Business Letters

Re: David Lazarus’ consumer column “Small firms find it harder to give health benefits,” Feb. 15:

It is not surprising to find out that small businesses are hard-pressed to maintain health benefits. This is but one of many faults with employer-based health insurance, a practice that began in response to specific labor problems during World War II.

Because there was a labor shortage combined with price and wage freezes, employers began to offer health benefits to compete for workers. Like many bad policies, this one was never planned for the long term. We need a public health system to replace it.

David Eggenschwiler

Emeritus professor, USC

Los Angeles

Exposing greed of some doctors

Re: Michael Hiltzik’s column “Tons of ads for weight loss aid,” Feb. 14:

These surgeons prey upon vulnerable people who are misinformed by the billboards. Physicians should promote preventive care, nutrition and immunizations. Unfortunately, some of us will do anything for money.

Dinesh Ghiya, M.D.

Whittier

Ghost in the Toyota machine

Re: “Electronic ‘ghost’ would haunt Toyota,” Feb. 14:

A grasp of what’s “bugging” Toyota is likely to lie in the esoteric areas of math known as chaos, complexity and fractals. Neither Toyota nor the world in general will like what they find there.

The bottom line is that a computer can be programmed to add 2 and 2 and after a sufficient number of iterations will come up with 5 as the answer . . . or 19 . . . or a trillion.

John F. Rossmann

Tustin

Military laser claim in question

Re: “Airborne laser shoots down missile in test, Pentagon says,” Feb. 13:

The Missile Defense Agency’s claim that the “test” confirms that the system can attack multiple missiles is not true. For the claim to be true, the system must be shown to have the capability to detect, track and attack multiple, simultaneously launched, closely spaced missiles within seconds. This is a necessary system requirement, because ballistic missiles have powered flight times of at most 15 minutes.

Roy Danchick

Los Angeles

Spending goes with freedom

Re: “Thrifty Chinese resist enticements to spend,” Feb. 13:

Your article omitted a key factor in China’s inability to become a consumer society. Scholars have identified a general positive correlation between political freedom and household consumption. Freedom leads to a higher level of confidence in the future. Consumers are then more willing to part with their money.

Chinese consumers do not need a stimulus. They need political freedom.

Minyao Wang

New York

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