Yes, Lou Mangione, I feel safer than I did two years ago (“Do you feel safer, more secure two years later?” Oct. 25, TribLIVE). Covid-19 was spreading wildly, while President Trump facetiously told us it would go away. One week, Trump’s tweets would provoke North Korean nuclear threats. The next week, he would provoke China with on-and-off-again trade wars, causing stock market fluctuations. All the while Trump was friendly with Vladimir Putin, and stopped military aid to Ukraine. That seemed to signal to Putin that we wouldn’t interfere with his “special military operation.”
Two years ago, worldwide shutdowns curtailed oil consumption to the point where prices went negative. In April 2020, Trump threatened the world’s largest oil producers that he would remove U.S. troops from their regions if they didn’t cut production. They did cut production, and prices rose. Now that lockdowns are over, worldwide oil consumption and prices are higher still, and U.S. oil companies are making record profits.
Inflation is high across the globe. We are doing better at keeping it in check than other countries, including Great Britain, where short-lived Prime Minister Liz Truss announced the only thing conservatives seem able to do, is tax cuts for the wealthy, which sparked market turmoil and her resignation.
Border security is the same or better now. Perhaps we should restore the policy of sending aid to the originating countries of migrants. Make conditions in their home countries better, and they wouldn’t feel such a need to come here.
Mike Anthony
North Buffalo Township