EVERY GREEK FOR HIMSELF

A big fat financial fiasco; Sarah Palin's popularity; the social-network kid; Sinatra all the way; Lindsay Lohan's last chance; and more

I have lived in Greece for nearly 20 years. In his article for Vanity Fair ["Beware of Greeks Bearing Bonds," October], Michael Lewis has articulated, with laser precision, the exact situation within this country. There are decent, hardworking, and talented people in Greece, but they are incessantly ground down by the greed and corruption that surround them. As the Chinese say, "Even a swan begins to stink when it swims in a swamp." I can only hope that the International Monetary Fund will drain this Hellenic bayou and make it possible for an ethical and healthy society to take root.

RENEE PAPPAS Athens, Greece

WHILE THERE ARE some truths Michael Lewis brought out in his article (nothing new to anyone who knows Greece), unfortunately it contained many half-truths and misleading statements. Moreover, as an American living in Greece, I found the tone of the article to be highly offensive and arrogant—the work of someone who knows very little about the country, its history, its culture, and the circumstances which brought it to where it is today, but who tries to pawn off his very superficial impressions as some kind of meaningful observations or analyses.

DAMIAN ROBINSON Penteli, Greece

I AM a columnist and current-affairs reporter for the Athens daily Eleftherotypia. I read Mr. Lewis's article in your magazine and found it to be the most accurate piece written about my country since the economic crisis began.

CHRISTOS MICHAELIDES Athens, Greece

WELCOME TO THE PALIN ZONE

THREE CHEERS for Michael Joseph Gross for following the facts and letting the chips fall where they may ["Sarah Palin: The Sound and the Fury," October]. Real journalism survives! At last, the source of Sarah Palin's popularity is revealed between his lines. It is us. More specifically, it is our inability to apply critical thinking to those we choose to lead. And now, during the most politically and socially complicated time in world history, do we really want to follow a non-intellectual, imprudent, selfindulged thespian? Come on, America!

GREG BROOKS Greensboro, North Carolina

I AM a career journalist, and I understand the desire to find a new angle on an overly reported story. With that said, I should say I was sorely disappointed at the low points in Michael Joseph Gross's article on Sarah Palin. It's amazing to me that in this day and age we can still be so sexist. I'm referring to the section of the article dealing with Sarah's approach to mothering her children while on the road. It occurs to me that this area is never broached when discussing male politicians, nor is the subject of their wardrobe budget thrown into the conversation. Instead, we focus on their track record, their glad-handing, and their bright-white smiles. If a woman, on the other hand, improves her appearance for the sake of a campaign, it is suddenly fodder for the media. I wonder how much Mr. Obama's suits cost. I'm sure he didn't purchase them at Macy's. My point in all of this is simply that, while Sarah may lie, may have a rocky home life, and may (gasp) leave her children overnight to hit the campaign trail, that doesn't make her any worse of a political figure than the men in the arena. In fact, I'd say it makes her fit right in with the rest of them. Instead, can we please have an article on Mr. Obama's apparently open schedule, which allows him to take multiple "vacations" while the rest of the country is crumbling? I would like you, Mr. Gross, to poke around in his closets for a while. He is, after all, in office and Sarah is not.

MIRANDA BRADLEY Georgetown, Texas

MICHAEL JOSEPH GROSS RESPONDS: Miranda Bradley wonders why I brought up Sarah Palin's ''approach to mothering." I did so because she brings it up all the time, say ing that her experience as a wife and mother qualifies her to be a political leader. (In her "Mama Grizzlies" video, Palin announces "a mom awakening" a movement based on the idea that "moms just kinda know when somethings wrong!) This claim makes the truth about her domestic life relevant to evaluating her fitness as a leader. The reality, as detailed in my article, is deeply at odds with the image that she projects. It is not sexist to describe that discrepancy. Nor is it sexist to describe Palin's deceit concerning the exorbitant spending of campaign funds on personal items. She claims to be an "average American" and an economic conservative. Her behavior reveals the falsehood of these claims, too.

IT WAS INTERESTING to read about the current state of affairs in Wasilla, Alaska. I lived there in the early 1990s and attended the same church as Sarah Palin, Wasilla Assembly of God. So it's sad for me to hear how Wasilla has been so adversely impacted by the politics and promotion of Ms. Palin. I found the people there to be kind and generous and the place to be awe-inspiring. Yet, based on my experience in Wasilla, and even more so in the church, I must confess that when I heard that Senator McCain had chosen her as his running mate it confirmed my decision to vote for our current president, Barack Obama. Until Palin arrived on the scene, in 2008, I sincerely felt that Senator McCain could have been a true challenge to the Obama campaign. I really appreciated McCain's moderate tone, but as soon as he gave in to the conservative Evangelicals and to the rhetoric of people such as Ms. Palin, I was turned off. And this comes from someone who is an evangelical Christian through and through.

