes hand in hand with so-called "family values"?and those, whatever other problems there might be, tend not to produce gun nuts...at least, certainly not young ones.

Caldwell: if you're going to take cheap snipes, at least be remotely accurate about them...or was the article's title, "Reality Is Optional," indicative of your writing, as well?

By the way, I've never been to Montana, never been northwest of a line from Denver to Chicago, as a matter of fact, and I was born, raised and spent virtually all my life in Florida. And no?I don't own a gun, either.

Nicholas Bretagna, Gainesville, FL

Mr. & Mr.

Mike Signorile: Great article. You have nailed it on the hypocrisy regarding what are acceptable forms of discrimination and what are not ("The Gist," 9/4). Bill O'Reilly has been much more moderate lately. I saw the interview with Rosie O'Donnell and I actually thought he was listening to her (at least it appeared that way). At the time of the interview he seemed to agree with her stand on gay adoption?very refreshing, with one caveat. If you cannot find a good straight home and the kid is basically being thrown away by the system, then it is not so bad to let someone gay take care of the child. Not exactly a ringing endorsement of gay adoption, but hey, I guess we take our wins wherever we can. Take care and keep up the great insightful writing.

Louie Tamantini, Long Beach, CA

Peacemongering

MUGGER: The Bush administration, in its effort to convince us that it is okay to declare war on Iraq, has put forward several lies:

Lie 1: We'll get rid of a brutal dictator. The truth: a war may be no more effective in removing Saddam Hussein than the bombing of Afghanistan was in capturing Osama bin Laden. And even if Saddam Hussein is removed, it is not clear that whoever replaces him will not also be a brutal dictator.

Lie 2: Iraq was involved in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The truth: Bush has offered no evidence of any Sept. 11 involvement.

Lie 3: Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. The truth: Former chief UN arms inspector (and former U.S. Marine) Scott Ritter says there is no evidence of such weapons.

Lie 4: We can liberate the Iraqi people. The truth: Bombing Baghdad, a city of five million people, will not liberate them. It will murder them. And it is likely to inspire the survivors to become terrorists and fight back, making us less secure.

The truth is that attacking another country without provocation is immoral and illegal under international law. The United States would then be a rogue state. It is also counterproductive?it fans the flames of hatred and makes it more likely that terrorists will attack us. The alternative is to support nonviolent, civilian-based social change in Iraq. Nonviolent change supports democracy and promotes civil society (unlike war, which destroys both). Nonviolent change is also consistent with American ideals.

Paul Sheridan, Brooklyn

?

It's understandable that many black folks see every American social and cultural phenomenon in terms of race, but while Armond White raises some interesting issues in his review of Simone ("Film," 9/4), he may be barking up the wrong family tree. I don't know Andrew Niccol's background or the full range of his intent in the film, and, not having seen it, have no idea how faithfully it is an expression of these, but certain choices he's made would seem to belie the solipsism of White's critique. In having a director with the Jewish-sounding name Taransky replace a quarrelsome actress played by Winona Ryder (who herself changed her surname from Horowitz) with a cookie-cutter blonde mannequin, it's possible Simone is a commentary on the transparency of Jewish Hollywood's historical fetishization of Aryan ideals?and the illusory solace in achieving them?as it satirizes the process of imagemaking there. Lots of people from different ethnicities in America conflate their own personal rejection of their heritage with the seeking of a universal ideal. It's good White's esthetic is rooted in his own identity, but film reviewing should be about more than broadcasting one's sexual preferences.

Robert Stepanek, Manhattan

Sure, Send It to Us, Dan, We'll Print Anything

I come not to praise the Rolling Stones but to bury Neal Pollack. The Sunday New York Times on Sept. 1 contained an overbearing dud by Pollack, a runningmate of lit-world darling Dave Eggers and something of a minor celebrity in his own right.

Pollack's point, such as it is: the Stones are not only passe in 2002, they were passe in 1989, when he and a friend saw them during their Steel Wheels tour. Pollack lays out this incredibly obvious thesis (I mean, Jesus Christ, the Stones have been passe since the late 70s, if not earlier) in the sort of pedestrian prose you don't expect to see in the Times Sunday arts section?at least not from a whizkid who'd presumably been brought in to up the hip quotient.

