I have a question for Matthew X. Ryan ("Liberals deserve thanks for undermining liberty," Sept. 11) You mentioned in your letter that liberals want to repeal Bush's tax cuts.

Did you know Republicans are now saying this is likely because of the $87 billion requested by the president for Iraq and Afghanistan? Interesting, isn't it?

Some of those crazy liberals you're talking about also opposed invading Iraq because they thought the reasons Bush gave to support doing so were the misguided.

If the real reason to invade was to free the oppressed Iraqis, why didn't he say so?

The fact is the president and his neo-conservative hawks are doing this military globetrotting (as you say, "overthrowing dictators and freeing oppressed people") without the approval of much of the world's citizenry. No one has asked us for help.

And as for liberals opposing legislation that suffocates civil rights (the Patriot Act), I think that makes them protectors of freedom.

The growing disdain for the United States did not occur before 9/11, but after.

Riding the backs of those that died that day with a good vs. evil policy and inappropriately naming bill is offensive.

Limiting the private sphere and forcing a sovereign nation to support us in every way possible seems to me like a bully on a playground.

The trouble is this bully is quickly running out of resources like oil and money.

Where should we go next to find it? What excuse will we use to force countries to comply with our needs?