ELENA YEE Santa Barbara, California

IF THERE IS ONE THING worse than Ms. Palin's obvious lies and distortions, all meant to pander to people's worst fears and meanest natures, it's the press's willingness to continually cover her as "legitimate" news, rather than marginalizing this nut job with no/7-coverage. Why does she complain about the press? Today, when any kind of publicity is good publicity ("the Snooki effect"), the press has become her greatest ally. If she continues to mimic Hitler's M.O. of telling the "big lies" enough times and loudly enough, via the press, which obediently reports every Twitter message, people will eventually buy into them. We used to ignore cranks; now we quote them and put them on TV, which legitimizes them in the eyes of our overly starstruck country.

STEVEN BOURNE Los Angeles, California

I WANTED TO WRITE a letter of support and thanks to Michael Joseph Gross for his reporting on Sarah Palin. I also have to thank Vanity Fair for being the only publication I've come across that has had the courage to write the truth about her. I had not heard of Sarah Palin until 2008, when I listened to her snarky, red-meat speech at the Republican National Convention. Regardless of political differences of opinion, I don't recall politics ever being as ugly as they are right now. And I attribute that to Sarah Palin and the Republican Party. Despite her whining about the "la me stream media," she has been given a pass by most media outlets, and many of us are tired of it. I believe that Mr. Gross did his best to write a very accurate story. Palin's followers seem blinded by something that I don't quite understand.

MORE FROM THE V.F. MAILBAG

Following Michael Lewis's "Beware of Greeks Bearing Bonds," in the October issue, it should come as no surprise to hear that in Athens they have once again taken to the streets, this time in defense of the motherland. "Congratulations to Mr. Lewis for the excellent article on Greece." seethes Antonis Mengoulis. "It captures the inner essence of things." Gee, that doesn't sound at all angry. But Lewis definitely finds himself in the patriotic crosshairs of Kostas Harvatis, who complains, "Accept my congratulations for Mr. M. Lewis's excellent piece on the bitter truth about what's going on in the country of statistical and accounting wizardry." Hmm, not that one, either... Oh. well.

Sarah Palin's supporters, on the other hand, really did rise as one to defend her in the wake of "Sarah Palin: The Sound and the Fury," by Michael Joseph Gross. "Pickey [sic] and rediculous [.viir] rhetoric," writes reader Sherman Eger. "You are obviously getting attack orders from your Progressive Media Elites (Overlords?)," observes Charles Marsh, of La Mesa, California. (Note to Mr. Marsh: It's the Overlords this time. Our deal with the Progressive Media Elites ended last month. Next month, we'll be in the thrall of the East Coast Champagne Socialists.) "If I was at the Alamo and had the choice between Sara [sic] Palin and Barak [.vie] Obama to stand and fight beside me while fending off the Mexican army, I'd select Sara [,v/c] Palin in a heartbeat," writes Mark Maxey, of Huntsville, Alabama. That's a scenario we've never considered, for some reason, but it does sound like a fun game! O.K., so let's say you were at Thermopylae fending off the Persian armyPalin or Obama? What about at Leningrad against the Germans and Finns—Palin or Obama? And. wait, in Xiangyang... against... the Mongols? Palin? Obama?

"James Wolcott couldn't have been more spot-on than in his description [in "Barbarians at the Shore"] of the Cretans that are depicted in Jersey Shore," writes Randy Rogers, of Scottsdale. Arizona. Cretans? Does Michael Lewis know about this?

Jan Bader, of Culpeper. Virginia, had a comment on the Lindsay Lohan cover story—"There must be at least a dozen people out here that are interested in her"—making these generous ofTers from readers all the more welcome: "I would like to volunteer to grace your next cover," writes Katherine Hortenstine, from Alexandria, Virginia. "My daughter should be on the cover," says Camille Harris, of

Tampa, Florida. "She graduated with honors, speaks/writes fluent English and Spanish, is a soccer player, loves the environment, and so far has been an excellent contribution to society."

"While leafing through your October issue I was surprised and excited to see my father, Frank Gullino. playing violin behind [Frank] Sinatra! He's the one in the cool white shoes and the watch chain," writes Hall Hitzig, from Renick. West Virginia. "[Sinatra] came to Philadelphia when I was in high school," remembers Pat Gallagher, of Boynton Beach. Florida. "A group of us took off from school to go see him. The houselights went up and we all started screaming—then the lights went down, and on came the March of Time newsreel 'Russia in the Summer.' After it was over, the lights went up again, we all stood up, then the lights went down and on came 'Russia in the Winter.' Finally Frank came out and performed and it was wonderful.... What a day. I am 82 this year and still tell the story."

