Embarrassing failure of leadership
All hail President Joe Biden! That was the chorus by his supporters. Now we are reaping the results, specifically, his abject failure in Afghanistan. Now the Taliban runs the country, subjecting the women and children to the horrors of their terrifying leadership. This is what you voted for, this absolute lack of leadership, in Afghanistan, on our border, on inflation — where does it end? Where has the media been during these many failures? At some point they have to face up to the fact that their savior has become an embarrassment.
Helge Carson
Oro Valley
Plenty of blame to go around
With the fall of the Afghanistan government, it is predictable that political leaders from both major parties will blame the other for this failure of foreign policy. Since entering the country militarily, to respond to the 9/11 attacks, two Republican and two Democratic administrations have overseen the policy. There were almost certainly many misjudgments to go around.
But “blame” surely misses the point. Since WWII, America has engaged in one foreign policy/military misadventure after another. Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan stand out. These were very costly, in blood and treasure. The necessary step we have ignored is to learn from our mistakes. We don’t have exit strategies, and we don’t invest in understanding the local people and culture when we invade.
We have the most powerful military in the world. But we need to go back to school if we are to ask our citizens to sacrifice.
Jim Greene
Oro Valley
Proof of mask benefits
A writer recently stated that he had yet to see proof that masks prevent the spread of COVID-19, though he himself was not opposed to wearing one. However, it’s that sort of thinking that compels others to resist. I suspect the writer has not searched for proof, since it’s readily found online (search “an evidence review of face masks against COVID-19,” and find an article that refers to over 67 randomized control trials that found that “overall masks were the best performing intervention across populations”).
Another review of epidemiological, theoretical, experimental and clinical evidence found that “face masks in a general population offered significant benefit in preventing the spread of respiratory viruses especially in a pandemic situation.”
But really it only takes common sense to realize the transmission of an illness spread primarily via respiratory particles might be reduced if one were to mask up. Would a person feel at risk if someone with a bad cold were to sneeze in their presence?
Ron Terpening
Northwest side
The Olympics and different systems
The final medal tallies are in and the U.S. edged out China: 39 gold medals to 38, with total medals 113 to 88. China’s population of 1.4 billion is more than four times that of the U.S.
In the U.S., the Olympic Committee receives no federal government support and relies on corporate and individual contributions for funding of its many activities. In China, their government funds their athletes and their sport schools. Many of their top-performing athletes have been in their sports development programs for more than 10 years. An example of their success is diving where China won gold in seven out of eight events with silver in five.
I continue to be impressed by the athletic performances in the U.S. capitalistic free system where those criticizing their government can return to the United States without reprisals versus a leftist/Marxist-run economy. Wonder what system you would prefer to live under?
Warren Wright
Oro Valley
Approve COVID-19 vaccine for young kids
If it is reasonable for the CDC to recommend booster shots for the most vulnerable Americans, then it is time for the FDA to fully approve the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines immediately, allowing all children who want to attend school in person to be vaccinated.
To expect a young child to wear a mask diligently throughout a school day is ludicrous. We should ask ourselves whether we would have a worn a mask all the time while we were in kindergarten or grade school. While a mask mandate sounds plausible to many, it would probably be unenforceable in practice.
Victor Panizzon
Northwest side
Truman, Biden and where the buck stops
In his farewell address to the American people given in January 1953, President Harry Truman referred to this concept very specifically in asserting that, “The President — whoever he is — has to decide. He can’t pass the buck to anybody. No one else can do the deciding for him. That’s his job.”
On Aug. 16, President Joe Biden acknowledged that the Taliban victory had come much faster than the United States had expected and that the withdrawal was “hard and messy.” As the fourth president to preside over the war in Afghanistan, though, he said that “the buck stops with me.”
It only took 68 years.
Valerie Golembiewski
Southeast side
What happened to choice?
What is it with the party of Roe vs Wade, the one that that believes a woman should decide what happens to her body and can decide to end life of her child?
This same political party thinks they can force men and women to inject a vaccine into their bodies against their will and mandate it!
Does anybody see the hypocrisy of this argument and position?
Where is the logic in this?
I have nothing but questions: How about Afghanistan? How about inflation? How about fuel prices? How about fuel independence? How about the border?
Questions, questions, questions!
Richard Barnes
East side
Gov. Ducey worse
than Gov. Mecham
Gov. Doug Ducey has just lept ahead of former Gov. Evan Mecham as the worst governor in the history of Arizona. Even though “Ev” was a racist crackpot, his misdeeds were nothing compared to Ducey’s. By pandering to Trump’s base, Ducey is willing to sacrifice our children for his own political aspirations. More than 30 years ago the people of Arizona recalled Mecham. I truly hope history will repeat itself with Ducey.
Robert Davidson
West side
Support for Gov. Ducey
So, there are about 168 cases of COVID per 100,000 inhabitants of Pima County, as reported at Tucson.com on the day I wrote this letter.
I wish that I had faced such favorable odds during my ground combat tours as an officer of Marines!
Thus, I support Gov. Doug Ducey’s characterization of President Joe Biden’s administration as “weak and pathetic” in reacting to the delta variant, in loss of control of the U.S.’s southern border, in abandoning our Afghan allies, on proposing out-of-control federal spending and on focusing on equality of results, not equality of opportunity.
I wish that Ducey could run again.
James Stewart
Foothills
Civics should be taught in schools
Reading the guest opinion column on civics in the paper Aug. 19, I agree with what they said but I think they should take it even further.
When I was in school, civics was required to graduate from high school and I feel that it should be brought back to to the high school level, because not every high school student goes on to college.
Not knowing how the country works really puts young students at a disadvantage. We need a little better education of the students than they learned from “Schoolhouse Rock!”
James McLin
East side
