Dear Sirs:

As Britain contemplates how to handle the situation caused by the abduction of its sailors and marines by the Iranians, it should consider how the Americans handled the seizure of its embassy and 52 diplomatic personell by the Iranians. Almost 30 years, the ineptitude of America's President Jimmy Carter allowed our diplomats to languish for 444 days. Bullies like the president of Iran understand only one thing: the decisive use of force. I hope your Prime Minister handles this situation better than our President did.

Michael T. Merrion, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Speaking of Burma, did anyone ever figure out how many people died from the Tsunami there a few years ago.?Strange that we never heard anything about them.

sc, Atlanta, USA

on the iran case

please can't people in england broadcast there emails to iran to say, we are 100% behind the captives and believe it was an inoccent mistake and that they should be released now, and that they have been held far to long, and that no matter how many broadcast iran put on tv will not excuse the fact they we are not at war with them and that those people just want to go home to there family;s and you are holding them beyond there will, and the will of the person you worship. cause which ever god u worship the meaning, the same do unto others as u would do to you. i don't believe in god in any christian or catholic church or muslim but i do believe in witch craft and what do they teach you. what you give, you recieve. that's good magic. black magic is hurt and will be hurt. so iran go on hurt our people and see what god and karma will rain back on you??

DIANE REYNOLDS, SPALDING, LINCS

and there was i thinking the taj mahal was built for love

fred, london,

Mike, from London, has a good point, one worth mulling over.
Anyway, tyrants do like their goofy physical monuments, goose-stepping masses of soldiers, banners proclaiming the people's undying love for them, and crowds of little uniformed children bearing flowers for their Beloved Leaders. Sad, really sad. And it just gets worse shortly before the tryants are dumped into the dustbin of history.
Let's hope the the few remaining such crack-pots are dumped before they do too much more damage to their own people.

James, Jacksonville, Illinois U. S.

A very good article, well written except for the reference to the Foehrer - I think Mr McIntyre meant Fuehrer? I expect faultless grammar from The Times and at least a basic knowledge of European Languages. If in doubt ask, don't guess.

Dorothy della Porta, Warwick,

I was told that Orwell fashioned his Ministry of Truth- the " “enormous, pyramidal structure of white concrete, soaring up terrace after terrace, three hundred metres into the air . . .” " upon Senate House- the University of London's library building (situated between Malet Street and Russell Square in Bloomsbury)..... the physical description certainly matches. Perhaps London University is truly evil, too.... I think we should be told!

A. Jones, Brussels, Belgium

Three years ago I worked with an NGO which was helping the indigenous peoples of Burma/Myanmar to survive. This is a junta which has been built on rape, murder, pillaging, theft and land reclamation, displacing populations and generally destroying what was once a wonderful country.
Ben Macintyre is right. However, what will anyone do when this powercrazed and brutal regime crumbles?
As anyone who knows about Burma, the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi is the tip of the political iceberg. Burma is made up of many ethnic groups who all have their issues with the country. Whoever has the task of rebuilding this ravaged country will need to negotiate more than than the social and economic disaster that the junta has created.

Frances Roberson, Croydon, UK

It's great. Now, if we decided to make the world a better place we only have to drop one bomb and no great architectural treasures will be lost. It's practically an invitation.

Miike, London,

Brasilia, with all the mysticism that surround’s it, was suppose to be the pride of a new, beautiful, modern and strong country, home to a free, rich and democratic people. Today Brasilia is a decaying place with monumental buildings falling in disrepair and in reality, is no more then a place from where corrupt and incompetent politicians lie and steal, to and from, their own people. What a shame.

Fabio C, London,

It’s all very well to be patronising, but you are conveniently overlooking Henry VII’s chapel, which in it’s day was exceptional. Then there is the new Palace of Westminster and Trafalgar Square. This representative building is pretty universal but different regimes have their different styles. The American, for example, is particularly conspicuous - Washington DC alone - but we don’t necessarily see it in the focus you are using here. And then there is Versailles and post revolutionary Paris. The French are particularly keen on their ‘representative’ architecture. The big mistake is to tear down regime buildings in a fit of reaction - unless they really are ugly or badly designed.

Henry Percy, London, UK

Conversely, many architects seem to be wannabe dictators. Just look at the grandiosity and arrogance they exhibit when they are allowed to express themselves.

Frank Upton, Solihull,

Correct me if I am wrong, but was it not the Conservative Government immediately prior to Blair's Government that planned, and set in stone the building of the Dome. Labour inherited a white elephant they could not simply destroy.

Though saddled with this, they did make some unexplainable errors in the content and future of the Dome.

Michael Holloway, Sydney, Australia/ NSW

This article is a great example of why I love to read the Times. And I say this without a trace of irony despite the fact that I live in Canberra [ which is coming on quite nicely, thank you ]

James , Canberra, Australia.