Letters.

In his Nov. 5 article "Your Papers, Please," John Derbyshire just does not appreciate what is a reality in this country: Anyone who has a credit card is already part of a national database, a database that the federal government can access. His argument about privacy is moot nonsense. And Alan Dershowitz should not be brought into the discussion. He flunked Constitutional Law 101 when he could not figure out why the Supreme Court took up the case of court shenanigans in Florida.

Hank Nizko

Melbourne, Fla.

While glorifying Harry Truman has become popular these days, trying to find a "parallel" between Korea and the September 11 disasters shouldn't obscure history. Andrew J. Bacevich ("What It Takes," Oct. 15) seems aware of President Truman's pre-Korea lack of political will, but then backs off and ignores Truman's essential role in inviting the Korean War in the first place. Bacevich's Monday-morning "larger strategic context" cannot resurrect a less-than-creditable performance by Mr. "Buck Stops Here" Truman, and history should so record. We should be leery of Bacevich's apparent yen for globalization or American empire as the answer to the world's ills.

W. Edward Chynoweth

Sanger, Calif.

In his Oct. 15 piece, "The Western Edge," Arthur Herman (and possibly the book's author, Victor Davis Hanson) misses one dramatic counter- example to the claim of Western military dominance: the Mongol war machine. During the reign of Ogedei Khan, Mongol armies repeatedly routed every European military force they met. After his death, the tide from the Asian steppes receded from central Europe, but stayed in part of eastern Europe for centuries. Another power that repeatedly enjoyed success against the European military was the Ottoman Turks, but no power so badly manhandled the Western military as the Mongols.

Henry E. Heatherly

Lafayette, La.

In his article "Kofi's Hour" (Nov. 5), Theodore Dalrymple makes the tongue-in-cheek statement: "The Norwegians haven't had a real leader since Quisling." The five years of Nazi Germany's occupation of Norway did produce real leaders: the leaders of the resistance movement. But the truest leader of the Norwegian people during WWII was their king, Haakon VII. He left Norway for England under dramatic circumstances, pursued by German military intent on killing him. In exile, the king played an important role as a rallying force, keeping morale and spirits high.

Arne Mjosund

Naples, Fla.

What Mayor Giuliani showed the Saudi prince (The Week, Nov. 5) had nothing to do with "spine." It was a lesson in demagogy, by both Giuliani and NR. Giuliani accused the prince of trying to justify the terrorism. He did nothing of the sort. His statement was a polite attempt to alert us that our unbalanced policy in the Middle East was making enemies and providing the fanatic fringe with an excuse for terrorism. I am now waiting for Giuliani to come up with $10 million of his own to replace the money he deflected from the New York victims.

K. A. Skala

Denver, Colo.

I have been enjoying your coverage of our conflict with the terrorists, and agree with much of what you have printed in the pages of NR. However, your decision to print Mark Steyn's article ("Fight Now, Love Later," Oct. 15) was poor. The sexual overtones of the piece were inappropriate and detracted from his message.

Christian Mikkelson

Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Your recent issues covering the war on terrorism have been profound, and serve the national interest. And you have had the good sense to publish the always-engaging Mark Steyn.

Russell E. Cleary

Maynard, Mass.