What makes America great?
Treasures like our national park system — which are useless when Americans can’t get into them.
Our national defense infrastructure, like our nuclear arsenal — which is unstable without scientists to monitor it.
Our Constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech — which vanish into thin air when negated by Gestapo-like tactics by our own government.
Our stable economy, agreements with our trading partners, respect for — and the respect of — our allies. All make America great, or used to.
How can we possibly reduce unemployment by firing tens of thousands of workers and undermining our economy with trade-killing tariffs?
We can make America great again by re-establishing the guardrails to prevent a delusional, power-hungry megalomaniac from further destroying the foundations underpinning our democracy.
Let’s curb the insanity.
Joel Speiser, Delray Beach
Tariffs on washers, dryers
I read with interest the latest article about tariffs in the Sun Sentinel, and it specifically mentioned tariffs on washing machines.
I remember the washer and dryer tariffs (northwestern Ohio is home to a big Whirlpool appliance factory). American-made washers sold for about $550 at the time and Asian-made washers were about $500, so the government put a $50 tariff on Asian washers so they would all cost $550, leveling the playing field, so to speak.
American manufacturers responded by raising their prices to $600 and pocketing the difference. They didn’t care that their machines were more expensive than Asian models, and consumers had come to expect it. They were happy for that extra profit.
The buying public absorbed a 10% percent jump in prices, and whatever rationale there was for implementing a tariff was ignored or forgotten.
Thomas Menacher, Hollywood
Senseless tariffs
Aren’t Canada and Ukraine our allies and friends? And aren’t Putin and Russia our antagonists and enemies?
I was fairly certain of that until King Trump attacked the Canadian people with senseless, malicious tariffs and in the same week abandoned the brave Ukrainians to a murderous thug.
You know him as the short, balding leader of Russia who likes to be photographed shirtless and is our president’s new best buddy. Trump, who’s salivating over possibly receiving a Nobel prize for peace, and JD Vance blindsided Ukraine’s president as Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz sat with their proverbial thumbs in their mouths.
The proud and diminutive Ukrainian refused to allow Trump to sell out Ukraine to placate Putin without any security guarantee from Trump’s government. Who needs a friend like that?
David Kahn, Boca Raton
Social Security’s future
President Trump says he doesn’t want to hurt the Social Security system that more than 60 million individuals rely upon to survive. He and Musk say they will eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse” from the system. That sounds very admirable, but how much do they really expect to find?
By the way, the latest actions by Trump indicate the program will run out of money sooner than estimated just a short time ago. By placing tariffs on many imports, inflation could go higher.
That would increase the annual cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security recipients, taking more money out of the fund. Trump is also suggesting he would like to eliminate taxes on benefits, thus reducing the amount going into the system.
Less coming in and more going out doesn’t sound like a formula for survival. To add insult to injury, look at your own 401(k) or IRA balance. Making America Great Again — indeed.
Ira Gross, Boca Raton
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