If a schoolyard bully insults and assaults other kids, supervising adults may “tsk-tsk” with a cluck of their tongues, but if they do nothing else, they aid, abet, and enable the bully’s bad behavior. Reprimand is demanded for the sake of the other kids, and for the sake of abiding by the rules, if not for the sake of teaching the reprimanded child as well.
And so it is with our precious democracy, that those whose responsibility is to check our President’s lawless obstruction are now called to active duty. Disparaging clucking sounds without meaningful reprimand would enable the White House bully to continue treating our collective government and trusted commonwealth as his personal platform for pecuniary power. Cheats, liars, law-benders and law-breakers, including and especially the President and his minions, must face consequence for their actions, or else our civil society will deconstruct to schoolyards where might makes right.
Those who say this is not the time for Congressional impeachment fail to acknowledge that the clock runs out in nine months when 2020 election campaigning will be fulsome, and calls for lawful accountability will be misinterpreted as political grandstanding. Those who say that Congressional impeachment is futile because Republican Senators will not vote to convict an impeached Trump fail to believe that America can self-correct and regain its course toward the ideals of liberty and justice under law. If Congress Representatives and Senators fail to hold the President accountable for breaking our laws and for endangering us from foreign intervention, voters can fail to reelect them in 2020. So-called political realists who call for more investigation, outside of impeachment proceedings that bring consequence, would enable the law-breaker to continue evading and lying while bullying others and enriching himself, at our peril.
BRUCE JOFFE, Piedmont, Calif.
Mary Sanchez, in “To win in 2020, Dems must take on a party, and not a man” [4/15/19 TPP] does not get it. This is not about winning or losing an election. This is about having the courage to stand up for what’s right no manner what the outcome in the upcoming elections. Besides, not to stand up to a bully has never worked in the past and only encourages the bully to do worse.
True, most people are more interested in what they see as bread and butter issues, but that is only because they don’t understand Trump’s role in these bread and butter issues, nor are they aware of what he has already done to make their lives hell.
Impeachment would bring everything about Trump into the sunshine in a live broadcast. How the hell is the Attorney General going to protect Trump with a four page report when that happens? Americans respect courage. They also get really pissed when they learn someone has been pulling a con job on them. So how is being too timid to do what is right because one fears to lose if one fights back going to help Democrats to win this election? What chance did America have against the British in the Revolution? What chance did Great Britain have against Hitler in 1940? People fought back then because it was the right thing to do. We should do no less.
DAVID RAISMAN, Brooklyn, N.Y.
US military spending continues to spiral, expand, explode and there is no end in sight. Sadly this fiscal insanity is rarely challenged or contested by our governing political establishment. This damning reality showcases the impact of militarism in modern American life. How pervasive is militarism? Militarism has woven its way into every facet of American culture and is seldom commented on. This is not hyperbole or exoneration but is in fact perhaps an understatement for where we are at as a nation. How many Americans can list the nations that the United States is at war with and is currently bombing? How many senators and members of Congress can accurately tell us the total number of US military bases worldwide; or the locations for this global network of bases? You could not find one senator or Congress member who can answer this.
What Americans have to come to terms with is the threat that uncontested US militarism presents to all humankind. Consider that 3% of US military spending could end all global hunger. Acknowledge the reality that US military spending is the single biggest contributor to global climate catastrophe and environmental destruction in the world. US militarism is the driving force, behind the sixth great extinction that we are now in the midst of. President Eisenhower, in his famous 1960 farewell address, warned us about the threat of the “military industrial complex.” Ike is not rolling over in his grave now — he is doing cartwheels.
The only force that has a chance of countering and rolling back the militarism that has poisoned both our culture and political press is active political action and democratic participation. We have to meet head on and with passion discredit the misguided notion that endless military spending and expansionism somehow safeguards the country when the exact opposite is true. Reasoned people need to collectively cast light on this problem that left unaddressed will eventually lead to endless global conflict and inevitably nuclear extinction. The choice is ours. It’s not too late to act on and rally behind the wisdom of President Eisenhower.
JIM SAWYER, Edmonds, Wash.
