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Please explain why Starr had to be thanked endlessly for appearing before the Judiciary Committee. He should be more than eager to assist the country in this crisis.
RALPH C. POTWARKA
Kitchener, Canada

IMPEACHMENT DEBATE
There's something fundamental missing in the U.S. impeachment process [Nov. 23]. Though legislators have the duty to determine whether or not an impeachable offense has been committed, impeachment is a reversal of the will of a majority of the electorate who voted the public official into office. For a democratic country to finalize an impeachment and actually remove an elected official, there should be a public referendum in which the voters either reject or authorize impeachment.
RICHARD E. ZEIMET
Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan Why do U.S. politicians, journalists and lawyers give the impression that they are all just little kids out in the playground of Washington? For me, an American living in France, perhaps the hardest thing to explain to Europeans has been American womanhood. Monica and Linda are, I hope, not typical. Both are to be pitied. The results of the November elections were the first sign of sanity in an increasingly insane America.
ALISON MARAILLET
Chambery, France

President Clinton can have only our fullest sympathy, as anyone would who is being railroaded out of office. The Republicans are seeking to enlarge their power base and get rid of Clinton. But their Contract with America may be expiring soon, as it should.
CARL KAMMERMEIER
Arthur, Canada

BLAIR OUT OF CONTROL?
Having taken the country by storm, Tony Blair now obliges us to kowtow to his ideology, as described in your article on his vow to ax opposition in Britain's House of Lords [Nov. 30]. Blair's politics are difficult to define. He claims to be Labour but bends over to please the middle and upper classes; he vows social equality but courts the rich and (in)famous among the stars of rock and screen. We have tried commercialism, and we are trying Blair Cool, but there is a third way: I propose we try common sense and stop Blair before he gets completely out of control.
W.H.D. ALLSOP
Newcastle, England

RUSSIA'S LOST GENERATION
Your report on the troubled young Russians "lured to society's rough edges" startlingly revealed a raw tragedy of the Russian people [Nov. 23]. Russians went from being serfs under the Romanov Czars to becoming slaves under the communists. The relative freedom offered by capitalism and democracy has failed miserably to save Russia. Used to dependency, this population is so deeply conditioned to totalitarian government that it cannot understand, let alone embrace, concepts like emancipation of thought and person. Russia's "lost generation" will remain misguided until the foundations of Russian society change.
EMMA O'BRIEN
Thusis, Switzerland

RIOTS IN JAKARTA
The rioting and tragedies in Jakarta have been very disturbing [Nov. 23]. The situation is quite confusing, what with politicians' trying to use Islam as a weapon against reform and the actions of the army and student groups. It seems a secret battle for power is taking place behind the scenes. But why is the International Monetary Fund's $1 billion-a-month aid package still flowing to President B.J. Habibe? And Habibe, by not seriously going after Suharto's wealth or the commandos and thugs who are terrorizing the nation, is not creating confidence. There is still no justice or accountability in Indonesia.
C.S. GRANT
Denpasar, Bali The military hegemony in Indonesia in almost all aspects of life has created a mess here. For more than 30 years the armed forces under Suharto suppressed the people's freedom and denied them a sense of security. The killings of students and other ordinary people have added insult to injury. It is high time the military got out of politics. Indonesians have suffered enough.
AHMAD PATHONI
Jakarta