UPFRONT.

• Position: Letter to the Editor

Cracking the Mysteries of Capital

Louis Werner's great review of The Mystery of Capital revealed but did not recognize the fly in Hernando De Soto's property registration ointment for the poor. De Soto's values: "compassion for the poor, respect for social contract, and equal opportunity" differ qualitatively from his vague value "freedom."

It is not precious freedom to do good that attracts the vultures of capitalism to De Soto's ideas: The benefits of a capitalist economic system will be narrowly felt without a broad social consensus on uplifting values.

The recent collapse in dollar value of Indonesian and Russian currencies portend the danger of capital liquidity for Third World poor. Who will house the displaced poor who've spent property-secured loans for current consumption? Who will extricate the poor from the servitude of crippling debt?

Because De Soto's scheme would accelerate bringing Third World poor into a currency-mediated world economy, it harbors a huge disincentive for developed nations to implement that change humanely.

Anonymous Reader

Links to Long-Distance Learning

I read with much interest Ms. Conaway's paragraph titled "Close Collaboration for Distance-Learning" in your April issue. I am the CEO for a not-for-profit education foundation chartered with the intent of providing educational opportunities to citizens of the Americas on topics related to pediatric neuropsychology. We have established a certification program and are interested in the type of long-distance learning opportunities described in your article. Can you provide information?

Ronald D. Franklin Professional...