Washington Monthly - September/October 2012 - (Page 13)

laws and rules to get rich at our expense. Eileen and Michael Beard Silver Spring, Md. G ood grief. Another article painting Airbnb hosts as victims of government and the hotel industry. Take off the Internet feel-good blinders for a second and think about why things like zoning laws exist. Would my neighbors think it was a good idea for me to turn my garage into a full-time commercial vehicle repair shop? My garage is mine; it’s an asset for me to tap! However, my neighbors might be pissed at the traffic, the noise, the smell, etc. It would also create a safety risk—increased traffic, fire, oil disposal, whatever. I can’t use my garage for commercial vehicle repair because doing so imposes a cost on those around me in terms of property value, safety, and noise pollution. Turning one’s house into a hotel is a less drastic example, but the same principle applies. I also can’t turn my house into a restaurant, a record store, or a fitness center. And this is a good thing. Rod Edwards Winnipeg, Manitoba fects the prospects for a woman’s success in ways that men don’t have to deal with. No one wants to admit that they take a woman’s looks into account when they make judgments about her intellect, and that’s why this photo makes people uncomfortable. How many of us assumed that the woman in the picture had an IQ lower than her bra size? Men, on the other hand, can get away with relative anonymity as far as their looks are concerned, unless someone is excessively aesthetically challenged, either hygienically or sartorially (e.g., a penchant for seersucker in January). Even then, male wardrobe malfunctions might be seen as “charming eccentricities,” rather than a proxy for his brainpower or character. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MESSAGE n the July/August issue of the magazine, Peter Beck wrote a book review of Victor Cha’s new book, The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future. The review should have said that Mr. Beck wrote this in his personal capacity and the article does not in any way reflect the views of the Asia Foundation. Amy Ovalle Senior Director, Global Communications The Asia Foundation Washington, D.C. I NOTHING LEFT TO SAVE R eading Phillip Longman’s article about retirement savings accounts (“How to Save Our Kids From Poverty in Old Age,” July/August 2012) I wonder how we can require Americans to save for retirement when their incomes increasingly can’t keep up with the cost of living. I love how pundits say Americans can save up to suchand-such a percentage (tax free!) in 401(k) accounts and IRAs—when they’re living paycheck to paycheck. Leo Klein Via Web Comment BOOBS AND BRAINS T he racy photograph accompanying Anne Kim’s article about the absence of women in Washington think tanks (“Where Are the Women Wonks?,” July/August 2012) was inappropriate. Why is there a “cheesecake” photo used for an analytical piece on why women are left out of policymaking? Clearly they are left out of editorial decisions as well. This is offensive, and does nothing to illustrate the piece. It does underscore how women are sexualized and objectified by media. SamiJ Via Web comment Anne Kim responds: I don’t mind the picture. In fact, I like it. The photo isn’t inappropriate; it’s provocative. It directly challenges people to confront their own biases about how beauty (or the lack thereof) af- IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHERE THE WORLD IS GOING, FOLLOW WVU. www.wvu.edu Washington Monthly 13 http://www.wvu.edu http://www.wvu.edu

Washington Monthly - September/October 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Washington Monthly - September/October 2012