LEAH JACOBS Phoenix, Arizona

SEAN PARKER'S STATUS UPDATE

I READ David Kirkpatrick's profile of Sean Parker ["With a Little Help from His Friends," October], co-founder of Napster and founding president of Facebook, while in southern Thailand attending a conference on the elimination of malaria. After spending the day discussing impoverished Burmese migrants who risk serious illness and legal repercussions logging timber to send money home to their families, I found Parker's statement that he "helped change the world, at least three times" particularly galling. Yes, I have a Facebook account, and my music collection has benefited from my husband's former Napster addiction, but the people I encounter are just better entertained thanks to those inventions, not living better lives. If Parker truly wants to make a lasting mark on the world, he should take his cues from fellow technology wizards Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, who have committed their financial resources and substantial intellects to changing the face of global development. The Gateses are creating a legacy that will stand the test of time. Decades from now, when an African leads her country out of poverty, or wins the Nobel Prize for medicine, it will be the direct result of investments the Gateses and like-minded souls are making right now. That is what it means to change the world. Perhaps Mr. Parker should use that private jet to broaden his worldview.

ERIN ECKERT Arlington, Virginia

VISIONARY BRILLIANCE notwithstanding, dare I quibble with one quote of Sean Parker's in David Kirkpatrick's article? I'd say it is not business, government, or technology "that's the real driving force behind largescale social shifts." Rather, it is our beliefs about ourselves in relation to those things and one another—in other words, how we define ourselves when we say "we" or "I"—that awaken us to effecting real, lasting change. At the "large-scale" societal level, our too-clever-for-words technology (to say nothing of religion) may have enriched us individually, but we're also at the point of being able to, quite literally, destroy the planet, which is certainly not the "shift" we say we want. Until we recognize our inherent oneness and change our beliefs about who we are as a race, all the business, government, and technology in the world won't help us.

STEPHEN JERROME Los Angeles, California

HOW SINATRA STOLE THE SHOW

SO MANY GOOD memories came back to me as I read about Frank Sinatra in your October issue ["The Night Sinatra Happened," by James Kaplan], My late husband, Bob, and I had the good fortune to be in the audience at Chicago Stadium in 1974 when Frank sang to an intimate crowd of about 20,000 fans. In that cavernous venue, he somehow managed to make you feel he was singing only to you. Bob and I were married in 1961, and throughout our "courtship" (ah, what an antiquated term) we listened to stacks of vinyl Sinatra albums on my Webcor phonograph. His songs were the soundtrack of our lives as we shared cups of coffee after a movie or were on a dinner date. Frank Sinatra didn't need pyrotechnic light shows or screeching electronic guitars or thumping, grinding, unintelligible sounds that now pass for "music." He possessed an astonishing instrument—that amazing voice—and unique breath control, and they were paired with his respect for the great composers and lyricists of our time. Not to mention his ability to caress the most beautiful words and music ever written. Thanks for bringing back the best years of my life.

BEA BOURGEOIS Milwaukee, Wisconsin

THE AFTER-PARTY GIRL

AS AN UNCLE OF LINDSAY LOHAN'S by marriage, I was pleased to see that Nancy Jo Sales has written an article ["Adrift," October] that is finally more fact than fiction. However, people should know that Lindsay is a product of insidious multi-generational dysfunction. Her behavior now should never be considered of her own making, as she does not have the proper tools. I have seen firsthand, for more than 30 years, the propagation of mass dysfunction over three generations of Lindsay's family members. From the inside looking out, the repetitive inability to perform as expected has blistered many of her relatives, wreaking havoc and ruin in a wake that washes away all. The only person who has come out of this mass psychological slaughter is her great-aunt, Barbara Desiderio, a master family therapist, whose specialty is treating the addictive personality. Lindsay should call her aunt.

