Our nation is at a perilous crossroads.
Under Donald Trump’s leadership, American policy has shifted from global cooperation to geopolitical aggression, driven by a narrow obsession with oil and nationalist posturing.
The recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela, widely condemned as a crime of aggression by foreign governments, was justified by Trump with overt references to oil, despite experts warning such a venture is environmentally disastrous and strategically dubious.
Similarly, Trump’s renewed fixation on Greenland is not about defense.
The U.S. already maintains bases there and, based on a 1951 agreement, can install and maintain as many military bases as it deems necessary.
That push is about control of Arctic oil, minerals and influence, a stance that has alarmed allies and threatened NATO cohesion.
Domestically, his economic approach has centered on punitive tariffs that undermine longstanding trade relationships and contribute to job losses in established industries.
Perhaps most damaging is the vilification of immigrants.
Trump’s rhetoric conflates undocumented migration with criminality, despite extensive fact-checking showing these claims to be false or exaggerated, and his immigration enforcement has targeted people with deep community ties rather than violent offenders.
His relentless refusal to accept the 2020 election results, and his ongoing dissemination of demonstrably false claims, erode trust in our democratic institutions.
As a result, the America I grew up in, a respected as a leader and defender of democratic values, is no longer recognized abroad, with alliances strained and our moral authority diminished.
Brian Berry
Sequim