The worst part, though, is the namedropping. For some reason, it's really, really important to Pollack that you know he subsequently started listening to the likes of Sonic Youth, Hüsker Dü and a passel of other ultrahip bands that everyone has heard of but few have actually heard. (Not me, either; I'm too busy listening to Bob Dylan and country music these days.) The effect is rather like that of a geeky high school kid who still lets his mother buy his clothes for him, but who desperately tries to convince his classmates that he's cool.

This is the only piece of Pollack's I've ever actually read. My only previous exposure was an interview he did with the Boston Phoenix's Chris Wright two years ago. But if Pollack's take on the Stones is representative of his work, then I guess I haven't been missing much.

(Disclosure: My one and only Stones concert was also during the Steel Wheels tour. I liked them. Yes, at that point Mick Jagger had already been embarrassing himself for at least a decade, but Keith and Charlie will be worth listening to until they're 100.)

Dan Kennedy, Boston

And So They Shall

C.J. Sullivan wrote a great article on the Expos ("The Fall of Montreal," 8/28). We did the same thing back in June, and had a great time up there in Montreal. It's kind of sad, actually, for us diehard baseball fans. Go 'spos!

Mike O'Boyle, Manhattan

Gay Old Party

Michelangelo Signorile's recent column, "Whither the 'Holy Rollers'?" ("The Gist," 9/4), asserts that "a few deluded gays" have California gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon headlining a fundraiser for the Republican Unity Coalition. While it is true that Simon had initially been invited to speak, that invitation was withdrawn when Simon distanced himself from pro-gay positions he had taken on a Log Cabin Republicans endorsement questionnaire (the questionnaire bore Mr. Simon's signature).

Log Cabin and Republican Unity Coalition were founded to reach out to candidates, including those such as Simon. It was the hope of Log Cabin and the Republican Unity Coalition that, by working with Simon, we might promote our message of inclusion. Far from being deluded, we believe that our community is best served by continuing to reach out to candidates for major office, as opposed to the easier route of demonization. By his recent statements, Simon seems not to have received our message. His turnaround and continued pandering to the religious right have rightfully earned him the condemnation of the Republican Unity Coalition, the Log Cabin Republicans of California and gay and lesbian voters inside and outside the GOP.

In these rocky economic times, and considering the energy crises of the past year, California voters would likely respond to a fiscally responsible, socially centrist candidate. The clear message for Republican candidates and officeholders is one that is the foundation of Log Cabin: inclusion wins.

David Jackson, president, Log Cabin Republicans of New York City, Manhattan

Sadly, Not a Different Kind of Pain

Christopher Caldwell writes that the wealth north of Boston is a "very different kind of wealth" ("Hill of Beans," 8/28). A Marc Rich wealth? A Taki wealth? A Puffy wealth? A Dodi wealth? All I know is I just saw the film XXX, which claimed a "very different kind of hero." Last week I saw Goldmember, in which Mike Myers says that Dr. Evil is a "very different kind of evil." Even President Bush and Dick Cheney have called the war on terrorism a "new kind of war," "different kind of conflict," "a new kind of enemy" and "new paradigm." What's going on here?

Tom Phillips, Manhattan

Christopher Caldwell replies: Is Mister "All I know is?" Phillips, Mister "What's going on here?" Phillips accusing me of cliche? The reader would never know from Mr. Phillips' disingenuous truncation that I was actually comparing two things: first, 1980s wealth, which mostly involved increases in salary and had a negligible impact on suburban Boston's culture and society; second, 1990s wealth, which mostly involved vast speculative fortunes and changed the character of whole towns, turning certain socially mixed ones into plutocratic enclaves.

I would call these different kinds of wealth. Mr. Phillips may choose, in his own writing, to call them "alternate specimens of wealth" or "divergent varieties of wealth" or "dissimilar ilks of wealth." Few readers will thank him.

Where's Vince's Love?

