As the World Reels

I'm quite disappointed by the way NEWSWEEK utilized "a noted provocateur" to deal with the most vital issue regarding the character of Sarah Palin. You couldn't do a better favor to the theocons who want to destroy both democracy and faith. Fundamentalists love to make the public believe this debate is between faith and atheism (using exactly the same tricks as with intelligent design): the true debate is at the political level between democracy and theocracy, and at the religious level between sound faith and fundamentalism. In the United States as in the Middle East, and increasingly in Europe, the true enemies of fundamentalism are the true partisans of democracy: each camp needs the opposing caricature to thrive and prosper. As a president, George W. Bush failed lamentably. As a fundamentalist, he successfully boosted fundamentalism worldwide. His only "failure"? Being one Supreme Court justice short of completing the transformation of America. True partisans of democracy and of the republic should understand that America cannot let Bush-McCain-Palin nominate the next members of the Supreme Court. It is high time for America to declare its independence from fundamentalism.

Stephane Mot
Seoul, South Korea

Georgia ' s Democratic Credentials
The question of Georgia's democratic credentials was settled twice this year—in extraordinary presidential elections last January and in parliamentary elections in May ("The West Hails Georgia as a Democracy. But Is It One?" PERISCOPE, Sept. 29). Thousands of international observers judged both elections as better than any previous election in Georgia. Indeed, the former election was the direct result of last November's unrest. Then, the government had to act. But it had to renew its citizens' consent to govern. President Mikheil Saakashvili chose to settle this question by resigning (thus cutting his own mandate short by over a year) and standing for re-election. He won, but that did not please the losers. Thousands demonstrated in the streets of Tbilisi to voice their disappointment. There was no trouble. Opposition demands were discussed and substantially met: the board of the public broadcaster was recast, giving the opposition an equal voice; vice chairmanships of parliamentary committees were granted to them, the electoral threshold lowered, the opposition given broad representation in electoral administration, Georgia's efforts to enshrine its democracy continued even in the face of mounting Russian provocations. The country has moved a long way from where it was in 2003, before the Rose Revolution brought the current team to power. It moved from 87th to 37th place in the Heritage Foundation's index of economic freedom, 112th to 18th in the World Bank's ease of doing business index and 133rd to 79th in Transparency International's corruption index. Freedom House contrasts the improvements in Georgia with the situation in our neighbors Armenia, Azerbaijan and especially Russia. Both it and Reporters Without Borders think our media are freer than any of these countries, especially Russia's. Education reforms have been praised by the World Bank and international experts for being "unprecedented in scope and schedule." In 2003, we were almost a failed state. We have made tangible progress in the face of widespread poverty, a dysfunctional administration, and a Russian economic blockade which shut down our main export market overnight. Georgian democracy is far from perfect. Some things simply can't be done in five years. But the reform process is accelerating and our democracy is strengthening. The government and the opposition are working together to manage the postwar aid flows and other crucial functions of the state. Russia tried to destroy Georgia's democracy. Paradoxically, it has ended up making it stronger.

Alexander Lomaia, Secretary
National Security Council of Georgia
Tbilisi, Georgia

Succeeding Kim Jong Il
Thank you for the timely and pertinent analysis in "Looking Past Mr. Kim" (Sept. 22). It is a must read for every North Korea observer. Whoever succeeds Kim will either follow in his footsteps to exhibit the irrelevant tough stance, or be more receptive to the West and the world at large. The successor need not be a single ruler; there could also be a collective leadership. Whatever may result, the world ought to treat North Korea with due respect and recognition (which will eventually be reciprocated), and maintain the cordial talks that have proved to be rather fruitful so far. Abrasive confrontation and abusive denunciation do not work; they can only bring lethal conflicts. Let mutual obeisance prevail.

Venze Chern and T. B. Tee
Singapore