Big stick is now a walking cane

To the editor:

What is the difference between missiles in Cuba and missiles in Poland? Cuban missiles can easily hit Washington, D.C., and the missiles in Poland can easily hit Moscow.

Now come the Venezuelan war games with the Russian navy, which carries nuclear missiles. These missiles can easily hit the U.S., and if the missiles are fired from Cuba, the Russians have a complete choice of targets.

The Russian navy has a potential winter port, or it can go back to Russia and leave its nuclear missiles with Venezuela, which has cozied up to Iran.

If we can't fight to win in Iraq, how can we be expected to protect the South coast? Our big stick has become a walking cane.

RICHARD KLINE, Gipsy, Mo.