Unfortunately, one year after I escaped unharmed from World Trade Center 2, I will be working on Sept. 11. Apparently, in my company, it's "Thank God you made it, here's work for you to do." It's sad, but like many companies, mine has forgotten a valuable lesson that should have been learned on Sept. 11. That is, simply, that people matter. We should all look at life differently now. We should not take life for granted. But, in my opinion, two weeks after the post-Sept. 11 love fest, we were all back to the way we were. People were nasty, cold and rude. Business started caring solely about profit again, if they stopped in the first place. Money became the prime motivator rather than love or compassion. One of the biggest lessons all people should have taken from 9/11 has been lost. Many people believe that if we make Sept. 11 a national holiday, the "terrorists will win." I've heard that a lot and I still hear it. "Don't do this or the terrorists will win, don't do that or the terrorists will win." I think the terrorists have already won. We no longer care about each other. We are not a unified nation. And too many are easily forgetting what happened on Sept. 11. There is no anger, no emotion and life is back the way it was before the terrorist attacks. We are a sad nation now. One dominated by profit and one that does not care about its own people.

Vincent Cangro, Eastchester, NY

That's the Point

C.J. Sullivan's "The Fall of Montreal" (8/28) exemplifies what is so lame about New York Press. All Sullivan did was take in a couple of baseball games and talk to a few randomly encountered locals. At the end of the article he offers a few impressions and opinions about Montreal and Canada. The result is a dull article that offers no news or overlooked facts. You guys always talk shit about The New York Times, but one of their reporters would at least have interviewed one of the players.

Fred Stesney, Manhattan

From Your Mouth To Deo's Ear

Do Americans really equate baseball players "with the likes of Enron's Andrew Fastow and Sen. Robert Torricelli," as Russ Smith opines ("MUGGER," 9/4)? A much better and more logical analogy (though hugely different in degree) is with certain other union workers who make far more than what logic tells us they should. The aggravating factors here are a players' union that till last week had never given an inch or lost a battle, coupled with the unreal, explosive entertainment factor, spiced by a "what the market will bear" salary pump. All of this has led to the present situation, where David Wells and the other uniformed and uninformed knuckleheads operate with an entitlement mentality.

Anyway, I ("we"?) don't think of Wells & Co. as being like Fastow & Co. We think of them as tantrum-prone babies with severe diaper rash, the latter a result of too rich a diet. From one standpoint, it is a shame that a strike didn't happen, as the next four years will do nothing to alter their attitudes. I would have liked to see how these guys handle the unentitled life.

On the other hand, I am ready to see the Yanks get stomped into the ground, Deo volente, by the Giambi-jilted A's. Play ball!

Jeffrey S. Erickson, Davidson, NC

Armond Sucks?

As an avid reader of film criticism, I have seen the word pretentious misused often (in particular with Chicago critic Jonathan Rosenbaum), but frankly there is no better term for film critic Armond White's reviews. While I am all for intelligent criticism, every time I read one of White's reviews I feel like I am being insulted. His view of the audience as stupid dupes is arrogant, condescending and consistent (and, in my experience, a serious underestimation). He makes the term elitist justifiable and gives a bad name to intelligent film criticism.

David Guzman, Manhattan

...and He's Super-Pretentious

Armond White: Great job defending the sistas there in your latest article ("Film," 9/4)! As we all know, Halle Berry's never on the cover of anything! And Beyonce Knowles, that girl is just too underexposed! But with a brotha like you coming to their defense, I'm sure their celebrity is secure! I hope those slave reparations checks really work out for you!

Tom Patterson, Queens

Coney Ain't Phony

MUGGER: I'm sorry you didn't enjoy your recent visit to Coney Island (9/4). Eight of us ranging in age from 14 to 58 went there just last weekend and had a great time. We had beers and sodas and ate hotdogs, chicken and fried clams at Nathan's, shot a little skee-ball, rode the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone, walked around a bit and then had soft drinks, beers and raw clams at Ruby's. Some of us then walked down the boardwalk to Brighton Beach and had Russian beers at Winter Garden looking out over the ocean. All and all a great day. Part of the attraction of Coney Island is the sleaze factor and I, for one, would be somewhat sad to see it all go away. The addition of the ball park and the new shower and changing facilities on the beach are certainly indications that change is coming. The aquarium has also been improved significantly. On top of that, the subway station is about to be rebuilt. Renovation is indeed coming to Coney Island and the surrounding area, but I think it is just fine the way it is. Who needs another Six Flags or even another Rye Playland? Nothing against them, but only Coney Island is Coney Island.