V.l . C I. A S S I C

In early 1998, V.F. dispatched writer Suzanna Andrews and contributing photographer Jonathan Becker to the world of billionaire art dealer Alee Wildenstein. then the 57-year-old scion of a family that had for generations reigned supreme in the rarefied realm of buying and selling old masters. Impressionists, and other museum-quality art. Alee was at that time in the midst of a nasty divorce from big-game hunter and licensed pilot Jocelyne, who infamously was exploring the outer limits of plastic surgery in a dubious quest to make her face resemble a jungle cat's. What Andrews uncovered was a bizarre and dysfunctional family, whose patriarch, Daniel, then 80, had almost certainly collaborated with the Nazis to build his $5 billion fortune, which enabled him and his family to shuttle on their Gulfstream IV from Thoroughbred-racing stables to a tropical-island compound to a 66.000-acre ranch in Kenya to homes in Paris, Palm Beach, and Manhattan (where Alec was arrested for threatening Jocelyne with a gun in the master bedroom of their town house).

"It was a fascinating story to report," Andrews recalls of the piece. "With its long-buried mystery, billions of dollars' worth of art. World War II connections, unbalanced and outsize characters."

Since the article appeared, in the March 1998 issue, Daniel Wildenstein died, at the age of 84. and then Alec succumbed to cancer in 2008, leaving his younger brother Guy to battle his stepmother, Sylvia, for control of the family's vast art collection—recently valued at $10 billion. As for "the cat lady," Andrews says of Jocelyne Wildenstein. "she seems to have disappeared."

To read "Bitter Spoils," please visit VANITYFAIR.COM.

MARK GROBLEWSKI Centerport, New York

IT IS NOT hyperbole to say that Norman Jean Roy's photograph of Lindsay Lohan on the cover of your October issue is a masterpiece. She seems a vulnerable angel who, despite living in a land of temptation, possesses a surreal beauty that will never be tarnished.

WILLIAM ROSSINI Dallas, Texas

OH, CRY ME A RIVER. If Lindsay Lohan were not a celebrity, her electricity would be turned off, her house would be in foreclosure, and she'd be wondering where her next meal was coming from. Lindsay doesn't need yet another magazine cover story; she needs a swift kick in the arse, a real prison stint, and a major reality check.

ELIZABETH DAVIS Sharon, Massachusetts

AS I WAS READING the article on Lindsay Lohan by Nancy Jo Sales, my jaw dropped when the actress stated that she had once spent $100,000 on clothes in a single day! It is literally impossible to feel sorry for such a person, especially as she seems to feel sorry for herself. I do not buy her lament that her actions are a result of youth. By my own bad choices I found myself with four children to raise by the time I was only 26 years old, but I never once drank or took drugs. I worked very hard every day to raise my children properly—with almost no money. And all four are now law-abiding, hardworking adults. My youngest daughter takes care of developmental^ disabled children and adults, attends college, and raises two beautiful daughters of her own. She does this on only $800 a month! So, for me, it is exceedingly tiresome to read about Hollywood's rich and spoiled. Why can't they do something to help the less fortunate? It's a great feeling! Better than drugs, I would think.

ROBERTA CASEY ZIMMERMAN Dayton, Washington

IT WAS A BRILLIANT DECISION for you to put Lindsay on the cover of Vanity Fair. She is the seductress, the enchantress, and the temptress of our time.

JERRY DICKINSON Portland, Oregon

THE COVER of your October issue intrigued me. A few years ago, I was a big fan of Lindsay Lohan's work, when she first became a star. Now I'm a little disappointed and feel sorry for her, and we're about the same age. It's nice to read a tell-all on Lindsay from a respectable source rather than in the tabloids. And I think Sales gave readers hope that Lohan is actually trying to pick up the pieces and earn back the trust of her directors, publicists, fans, and family. I want to thank Sales for being so honest and kind about young Hollywood actresses who get into trouble, like normal college kids, with bigger bank accounts. The piece was well done and tasteful, and I'm sure that Lohan would be proud that readers still have hope for her to turn her life back around.

KAT MILLER Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

SCENES FROM AN AIRPORT

I OWE MR. HITCHENS a coffee. He bought me one at Guava & Java in Dulles International Airport, where I work as a janitor for British Airways. We've had conversations over the years when we crossed paths before his flights. I had no idea that he had cancer until I read his article in the October issue ["Unanswerable Prayers"]. The last time we spoke, we went to the airport smoking lounge and talked about a host of things. I mentioned that my son was with the U.S. Army Special Forces and had been to Iraq and Afghanistan several times. We also talked about his family in the U.K. and about my experience in Vietnam and some of the things I saw. I was proud of him for doing something that many of the talking heads on Fox haven't had the guts to: allow themselves to be waterboarded before claiming that the method is not torture. I hope that I have an opportunity to repay that coffee and give him the bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label that I promised him.

ABRAM BARNES Washington, D.C.

CORRECTION: On page 48 of oar November issue we misspelled the name of Joseph J. Ellis, the author of First Family: Abigail & John Adams.

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