As I reflect on my 85 years of longevity and the historical accounts of humanity’s involvement throughout our evolution, both positive and negative, I’m beginning to see the nexus of our human character traits/behaviors and man’s associative traits as it portends to his initial need to establish man’s superiority via the utilization of “religious events” and the origins of mythology and witchcraft amongst other oddities that boggle not only the “scientific mind,” but just average folks ‘ minds who use theirs to evaluate truth, fact or falsities.
From our first Homo sapiens, classified as the original “modern man,” our first recognized human being, it can be stated without a great deal of equivocation that it’s a “he” and not a “she” that is, has been and continues to be primarily and predominantly males/men who have instigated, initiated, propagated, and perpetuated the majority of all societies’ ills from wars, crime and corruption throughout the annals of time. Reflecting on the aforementioned realities is the additional fact that there has been no greater harm done and more lives ruined and lost than from religious animosity dating back thousands of years, inclusive of the Crusades, Reformation as well as throughout the entire Middle East and today’s continued wars and terrorism premised on religious zealotry and hatred.
Our nation/world is at the precipice of unprecedented pernicious times predicated on our own divided status (Red States/Blue States scenario) and the multitudes of other potentially and extremely dangerous issues threatening our humanity and civilization itself; if an urgent and expeditious call for a replication of our Era of Enlightenment (1700s-1800s) that exposed, defied and negated numerous religious and feudalistic lies that had been utilized to essentially control people’s lives and beliefs for centuries prior. We must, for our very salvation, have a “21st Century Era of Enlightenment,” where we can confront the various segments of our society that have and continue to do the same that all of the “culprits” prior to “Enlightenment” via fact, science, reason and truth exposed for societal modernization and betterment. A national/international conclave, inclusive of religious, cultural, societal groups, “pro and con,” must be assembled to expose “truth or lies.”
FRANK C. ROHRIG, Milford, Conn.
For the sake of argument, let’s assume that I’m from a country that neither imports or exports aluminum, but does import lots of products made of aluminum. Thus, our consumers benefit from this trade war between China and the USA — since, ultimately, it is forcing down the price of aluminum products. Most countries — in the USA, some states and cities, as well — subsidize farmers and manufacturers to some extent — necessary, they all say, because of their economy (jobs) or national defense. How, therefore, can anyone (like Leo Gerard, “Gritty trade war with China hurts American workers” 4/1/19 TPP) claim that anybody is suffering because of “free trade” violations. In fact, how can anybody pretend any longer that free market conditions prevail anywhere? Free market rules — my understanding — say it’s a “dog eat dog” world. Whoever can produce something cheaper, faster, or better, prevails, or else resorts to subsidies to stay alive. China has some advantages: cheaper labor and fewer regulations (to protect workers and the environment) and the USA, to stay competitive, is doing its best to suppress workers’ wages and eliminate regulations — but that’s difficult, because of unions and environmentalists.
Meanwhile, my take — at least some consumers in the world will benefit from the trade war.
R. AMOS, Severn, Md.
Once again President Trump used the Second Amendment while he was speaking to the NRA gathering. Does he not know why the Founding Fathers inserted this clause? They were landed gentlemen and all white — they had accumulated considerable wealth and they were afraid the Native Americans and also the slave population would come into their households and intrude their safety. They were simply scared and use of armaments was one way they could defend their selves and properties. It is high time the Second Amendment is not used again — no need to go into all the murders and suicides and armed robberies that have been committed due to this. We are frankly embarrassed!
G.M. CHANDU, Flushing, N.Y.
You know, with the obvious lack of security at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort down in Florida, I think it’s time for the US government to use eminent domain to seize Trump’s private property and build a wall around Mar-A-Lago in order to ensure our national security, just like Trump wants to do at our southern border. Of course, Mexico will pay for it.
MIKE EKLUND, Mercer, Wis.
Rather than bemoan the demise of dairy farms, let’s drink to the future and embrace healthy, environmentally friendly plant-based diets. Soy milk is available everywhere, and even Carl’s Jr. has an awesomely delicious plant-based burger.
If we really care about animals, we should stop milking them.
KERRY MASTERS, Liberty Lake, Wash.
From The Progressive Populist, June 1, 2019
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