Readers' corner
No clout left
Sir-- In 'Yes... but' ( Al-Ahram Weekly, 15-21 May) what is hard to understand is Egypt's role. What is Egypt doing with regard to the peace process that the Palestinians are not doing? Negotiating with Israel? The Palestinians, at least Fatah, are on speaking terms with Israel. They do not need a third party to speak on their behalf.
And who says Egypt-Israeli relations are good anyway? Egypt is constantly objecting to Israel's brazen atrocities in the occupied territories, criticising Israel almost as much as the Palestinians, if not more.
In addition, Egypt's ties with the United States, the only mediator which counts in the region, is at an all-time low, as evidenced by President Mubarak's halt to what was an annual pilgrimage to Washington.
Egypt hasn't enough political or financial clout to persuade Israel to do anything about the creation of a Palestinian state, its borders, the status of Jerusalem, settlements, the right of return and prisoners. It can't even keep the Rafah crossing point open, which it controls and which is Gaza's only non- Israeli window to the outside world, even though the Palestinians desperately need an outlet from the stifling economic siege imposed upon it.
Egypt's influence in the region has waned considerably in the last few decades. Because of its peace treaty with Israel, its hands are tied. It's true that Egypt led four wars against Israel but there's no reason to suggest why it should also lead the peace. The two countries have a 30-year-old peace deal but that doesn't mean Egypt can copy and paste the same kind of accord between Israel and the Palestinians.
Sami Aziz
New Jersey
USA
Can't cope
Sir-- We can no longer cope with the rapid increase in prices which is eating up our income. The trivial increase in our salaries cannot match the giant price rises in gas and food. The government maintains that it supports those who live a hand-to-mouth existence and insists that the price hikes are a global trend. However, other countries are doing their best to help their citizens, not sedating them into thinking they are helping them.
Sameh Fendi
Cairo
Egypt
NATO no more
Sir-- There is really no point in gasbagging about whether Georgia is a European country or whether it should or should not be in NATO. The essential point is that NATO has served its purpose, and served it well, but now no longer has any reason to exist. That will not change if Georgia is admitted and it will not change if Georgia is not admitted. To my mind, the sole purpose of NATO is to provide a legal pretext for keeping US forces and military supplies close to Israel, hence the latter's finger in the pie. Once the US economy collapses (and McCain is the best man to advance that process!) it won't really matter, since the US will be in no position to do anything for Israel and at that point, NATO will just die of its own irrelevance and be replaced by some EU-centred defence structure which will probably include both Russia and Georgia.
Michael Kenny
Massachusetts
USA
Conspiracy or just apocalypse?
Sir-- The nature of the global food crisis ('Silent Tsunami' 15-21 May) is so simple that people won't accept it. Here's how it goes.
Earth has a finite ability to produce food. In fact it's worse than finite because environmental factors are causing it to shrink. Each year the global population increases by around 75 million. Sooner or later, no matter what steps we take there will simply not be enough food to nourish humanity. We can lower demand by cutting back on waste, by eating lower on the food chain, by not putting food in gas tanks, getting rid of pets, etc, etc but that's only putting off the inevitable, and unlike the energy crisis there's no such thing as alternative food.
In Thailand rice farmers are sleeping in their fields to head off theft of their crops. From India there are reports of common criminals breaking into homes to steal food. Here at home I expect backyard victory gardens will start spreading as food prices go up. The social implications don't provide a pretty picture, but I'll leave that to your imagination.
Michael Everett
Philadelphia
USA
Recommend
Comment
Printer-friendly