Dan Freeman, Brooklyn

Or We Could Secede

MUGGER: I think you're being disingenuous when you compare the WTC tragedy with what happened at Oklahoma City and the reaction of some callous people who have, in essence, told you to get over it (8/7). Although I don't agree with the nameless people in California, I think I can understand the reasoning behind their attitudes. Your column implies that prior to the WTC bombing New York was just another American city, but the reality is that for decades New York City has been telling the rest of the country that it is the best at everything and every other city is second-class by comparison, if that good. Even worse, New York City, or its residents, prided themselves on their obnoxious attitude, referring to the rest of the United States as flyover country. Seeing New York City taken down a peg by a Third World country is somewhat like watching the bully of the schoolyard getting his butt kicked by some kid half his size.

I am not saying in any way that the people of New York City deserved to have this horrible tragedy occur, and you are quite correct in saying that the tragedy is far from over and will affect the lives and health of New Yorkers for decades to come. However, you can't spend years and years and untold sums of money telling the rest of the country that it is not qualified to carry your piss bucket and expect everyone to share your pain when you suddenly find out that you are not bulletproof.

Perhaps it is time for New York to stop considering itself a "world city" and rejoin the rest of the United States. If, after this tragedy, New York is feeling a little cut off from mainstream America, it might serve to examine who moved away from whom.

Mark A. France, Little Rock

He's Greek, But He Does Not Bend Over

What hypocrisy. Taki rails against the British press for defamation of Princess Diana that he claims is unsubstantiated ("Top Drawer," 8/28), but then makes far more serious allegations that Abu Nidal was an Israeli based on nothing but "conspiracy theory" type speculation! He further proposes that Israel tricked Jordan's King Hussein into the 1967 war that led to Israeli control of the West Bank. Recent scholarship, notably Six Days of War by Michael Oren, puts forth alternate reasons for Hussein's disastrous entry into the conflict.

He lauds Egypt's Nasser but doesn't stop to consider how the plight of the Palestinian refugees might be a result of Nasser's desire to rule a pan-Arab nation, using the Palestinians as pawns to be abandoned when they served him no purpose.

Taki seems of the ilk that any claim putting blame on Israel should be accepted without question, while bending over to justify Arab aggression and terrorism.

Eric Tucker, Manhattan

You're Teaching English?

Taki's column ("Top Drawer," 9/4) is a disgusting piece of drivel. When I lived in and loved New York for 20 years, up until 1998 when I left to care for my wife's aging and ailing parents, here, in Japan, as an underpaid, overworked English professor; I tolerated Taki's inanity, but his myopia in the current issue, is way beyond any acceptable standards utilizing any parameters by any thinking persons. This, of course, automatically exludes "neocon chickenhawks." Please try and maintain higher standards of journalistic integrity.

Mark Aleshnick, Naha City, Okinawa, Japan

Thug Lite

MUGGER: Quite an article (9/4)! Baseball sucks! Have you ever thought of how much power the fans could exert if they threatened to boycott products of companies that pay the overrated thugs to advertise their products? I bet that would turn some heads. Love your articles, read them when I find them. Thanks for opportunity to blow steam.

Charles Kellam, Savannah

Go Buy Some Birds

MUGGER: Good article. I turned the tube off years ago. No newspaper, either. Hell, no parakeet?why have a newspaper?

Doug Witt, North Bend, WA

This Means War!

Taki: If you want to ignore the realities of U.S. foreign policy, fine?that's your decision ("Top Drawer," 9/4). But it is irresponsible and immature to insult Muslims and seek uniform endorsement of our military campaigns. You are helping to propel us into an ideological pissing contest that could cost us immeasurably. Please stop; we have a lot to lose.

