Dear Ben Stein,

[question everything]

Of course you are right that the only news we have been hearing was about Foley, while people are dying in the Congo and in Darfur, while the Talibans are on the verge of taking back Afghanistan with a serious thread to nuclear owning Pakistan. Of course you are right that the military leaders in Afghanistan are begging for more troops.

But don't blame the media. The media reports what it thinks is of interest to its audience and in the past 20 years or so, ever since Reagan took office, the audience wants to watch "reality shows" that titillate and this include the Foley tapes. Poor Anderson Cooper has been in Africa for the past week to report on these places and his stories have been lost in the Foley tapes.

No, direct your admonishment to the "leaders" in Washington.

If we had real leaders who can think beyond their immediate surroundings and sound bites, heck, if we had leaders that can actually think - they would take the initiative to lead UN nations to the Congo and the Sudan to try to keep people from dying, at the rate of a thousand per day. They would send food supply and shelters. They would, yes, help a coup to kick the leaders. After all, we did this to Saddam Hussein, right?

They would institute a "peace draft" for these missions if we are completely out of troops now. They would, gasp, levy a special tax on those making more than, say, @200K to help these efforts. And if anyone would try to call these missions "wag the dog" they would just shrug and continue in these efforts.

I cannot find online your op-ed that you delivered earlier on CBS Sunday Morning. If someone will, perhaps later today, please post a link.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. CBS Sunday Morning used to be a great show

They lost me when they started letting this gas bag be a commentator.

[question everything]

4. I think that he alternates with Nancy Giles (nt)

[bperci108]

7. I miss Charles Kuralt.

He was the best on CBS Sunday Morning.

[EVDebs]

2. Hey Ben, in case you didn't get to read Woodward's book

Prince Bandar pretty much sets the Bush agenda (tutoring him on foreign policy and making demands on US policy to boot). Even HE now is deserting the sinking ship. Let's hope Bandar doesn't have Democratic Part cache.

[tularetom]

3. "Bueller......Bueller"

the only words spoken by Ben Stein that ever made sense.

[WCGreen]

5. But if you really look at that part he played....

The history teacher in High School, the kids were all board and it was portrayed as being funny from the students perspective...

He was talking about important Events and he asked for a voice and all that he got back was blank stares and kids more interested in the rumors about Bueller than what actually might have a Bering on their lives's....

[Evergreen Emerald]

6. and furthermore Mr. Stein:

STOP WHINING!

[Contrary1]

8. Here's the link...

At least, I think it is. I can't bring myself to read any of his garbage.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/08/sunday/main20...

[ariellyn]

9. I happened to see Stein's commentary--while what he said was

true, that HE, of all people said it is a joke. The radical right's hypocrisy is mind blowing.