'Thanks' for letter
Dear editor:
Thank you, Dr. Jack Sternberg, for your letter appearing in this column offering a common-sense approach to the current political silliness. Far too many of us have forgotten that historical cycle of the Carter/Reagan years and need to be reminded that when a president is elected, that person has the duty to set a foreign policy agenda and if members of the bureaucracy don't like the policy, they are free to resign. President Obama had the same duty and, in fact, he required all ambassadors to resign upon his inauguration. Because voters like myself disliked President Obama's cavalier approach of putting American citizens last in foreign affairs, we voted for President Trump. President Trump is not the first reprobate to occupy the Oval Office, nor will he be the last. Perhaps we should talk about other flawed leaders in our history, starting with FDR, JFK, LBJ, President Clinton as well in order to have a well-rounded discussion.
In that same vein, perhaps we should have a discussion about Speaker Pelosi's penchant for expensive Congressional delegation trips, including the best the Air Force has to offer along with copious amounts of expensive liquor. We could also talk about John Kerry conducting diplomatic meetings with the mullahs of Iran without proper authorization. How do these actions advance the cause of and respect for the United States in foreign affairs? I submit that individuals like this would be terminated with just cause if they worked in the private sector.
Also, to those readers who are derisive of the term blue-collar billionaire, it refers to those who may work professionally or who have amassed wealth but who still respect those who get up, go to work every day in blue-collar jobs and do the best job they can do and take care of their families and try to be good citizens. I admit am a geezer, but in my day that kind of person was referred to as an upstanding American citizen in spite of their flaws. We do still have a democratic republic.
May I add that I am mystified why so many letter writers have no problem with an administration using governmental agencies to spy on the presidential campaign of a candidate of the opposition political party. One can only hope the bad actors in that scenario will eventually pay a price for their behavior. even if it goes to the top.
Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinion. Dr. Sternberg, keep your letters coming. Many of us appreciate them.
Janet Riccio
Hot Springs
The big picture
Dear editor:
Stability in the Middle East is critical to the safety of all Americans and our friends throughout the world. Every time the U.S. vacates a country, we create a vacuum in which bad guys move in and take over. Then we have to go back and stop the badness. Again.
Putin and Russia want a destabilized Iraq, Iran, and Syria so they can influence the area with the ultimate goal of Empire Building -- more oil reserves for Russia and more money from the sale of that oil to continue the spread of communism and more Empire Building.
The Sunni radicalism and the Islamic State they control continue to backfill the vacuum wherever it exists. We, the US, actually create the vacuum as we pull out. They have a continued will and the money from the sale of oil to continue their mission to spread their brand of religious fanaticism. You can call them ISIS or anything you want but their dedication to eradicate Israel and all non-Muslim people will continue just as it has for the last 2,000 years. They will destroy Israel and the United States if we allow them. They work on this from both inside the US as well as all over the world.
It is crucial that the U.S. (including other countries if they have the guts) eliminate the risk.
That includes, but is not limited to placing a halt to the sale of oil by Iran (and Syria) if the proceeds therefrom sponsor terroristic activities by those countries and the proxy bloodsuckers who rely upon them for support. This includes Hezbollah. Iraq needs to have US training and conditions set so they can become a self-supporting and self-defending nation. Baghdad needs to maintain independence from Iran, Syria, and most importantly -- Russia. Shite Iran cannot irradiate Sunni radicalism without US support. I guess that means that we support the Kurds and never leave a vacuum there. Iran cannot be allowed to continue to threaten anyone. Iran must be stripped of its ballistic missiles and the nuclear menace they are developing. They simply cannot be trusted with a nuclear bomb. They have threatened both Israel and the US too many times to believe otherwise. The current "management" in Iran or Syria cannot be trusted to live in peace with non-Muslims. They must be stripped of their ability to use their oil money to fund terroristic activities all over the world and they must be stripped of their ability to develop ballistic missiles and to develop nuclear weapons.
It is time to force the issue before it escalates into a real war which will result in the destruction, by the US, of those renegade countries and the millions of people therein who really do not support those in power. We are not going to change Iranian behavior. The past 40 years have proved that.
John Grillo
Hot Springs
Editorial on 01/14/2020