I am struck by the glaring difference between the headline from the White House that says, “Welcome to the Golden Age; Sign up for news and updates from the Trump White House,” and the following recent quote from economist Paul Krugman: “I don’t see a golden age. I see an America that has become an ineffectual bully, sicker, poorer, and riven by political extremism, with no friends anywhere in the world” (Substack, July 22).
Two years ago, we were part of an alliance of nations, with mutual interests and shared values. All that has been squandered, as intelligent, nonpartisan employees have been fired from their jobs, and grants to scientists, labs and scholastic institutions have been canceled. Tariffs have been imposed on our neighbors, threatening longtime trade agreements, and our president talks of annexing Canada and Greenland.
We are locked in a war that only Donald Trump wanted, complete with a “NO EXIT” sign. The negative effects are being felt worldwide, as the Strait of Hormuz is closed to tanker traffic, and the Houthis are attacking boats in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait (connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean). The price of oil and fertilizer is up, and it is finally dawning on people that Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” takes from the poor and gives to the rich.
Don’t be fooled, America. This is the golden age only for the grifter in chief, his friends and family.
Julia Sperry
Hockessin
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
