Readers Report
Afghanistan: An American Triumph--or Triumphalism?
You have got it exactly right that "this victory of values, in the long run, may count for far more than the hunt for Osama bin Laden" ("Liberation," Cover Story, Dec. 3). Afghanistan affords the U.S. unprecedented moral authority to show that an open, democratic system can be built from the ruins of war and international terror.
It is not at all naive to say that a Western-style democracy can work. In fact, there was a constitutional monarchy in the late 1960s and early 1970s, emulating the British system. It was removed by a coup in 1973, the first forced change of government in over 50 years. In the late 1960s, Afghanistan had two women cabinet ministers--a first, I believe, for a Muslim country. Americans may associate Afghanistan with the struggle against the former Soviet Union, or more recently, the Taliban and harboring Arab terrorists. We should not forget that Afghanistan has had long periods of relative calm and uneventful history.
Wali M. Osman
Aiea, Hawaii
Thank you for the thought-provoking article by Bruce Nussbaum. However, I disagree that "the goal should be the creation of a secular Muslim society that respects religion but does not tolerate fanaticism." To Muslims, Islam is not a "religion" in the narrow sense as understood by many in the West. Instead, Islam is the deem, or way of life, where the Koran provides guidance in both political and social interaction. It is therefore impossible to be "secular" and Muslim at the same time.
Moreover, you don't need to be a "secular" Muslim to practice tolerance. Many verses in the Koran warn Muslims against fanaticism. The Taliban fell so quickly because its practices (e.g., mistreatment of women, denial of education) go against principles of Islam.
Alina Ranee
Kuala Lumpur
Bruce Nussbaum describes the Northern Alliance's taking of Kabul as a "major victory for Western humanist values." Which "Western humanist values"? Many in the media (including BusinessWeek) have been talking about the construction of the long-discussed oil and gas pipeline from Central Asia to the Arabian Sea, via Afghanistan.
Given the level of oil reserves in Central Asia that would become available to the West as a counterbalance to OPEC, the pipeline would certainly exemplify Western values--economic ones, that is.
Hasham Malik
Norwalk, Conn.
Sitting here in Britain, I was surprised to see the cover headline "Liberation: The U.S. victory is a defining moment." As I write, the siege at Kunduz in Northern Afghanistan continues. About one-third of the country around Kandahar is still under Taliban control. And as far as I am aware, Osama bin Laden is still very much at large. What "U.S. victory" are you proclaiming? Kabul may no longer be under Taliban control, but this "war" is a long way from being over, and for you to suggest otherwise is misleading.
Steve Roberts
Dittisham, England
What Kind of Economic Aid Does Afghanistan Need?
The Marshall Plan, which played a leading role in Western Europe's postwar reconstruction, is too often, too loosely evoked in advocacy of some kind of aid program ("Winning the peace," Cover Story, Dec. 3). Such proposals usually neglect distinctive features of the Marshall Plan that should limit the term's applicability. It was a regional strategy consisting of more than bilateral aid programs. It started with a speech by the U.S. Secretary of State. A Marshall Plan-style initiative (this time by many advanced countries and various international agencies) is needed concerning Afghanistan, but projecting a regional development strategy involving not just Central Asia, but the whole Middle East.
David J. Steinberg
Alexandria, Va.
Editor's note: The writer worked in administering the Marshall Plan in Washington and London.
Business must step up to the plate in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the recovery of the global economy. But continued stability and improvement require substantial foreign direct investment by corporations. How much is investment required? A quick calculation based on U.S. data indicates a requirement of $13 billion a year for Afghanistan--from foreign investors initially, but rapidly developed internally. For all of the countries below the median gross domestic product per capita, the required foreign direct investment to close the gap is $1 trillion per year--about 3.5% of global GDP.
Randal Haithcock
Durham, N.C.
Let's Give Scott McNealy a Break
I was surprised to read the attacks on Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems Inc. ("What mankind needs: Less whining from Scott McNealy," Readers Report, Dec. 10, responding to "Face-off," Cover Story, Nov. 19). McNealy is a progressive and compassionate man. His main failing, like that of Steve Jobs of Apple Computer Inc., is his inability to think outside of the hardware box.
The harsh truth is that computer manufacturers have more in common with Maytag than with Microsoft. Microsoft Corp.'s monopoly is certainly not based on quality products. However, like Andrew Carnegie, William H. Gates III alone seems to understand "ISS"--It's the software, stupid!
I was encouraged by McNealy's decision to refocus Sun's talent on software. Sun Microsystems Inc. and Apple Computer Inc. are both capable of grabbing a major share of Microsoft's operating systems market. To get that share, they must stop expending talent trying to build a better washing machine.
David L. Hagan
Pismo Beach, Calif.
Reward the Team, Not the Stars
Louis Lavelle's commentary put forward the old idea that vast pay differentials between "stars" and "deadwood" will lead to success ("Thinking beyond the one-size-fits-all pay cut," News: Analysis & Commentary, Dec. 3). Hundreds of organizational-effectiveness studies have shown that the greatest productivity in the organization comes not from the manager-identified "stars" but from teams where a collaborative culture keeps the focus on team success and team production. Reward teams that bring in the results with high quality, on time and on budget, and you will build business success. Provide an incentive for infighting, and you destroy the basis for corporate success.
Victoria Marney-Petix
Fremont, Calif.
Jack Welch is a hands-on manager, but his Darwinian selection of the fittest (and the rest be damned) is contrary to "good management." Performance assessment is an art, the object of which has less to do with monetary reward and much more to do with understanding objectives, choosing the right metrics for evaluation, and explaining to people why they merit a raise or not. It is one component of the art of management, and there are others equally important: coaching, recognition of accomplishment (other than monetary), understanding the capabilities of staff personnel, knowing their competencies (and the obverse), etc. It is a very mixed bag of managerial capabilities that makes teams work well together. The Welch mantra is just one tiny component. Do just that one thing, and managers will inevitably fail.
Tony Perla
Aix-en-Provence, France
The Big Board Can Stand Some Competition
We agree with Jeffrey E. Garten that the New York Stock Exchange performs an important function in the marketplace ("The big board shouldn't become just another company," Economic Viewpoint, Nov. 12). Nevertheless, government protection of any market or exchange above others flies in the face of the competitive free market system that the U.S. promotes worldwide .
The floor of the NYSE is a thoroughly commercial enterprise. It is not, for example, like the New York Public Library. Anointing the NYSE because of its entrenched position would be bad policy. It would insulate the Big Board from the only force that drives it to improve competition.
Gerald D. Putnam
Chairman and CEO
Archipelago LLC
Chicago
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