Dr. Craig Hilton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

I'm sorry to say this, but your country has crossed the line into very scary territory indeed. I followed the Bush-Kerry debate on the news, and the name-calling that came after. Bush, I believe, is now running with the line: "We shouldn't have to depend on the vote from other countries to defend ourselves." If this were the ranting of a loony minority, I would understand. But when it's the election slogan that sets the voting majority cheering, well... imagine what it must look like to countries outside the USA! Translated, it comes out as: "We don't care what anyone else in the world says. We'll invade, conquer and occupy any country we like, to make ourselves feel safe." Is this a line designed to win the hearts and minds of other religions and countries everywhere? Or is Bush finally revealing that he has the mandate from the people of the most powerful democracy in the world to engage itself as the world's great dictator?

There will be no stopping him now.

Meanwhile, three days out from our own elections, John Howard is a little bit ahead of Mark Latham in the polls. This is very depressing. I can't stand any more of the mean-spirited and duplicitous Howard government. People don't trust him, but they don't care that it's an issue. People are more confident that he can run the economy better, although that's a debatable point. It seems to be a case of: "He may be a liar, but he's our liar!"