Letters: No more photos of Sandusky; International reasons why Trump gets a ‘solid F’
No more photos of Sandusky
Please stop printing photos of Jerry Sandusky! Do you really think the general public finds these newsworthy? I certainly don’t. Why not use some editorial restraint?
If you want to do something that the public might find interesting, try printing some photos and stories about Joe Paterno ... and his accomplishments.
Putin’s strategy similar to Stalin’s
Russian strongman Vladimir Putin’s hackers attempted to skew our 2016 presidential election and intelligence agencies report they are still working to destabilize western democracies. Nothing new. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin tried much the same in the wreckage of Western Europe after World War II.
David L. Roll, in his new biography “George Marshall: Defender of the Republic,” wrote that American diplomat George Kennan described Russian “subterranean” Communist operatives as trying to undermine western nations by disrupting “national confidence,” increasing “social unrest” and stimulating “all forms of disunity.”
Stalin’s strategy was defeated most importantly by the determination of three men who in 1948 pushed through a reluctant Congress the European Recovery Program — known as the Marshall Plan. Perhaps not surprisingly, conspiracy theorists of the day were at the same time calling for the impeachment of Democrat Harry Truman, the president who kept a sign, “The Buck Stops Here,” on his desk; and on the floor of the Senate they were labeling the wartime Army chief of staff Marshall, now secretary of state, “a completely unfit” traitor. The third determined man probably was the key: Republican Senator Arthur Vandenberg of Michigan, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.
The economic recovery that followed was soon backed up by the formation of NATO, commanded by Dwight Eisenhower.
Now wielding weaponized social media, today’s Russian strongman Putin faces men much more to his liking: Mike Pompeo at State, Mitch McConnell in the Senate, and at the Oval Office desk pliable Donald Trump, the midnight tweeter.
International reasons why Trump gets a ‘solid F’
The CDT’s policy of limiting letters to 250 words severely restricts listing all the reasons why Trump deserves a solid F for his presidency. Thus, the purpose of this letter is to supplement the recent one by William Rothwell (whom I don’t know) that mainly focuses on domestic reasons to give Trump a failing grade like hiding his tax returns, violating the emoluments clause, driving dangerous deficits, caging children at the border and abusing women as documented in his own words in the “Access Hollywood” tapes. In addition, here are three international reasons why the Trump presidency merits an F.
A laughing stock: I am sure you saw the footage of several world leaders, unaware of being filmed, mocking Trump at a recent NATO reception held at Buckingham Palace. The President of the United States is no longer a world leader. He is a laughing stock.
Iran Nuclear Deal: One of Trump’s first acts on the international stage was to pull out of the Iran Nuclear deal. This agreement was monitored and Iran was complying with its terms. It was working and the world was safer place because of it. What nations followed Trump’s lead? None.
Paris Climate Accord: Although denied by a fringe element, climate change is real and a danger that needs to be addressed immediately, internationally and boldly. Trump withdraws from the agreement. What nations followed Trump’s lead? None.
If there ever were domestic and global cases for a solid F, it is Trump.