Ryan Murtha, Manhattan

Just a Bit Outside

As a lifelong baseball fan (my grandfather played for the 1903 Tigers), it is time for the strike to happen. Let franchises go bankrupt. Will anyone shed any tears over the owners' mismanagement and the loss of franchise values? I think not. Let the union (cartel might be a more appropriate moniker) lose hundreds of "jobs." Will anyone shed tears over players losing their multimillion-dollar long-term, no-perform contracts? I think not (except for union officials and agents). Both sides are clearly at fault, and the only chance the game can win is if both sides are completely discredited and penalized.

Thomas V. Stealy, Jackson, MI

That's for Sure

Nobody could ever accuse Taki of being kosher. I don't know what his problem with Jews is, but it proves one thing: alcohol and drugs aren't the only things that rot the brain, bigotry can, too.

It's myth that the United States of America always takes Israel's side against Arabs. This is simply not true; indeed, back in 1956 we saved Nasser's butt, and what did we get for it??a kick in rear. I wish people knew history, for then they would know the Suez crises. They would know that we stabbed Britain in the back (and in doing so destroyed the career of finest ever to serve humanity, Prime Minister Anthony Eden). France and, yes, Israel too, were involved in the Suez crises to save Nasser. And what happened? Nasser invited Soviets into the region, many Pro-Western Arab governments fell, including Iraq. Yes, it is possible that if we had supported our friends in Suez, we would have a friendly government in Baghdad today. Also, Suez might explain why some in the area are reluctant to support us today. We missed the boat in 1956, we had a chance to take out a tyrant and it cost us dearly. Let us not make the same mistake in Iraq today. If we don't take out this tyrant, the price may be higher then we can pay.

Gary Schwartz, Fort Lee, NJ

But You Wouldn't Do That

MUGGER: Anyone needing more proof of the left's slander of conservatives need look no further than the current screed by Michelangelo Signorile, which labels Christian conservatives as the "Real American Taliban" ("The Gist," 9/4). Oh sure. Signorile has cloaked his own prejudices and bile by using quotes made by others. "Plausible deniability" I believe is the term for his fatuousness. But he has proven what Ann Coulter asserts in her book, that the left can get away with saying anything they want to about the right at no cost to themselves. Imagine how long I would hold my job if I were a "professional journalist" who called Signorile "a sniveling little rat-faced peter puffer."

Domenick A. Colangelo, Lebanon, OH

Consistency's a Bitch

MUGGER: During the 2000 campaign, my liberal friends were telling me Joe Lieberman and John McCain were a couple of swell guys. They also viewed Henry Kissinger as a colonialist war criminal and Dick Armey as a homophobic hatemonger. Now that swell guys Lieberman and McCain are gung-ho on invading Iraq, my liberal friends are firing off e-mails lauding Kissinger and Armey for not being bloodthirsty, warmongering maniacs like their heroes, Joe Lieberman and John McCain. What a dilemma my friends! Indulge the evil of the sainted Lieberman and McCain or support the goodness of the Satanic Kissinger and Armey. Hopefully, my comrades can get Noam Chomsky or Dan Rather to address the issue, and tell us exactly what they were supposed to be thinking.

Michael Modes, Seattle

If?

Taki: Thanx for your straight talk. What a joy to read non-p.c. commentary! I did combat in Vietnam and am proud to have served my country. That enterprise was far from morally just, though?from our Gulf of Tonkin lies in 1964 to our treacherous (to the Vietnamese who stood with us) retreat in 1975. Our war in Iraq, if it comes, will surely be tainted by the parallel ethnic cleansing of Palestine by Israel. Israel is supported in every way by America. If we are to hold the high ground in this expanding Mideast war, we need clean hands in Palestine.

R.T. Carpenter, Lynn Haven, FL

Nothing Gets By Evelyn

MUGGER: I respectfully disagree with your take on the media coverage of Allen Myerson's suicide (8/28). In fact, I think there was a major-league coverup and there should be an investigation of his financial dealings. And a man like Myerson doesn't commit suicide by jumping off a building, so evocative of the suicides during the stock market crash in '29, if he isn't trying to make a statement as well as end his life. If he didn't want publicity, he could have ended it all quietly at home and the public wouldn't have known a thing about it. Otherwise, I mainly very much enjoy your columns, and although I don't know or care much about sports, it's nice that you and your family enjoy them together.

Evelyn Palmeri, Flagler Beach, FL