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Cats v. Dogs. I

Dear Diners,

The article "Stay!" in the ETS! Farmer's Almanac of December 23, 1998 overwhelmed me with refreshing delight; at last, a glimmer of understanding of the ubiquitous dog cruelty problems of our urban society!

During the many millenia when our ancesters were hunters and gatherers, and our population was an infintessimal fraction of its present grotesque excess, dogs were excellent and natural companions. Even in agricultural times the dog was a useful helper and guard; but now, in our dense urban populations, the instincts of the dog are necessarily severely thwarted. Our parks are turned into canine sewers. Large numbers of people are attacked by canines with incompetent or careless or cruel owners. I cannot recall offhand how many U.S. citizens were killed by dogs last year, but the number was considerable.

Allow me to suggest that the cat provides an infinitely more sensible urban companion. Equipped with a bell on its collar, to protect birds, the cat does not require walks around the neighborhood, and can safely be left at home, with sufficient food and water, for days at a time. Cats are instinctively elegant and graceful creatures! Properly cared for, they never attack people. They are not loyal eager slaves, like dogs; their allegiance and affection must be earned and re-earned daily. A relationship with a cat is more civilized than one with an animal with the instincts of a pack slave.

Forcing a large dog to live in the restrictive confines of a city is cruel. Friends, please keep this in mind next time you are considering urban pet ownership.

--John Moore, Seattle

Let Them Eat Condos

ETS!,

If an individual does not participate in the system, they cannot expect to receive the rewards of doing so. If you cannot afford housing in Puget Sound...move.

--Wesley McCammon, via e-mail

Earthquakes and Microsoft

Dear ETS:

Your "Nickels and Dimes" section was fascinating. I'd like to add one piece of local information. Seattle rejected a proposal to retrofit the Alaskan Way Viaduct to make it safe in an earthquake. They rejected the proposal because it was "too expensive." The proposed cost was about $400 million, substantially less than each of several recent stadiums that were considered "essential" for our economy and our standing as a "first rate city." I wonder what the cost to the city will be if the Viaduct falls, killing lots of people, during an earthquake which is presently being predicted as "inevitable"? Any lawsuits should include massive punitive damages.

On Microsoft, another tidbit which is amusing. First, there was this e-mail that went around as a joke. It said that Microsoft's Y2K project was well underway and would be released in 1901.

The non-joke is that I recently had to purchase a new computer which came (surprise surprise) with Windows 98 WHICH IS NOT Y2K COMPATIBLE . I bought the computer on December 18, 1998 and was told that Microsoft would be shipping me a disk to correct this oversight within two weeks. It is now January 28, 1999 and I have not received any disks. I called the computer store and they told me that Microsoft had released a correction which is on disc and could also be downloaded. They have not advertised this because after putting it out they discovered that it only worked for slightly more than 15% of computers so they had to go back to the drawing board.

--Thalia Syracopoulos, Seattle

House Hypocrite

ETS!,

Ever since he was designated heir-apparent, just-coronated House Speaker Dennis Hastert has been the subject of nothing but adoring hagiography in the establishment press. This guy has a much darker side.

Hastert is an evangelical Christian, anti-abortion, ultra-conservative, pro-business Republican. The mix between these not altogether compatible ideological loyalties sometimes leads him into the land of cognitive dissonance. Consider, for example, two votes he cast on November 6, 1997.

Hastert was one of 415 congressmen to vote for the Forced Abortion Condemnation Act, which denies visas to those Red Chinese government officials that enforce that government's barbaric family planning laws by which women are forced to undergo abortion or sterilization procedures.

Just a few hours later, Hastert was one of only 59 congressmen to vote against the Communist China Subsidy Reduction Act, which prohibits the USA from subsidizing interest-free loans to that country. This loan program has cost U.S. taxpayers over $7 billion over the last 10 years, and Hastert voted to continue it.

According to the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal, forced abortion and sterilization are crimes against humanity, and pious Christian, pro-life Hastert voted to continue to subsidize a government that he knows to be guilty of such crimes.

I have tried to raise this issue with several journalists in the establishment press and gotten nowhere.

--John Stassi, Springfield, Illinois

Fan Mail

Dear Eat the State!rs,

I love your paper! Even though much of the time I have no idea what you're talking about (Seattle politics). The lead piece on children in prison was terrific.

Here's my bit to help the ongoing project.

Happy New Year,

--Katha Pollitt, New York NY