AMERICAN ECONOMY

AMERICA'S capitalist image has been damaged, no thanks to accounting scandals currently in the news.

The 1929 Wall Street crash comes to some people's minds; 25 per cent of workers were thrown out of work. By 1941, this figure was down to ten per cent. America's entry into World War Two got shot of unemployment. A blessing in disguise.

Capitalism will eventually run its course, wrote Thorstein Veblen. This guy invented the phrase 'conspicuous consumption', itself to be found in his book headed Theory of the Leisure Class. This book is in my own library.

"Green and self-interest" go with capitalism, wrote scholar and economist Adam Smith. This duo also go with human nature.

Capitalism is not yet terminally ill. In short, it will be back on its feet eventually. Mind you, this will take a long, long time. An American economist (a woman) thinks so too. We could be talking about another (remember 1929) ten or more years recuperation. - Alfred H Lister, Guisborough.

GOVERNMENT SPIN

DO I detect that your correspondent Frank Robson, from Darlington, is none other than Councillor Robson trundling down the hill from Heighington and attempting to bowl a Chinaman? (for non-cricketers that is a left hand bowler's attempt to confuse your readers with an off-break).

Like all spinners, he risks being hit out of the ground!

The media campaign he alludes to is fuelled by our growing awareness that New Labour (Tony Blair's term, not the media's) demonstrates an inability to deliver its 'new initiatives' (again Mr Blair's term not the media's), falls short of its own NHS targets, has worsened the transport problems that threaten to bring us close to a standstill, mis-managed the foot-and-mouth crisis at excessive cost, and now has an education service which includes schools the Minister of State would not touch with a bargepole (her words, not the media's). And then there was the Dome.

All the above has been reported by the media. It is not 'lies, libel and spin'. Neither is it distortion of every utterance made by members of the Government.

So just for once, accept that The Northern Echo and the media in general do a pretty good reporting job and are entitled to reflect the public's attitude. - Simon Kirkpatrick, Darlington.

THE Government has woven more webs than a spider, time after time. As for the simplification regarding unemployment, it is not so long ago that a Government minister admitted he could not and would not like to even try to live on £4.10 per hour.

This Government spends £18bn and cannot sort out the drugs issue and the crime it creates. That's £11,000 per person per year the Government is taking away from us.

It was the Sun newspaper that put New Labour in power and, whether it was simply a case of feathering its own nest, it must question New Labour and who it is really benefiting. It is certainly not the less well off, some may be, but only at the expense of others.

The usual clichs about 18 years of destruction are myth and lies. When Margaret Thatcher came to power in the 1970s, the country was on the verge of bankruptcy and when New Labour came to power in 1997, the economy was in a damn sight better state.

The Tories simply became complacent and arrogant and were led by a wimp. They got what they deserved.

Whether New Labour can keep on kidding us that the nation is in good hands has more to do with weak opposition, voter apathy and a Press that, for too long, has given them too much leeway.

All that could change, unless New Labour started to give us better government and less spin. - John Young, Crook.

MIDDLE EAST

CHAIRMAN Arafat is the elected head of the Palestinians and President Bush has no right to demand his removal.

If I were Mr Arafat I would tell Mr Bush that he did not even win his own election. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

PETER Mullen (Echo, June 25) suggests that Arab nations should 'civilise themselves', embrace democracy, and show greater tolerance of Christian religious practice.

If Arab nations are any less civilised than the West, it is only insofar as they have been decivilised by persistent Western oppression and interference.

The contribution to civilisation by Islamic scholars, artists, scientists and mathematicians has been tremendous. The West continues to stifle democracy and to support despotic Arab regimes because it suits their commercial and political objectives to do so.

Muslims do want pluralistic and inclusive democracy and most would agree that the rights of non-Muslims to practice their own religions should be respected. The Qur'an advises that "there shall be no coercion in matters of faith". - Pete Winstanley, Durham.