Under the Gun

I've been a Unificationist for 32 years. A proper refutation of your October story about Justin Moon, "Money, Guns, and God," would be almost as long as the article itself. In brief: Our member-owned businesses do not play the leading role claimed by writer Christopher S. Stewart and his overwhelmingly hostile sources. Even so, only Americans seem to feel that believers ought never to touch filthy lucre. This was the first time in my life I've heard that war-with-the-infidels angle, in letter or spirit. Methinks this effort to link us to Islamic radicalism will fail, thanks to a palliative called reality. Also, the author seems to believe that V.I.P.'s have never before had spoiled offspring. Happily, such troubles fade with maturity. Bloomingdale's shopping bags with a million dollars in cash? Of what denomination were those bills, anyway?

—Paul Carlson, San Lorenzo, California

I'd like to commend Condé Nast Portfolio for running such a dead-on piece on the surreal world of the Reverend Moon's business empire. A fine piece of writing.

—John Gorenfeld, San Francisco, California

Ethical Considerations

One of my undergraduate students showed me the September issue of Condé Nast Portfolio. I actually read it during their midterm business-ethics exam. I then used your Editor's Letter as a point for discussion and referred to a few articles.

It was somewhat serendipitous that the letter spoke of secrecy and "lack of transparency" in the conduct of business. Of course, this is an ethical issue. After spending 22 years in the U.S. Navy, which constantly seeks to instill specific values and skills for ethical decisionmaking, I find it interesting that business is trying to do the same because of moral failures.

Based on the goal of your magazine, which is "to chronicle how business shapes the world," perhaps you would consider incorporating an ethics section that examines both the good and bad of business, with an emphasis on what is being done right.

—Steven L. Smith, Wayland Baptist University, Tucson, Arizona

Great Flow and Copy

You and your team have done an excellent job. A colleague of mine brought your first issue into the office, and after borrowing it and reading a few articles on the way home from work, I immediately went online and subscribed. I think the layout and flow are clean and creative, and this really helps grab the reader's attention. The stories are well written and well thought-out, and the information, especially on private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds, is highly relevant to our business. I often share the articles with my team.

—Michael L. Zinkowski, New York, New York

Free-Range Coverage

I'm not sure if I was more attracted to the topics listed on the cover of your September issue—Cerberus, George Steinbrenner, and Mitt Romney—or its green color (which evoked youthful memories of green Slush Puppies at the public pool). Regardless, I wanted to let you know that I immensely enjoyed your new publication. It was one of the very few times I read a magazine as a novel—as opposed to a Choose Your Own Adventure book.

—Richard Kluxen, Ardmore, Pennsylvania

Congratulations on the launch of such a fine magazine. I'm on the regulatory side of the mutual fund industry, and Condé Nast Portfolio always has exciting and relevant information for me to read and enjoy.

—John Manning, Boston, Massachusetts

Thanks for releasing such a great magazine. Keep it up. I can't wait for the next issue.

—Jeff Silver, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

New World Order

"Wall Street Requiem," in the November issue, presents yet another angle on the capital and financial markets. The Western investment-banking sector is driven by greed and is now so dangerously overloaded with debt that it cannot absorb minor tremors. The subprime fiasco shook the whole banking world, which was partly rescued by the Federal Reserve. The real estate collapse has not bottomed out yet; Alan Greenspan certainly doesn't think it has. The greed and fraud of a few are taking a huge toll on the Western economic system. In the end, the poor wage earners will have to come to the rescue of the obscenely rich—because the wealthy happen to pull the strings of the economy. It's no surprise that Shariah-compliant finance is gaining momentum.

—Naseer Ahmad, Vaughan, Ontario

Letters to the Editor

Please include your name, address, and daytime phone number on all letters and emails to the editor. Correspondence may be emailed to letters@portfolio.com; faxed to 212-286-4435; or mailed to Condé Nast Portfolio, 4 Times Square, New York, NY 10036. The magazine reserves the right to edit submissions, which may be published or otherwise used in any medium. For subscription inquiries, write to subscriptions@portfolio.com or call 800-967-2081. Address all other editorial queries to editors@portfolio.com.

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