US elections

This is with reference to the article “Romney's impressive showing in second debate” ( Business Line , October 20). For all its pomp and circumstance, the US Presidential debates are indeed a farce. Though there has been extensive post-debate analysis, the fact is the US Presidential election is fought and decided in a handful of “swing” states.

The Democrats and the Republicans mostly ignore the rest of the states and hardly spend time campaigning in those. Given America’s immense economic challenges, an ideal President is one who would strike compromises. But, both the candidates have extreme positions, as Romney blames today’s ills on the government and wants to cut taxes further, and Obama wants to keep spending on entitlements and moans the rich to share the pain through higher taxes.

They lack crisp plans of how they will address these issues in the next four years; how they will work with the US Congress in pushing their agenda, given its recent lackadaisical performance. Therefore, irrespective of the outcome, it is becoming clear that things are not going to be easy for ordinary Americans.

Varad Seshadri

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Political climate

This refers to the article “Alarming charges, vitiated atmosphere” ( Business Line , October 22).

The references to ministers in newspapers in the 1950s and 1960s were only about their announcements of activities and seldom on any adverse comments about public grievances such as agitations by the public for various reasons. Complaints of wrongdoings by ministers were very rare.

T. R. Anandan

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