The Hays Daily News, Hays, Kansas, on ending Olympic torch's travels

We remain unimpressed by the 85,000-mile journey of the Olympic torch from ancient Olympia in Greece to Beijing.

The longer-than-usual trek was designed by China, the host country, to draw positive attention to its growing economic and political influence in the world. Instead, the flame has drawn negative attention to China's human rights record — particularly with concern to Tibet. The torch has attracted protesters and violence in almost every major city it's passed through so far.

Perhaps it's time for the International Olympic Committee to end the resurrected tradition and simply have host countries light the flame at the games' site.

The Olympics are intended to showcase the world's best athletes in a variety of sports and to encourage good relations among the world's countries. The trouble is, not every country has good relations with others when the quadrennial event comes along. And the games take on overtones of political impasse.

If all the running of the Olympic Torch is going to accomplish is extend the amount of time people spend arguing those same political positions, then we shouldn't run anywhere with the flame. Put it out and wait for the games to begin. The ritual is not worth preserving.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas,

on airline regulation

Track the latest turmoil in the U.S. airline industry back to one word: airworthy.

As in, if an airplane has not been inspected and maintained exactly according to a complicated set of very specific and detailed instructions issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, it is deemed to be not airworthy. ...

There is a very real difference between not airworthy and unsafe. The first term says that there may be conditions on the airplane that could make it unsafe. The second says that those conditions exist and that there is a high risk that the airplane will not fly properly or could crash.

The FAA's job is to make sure that all planes are airworthy and never become unsafe. That's a good thing. But here's the bad thing — an example cited by Ron Ricks, a senior vice president at Southwest:

An FAA directive says that a particular bolt on Boeing 737 aircraft must be inspected periodically and replaced under certain conditions. When it is replaced, the mechanic may add a washer. A Southwest mechanic decided one recent Friday evening that the bolt on one aircraft should be replaced and two washers should be added, but the FAA directive did not mention a second washer. The plane was grounded until the following Monday to get FAA permission to add a second washer.

An extreme example, for sure, but it illustrates the current problem. Even regulatory compliance can go to a ridiculous extreme. ...

The Northwest Herald, Illinois,

on flight fiasco

... When it comes to air travel, safety should be the top priority. The FAA should ensure that airlines, many of which are struggling financially, do not place customers at risk to save a few bucks. ...

Given the timing of the crackdown, however, opens the FAA up to criticism. The current safety audit began shortly after FAA officials received harsh criticism related to Southwest Airlines. Calvin Scovel, inspector general of the Transportation Department, told a congressional hearing that the FAA's relationship with Southwest had become too cosy and collaborative. The inspection lapses dated to 1999, and the FAA allowed Southwest to self-disclose violations of mandatory safety requirements. ...

Now, in the past week, the FAA has forced the cancellations of more than 3,100 flights. The vast majority of the flights were with American Airlines and involved MD-80 aircraft. ...

Are we to believe that all of these planes were safe to fly just two weeks ago, but now the concerns about safety are so severe that all of these flights had to be cancelled? It appears that the FAA is sending a message to airlines that its safety directives cannot be ignored or manipulated. Thing is, if the FAA were doing its job all along, such a message would not be needed, and such widespread cancellations would not have happened. ...

The Ironton Tribune, Ironton, Ohio, on the US economy

... It seems that both political parties are out of touch with one of the biggest problems facing our nation and that is fuel costs. ...

The Democrats want to push another stimulus plan — even though we haven't had time to see if the first $168 billion plan works — and focus on other programs such as unemployment benefits and food stamps. ...

No amount of incentive checks, tax credits or other packages will truly "fix" our economy if gas prices continue to soar, driving up the costs of everything else. ...

Many Republicans, on the other hand, seem content to do very little, if anything. They join the president in continually saying that everything will get better.

Saying it over and over again doesn't make it true.

Our leaders need to continue the economic revitalisation plans already implemented but also make energy costs the top priority.

Anything less just continues to ignore that proverbial elephant until our nation's economy gets completely trampled.

The Tuscaloosa News, Alabama,

on using torture

... Late last week, The Associated Press — using one of those well-placed confidential sources that Bush fears and loathes — confirmed that administration leaders from Vice President Dick Cheney on down approved using torture in the interrogation of terror suspects after asking the Justice Department to endorse their legality. ...

Those involved in the meetings, which were held in the White House Situation Room, asked the Justice Department to legitimise the interrogation techniques they approved. The political manipulation of the department has been a recurrent theme of the Bush administration.

Justice responded by issuing at least two memos between 2002 and 2003 that said the torture was legally justified.

Both legal opinions were withdrawn later after they were exposed in the news media.

Ashcroft — a conservative icon and a key supporter of the USA Patriot Act — was said to be troubled by the meetings.

"Why are we talking about this in the White House?" he was quoted as saying. "History will not judge us kindly."

He is absolutely right. Long after the Bush administration is history, our nation will continue to be tarnished by its record of disregard for the rule of law and human rights. ...

Watertown Daily Times, New York,

on World Food Programme

Haitian lawmakers on Saturday ousted Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis amid growing unrest over food prices in a nation marked by chronic hunger. ...

In the Philippines, retail rice prices have escalated 20 percent to 30 percent. ...

In Bangladesh, the price of rice has jumped by more than 30 percent since a cyclone hit the country last year and destroyed some 3 million tons of food crops. ...

It was against this backdrop that Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund, and Robert Zoellick, World Bank president, over the weekend issued back-to-back warnings of dire consequences from high food prices, especially in developing countries. ...

Globally, food prices have shot up 40 percent since the middle of last year. The U.N.'s World Food Program says it will fall about $500 million short of what is needed to feed 89 million people this year.

In assessing blame, it has become easy to point the finger at policies encouraging development of biofuels, which have put a demand on crops such as corn but also caused farmers to abandon less profitable food crops in favour of government-subsidized biofuels.

While that may contribute to the problem, long-term drought, natural disasters, civil wars, corruption and domestic polices also play a role.

Regardless of the causes, the crisis from rising prices and resulting hunger can destabilise governments as seen in Haiti. Mr. Zoellick called on governments "to put our money where our mouth is" and provide the World Food Program with the $500 million it needs by May 1. The United States and other nations must respond.