Brent Hodgson should have saved his predictably melodramatic reference to Neville Chamberlain for theater club ("North Korea should not be appeased," SN 2/15). Nevermind the incredible kowtowing to Saudi Arabia, champion of human rights. Nevermind the kowtowing to South Africa during practically the entire reign of apartheid.

Appeasing North Korea would be foolish, but to suggest it is some radically new means is disappointing. May I suggest that those people that believe in appeasement first read the Pressler Amendment, employ LexisNexis to look at the history of al-Qaida operations through Pakistan, and look at the group picture of the big happy partnership against terror and the $11 billion aid packages that come with it.

You just might learn something.

Kannan Raghunathan
physics senior