Press Democrat readers comment on trade, and more
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America turns selfish
EDITOR: After World War II, Americans bought Japanese and German cars and goods. What a monumental task to lift these large nations from their devastation. DonaldTrump would think that stupid, but it was to our everlasting credit.China was a nation of poverty. But it didn’t need charity, it needed free enterprise, and with it, China overcame poverty. And we helped. With our markets. We were not suckers. We were saviors. And we do the same for Bangladesh and India. Trump is taking us from America the generous to America the selfish. Some Christians love him for overturning Roe v. Wade, but he is turning America away from being a Christian country.
I am glad we again are exchanging ambassadors with Russia, but beyond that, Trump’s idea of great looks a lot like selfish and self-centered. And not very wise. He does not know economics, he is not concerned with consumers. He is ego driven. Everyone is bowing to him. He has power to upset the entire world. How do we make America sane again?
ART KOPECKY
Sebastopol
Bye, beloved Tesla
EDITOR: I really loved my Tesla, my favorite car in 50 years of driving. And for a time, I admired Elon Musk for the positive impact his electric vehicles, solar panels and battery energy storage were having on the environment. Unfortunately, Musk’s bromance with Donald Trump changed his focus from greed-inspired capitalism to efficiency-rationalized cruelty.
His first salvo of shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development (versus investigations into justifiable cuts to the program) was unforgivable. His DOGE chain saw has been disturbing.
Incomprehensibly, my “Musk-mobile” somehow becomes a potential target of angry Democrats (aka my fellow friends of the environment) to express frustration via damage to my car. Disturbingly, a worse scenario came true: I experienced a frightening act of aggression on the highway. A large pickup tailed me within inches. After I changed lanes, he remained close alongside me, then sped up to veer in front of me, missing my front bumper by inches. Had I swerved, I might not be alive to write this story.
One week later, I bid farewell to my dear car. I’m grateful that Tesla inspired other car manufacturers, for I am now happily driving a new EV without a target of a nameplate.
DAVID JASPER
Santa Rosa
Watch the bond market
EDITOR: The bond market has always been known as the adults in the room. While stock trades are based on speculation as to what a company will do in, say, six months’ time, bonds are based in the reality of the situation at the moment, with the idea that if you are going to limit your gains, it will come with more security. So when Donald Trump says he is going to put tariffs on hiatus for 90 days because of the effect that tariffs have on the bond markets, then shouldn’t we be asking him: How are the bond markets going to react any differently if tariffs are put in place at any time in the future? The conclusion being, why even bother talking about imposing tariffs if you have now realized the terrible effects your tariffs have had on bond markets in the past?
CARL MERNER
Holualoa, Hawaii
Expanding perspectives
EDITOR: What if a person spent one week watching multiple diverse news media outlets, such as ABC, Fox, PBS, NewsNation, BBC America and Newsmax? Would a person’s opinions evolve? Would a person possibly begin to understand different perspectives and priorities? Could this lead to empathy and constructive discussion? Just wondering.
DAVE HEANEY
Petaluma
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