http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/24057964.html

Dear Mr. Jackson,
I am grateful that you found my recent letter worth publishing:

Appeal on Pakistan

Michael Smerconish's appeal to take up
the burden in Pakistan is similar to the unilateral blustering actions
that got us into such difficulty over the last eight years
("Make-or-break issue in campaign: Pakistan," July 6). We are already a
second-rate financial power, and the recklessness of the Bush years may
have reduced to second-rate status the very armed forces that underlie
our strength. America is bleeding jobs, prosperity and technical
superiority. Pakistan ought to be a priority for international concern,
but it is not our unilateral responsibility.

Ben Burrows
Elkins Park
I do find that the editing of my original text removed much of its
forcefulness:

To the editor:

Michael Smerconish's op-ed appeal (Currents, 7/6) to take up the White
Man's Burden in Pakistan is another appeal to America's superpower
status, and to unilateral blustering actions which got us into such
difficulty over the past eight years. We are already a second-rate
financial power, and may already have reduced to second-rate status the
very armed forces that underlies our nation's past strength -- because
of the reckless policies and unrestricted deregulation that has
accompanied the Bush years. America is bleeding jobs, bleeding
prosperity, and bleeding technical superiority. Pakistan ought to be a
priority for international concern, but it is not our unilateral
responsibility.

Ben Burrows

406 Shoemaker Road

Elkins Park, PA 19027

215-266-2029

The reference to the "White Man's Burden" is an allusion to a famous
nineteenth century poem by Rudyard Kipling. In this poem, Kipling
exhorts the youth of his time to support the cause of British
colonialism, in much the same fashion that George Bush and his cohort
send off our youth to support our superpower status. http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_2/kipling.html
. The shortening of "White Man's Burden" to simply "burden" makes the
forceful comparison of my original allusion into a whiny shirking
snivel.

When editorial letters and commentaries (on your page) regularly
question the left's patriotism, belittle liberal morality and religious
conviction, or pretend that the shriveling conservative power base is
still a majority opinion, it is not fair to edit out the forceful
allusions which you habitually leave in conservative commentary.

Ben Burrows
406 Shoemaker Road
Elkins Park, PA 19027
215-266-2029