To the editor: Columnist Jackie Calmes is wrong to think Democrats should “stop the finger pointing” and “move on,” as though we have consensus. We do not.
Calmes doesn’t even mention Joe Biden’s wars, a major feature of his presidency. The Democrats never missed a chance to send more money and weapons to Ukraine and Israel, and they refused to have any referendum, any real primary contests, any internal challenge to Biden and his “unwavering” foreign policy agenda.
Calmes blames Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss on “the three ‘I’s’” — immigration, inflation and “Biden’s incumbency” (a stunning condemnation!), without once mentioning his unpopular wars. In a close race, the daily bombing and death toll made a difference to some of us.
Dick Eiden, Vista
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To the editor: Is the election of Donald Trump and the whole MAGA movement an anomaly in U.S. history? No, we’ve been here before, with the 18th Amendment and Prohibition.
A coalition made up of Evangelicals, moral crusaders, bluenoses and busybodies (sound familiar?) went on a crusade to make America great by banning demon rum. The experiment was a failure from the start, as everyone from the legislators who supported the 18th Amendment to average citizens were making plans to keep their bars stocked and resupplied.
It took more than 13 years before common sense prevailed and Prohibition ended, but not before setting off the worst crime wave in U.S. history. Let’s hope it doesn’t take as long this time to declare this latest experiment a disaster and move on.
Paul Taylor, Desert Hot Springs
