Dear Editor,

Mary Conner writes (Asking For Trouble -- letter, Dec. 20): "To erect another huge, monolithic structure that screams out, 'Look at us, we're the biggest, most powerful, wealthiest nation in the world,' is just asking for trouble."

Well, in fact, the U.S. is the wealthiest, most powerful nation in the world. Should it try to hide that fact? Should it pretend to other nations that it is not? Should it grovel and apologize for its strengths? Should it beg forgiveness from other nations for its virtues, so as not to inflame the touchy vanities of those with an inferiority complex? These are exactly the sentiments of the Islamic fundamentalists, who, by their own admission, are bent on destroying the U.S. in part because it is "too proud."

Novelist/philosopher Ayn Rand coined a term for these sentiments, which go far beyond envy: hatred of the good for being the good. Ms. Conner appears to believe that we should appease these sentiments; otherwise we're just "asking for" fanatics to knock down our buildings.

Rob Tarr
Pembroke, Bermuda