Regarding “Trump’s revolution imperils U.S., allies” (Page A15, Friday) Charles Krauthammer claims “our new president’s ‘America First’ foreign policy abandons all that makes America exceptional.”
What a crock. In matters of foreign policy, America has become the world’s patsy. On trade agreements, America always gives away the store. On immigration, every other nation on Earth is allowed to control their borders except America. On military cooperation, Uncle Sam picks up 90 percent of the tab and suffers 90 percent of the casualties. And despite all that, since the end of World War II, diplomatic relations begin and end with America walking on eggshells and constantly apologizing for being America.
It’s one thing to be constantly taken advantage of by others; it’s something else entirely for people like Krauthammer to portray it as some higher calling. The simple fact is that by coddling our allies, we have made them all soft, weak and ripe for exploitation. Trump’s “America First” policy will force them all to again stand on their own two feet. And that is exceptional.
Pete Smith, Cypress
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/letters/article/Sunday-letters-Astrodome-Mexico-America-First-10890225.php
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Let The Punishment Fit The Crime
Regarding "ASTROS DATA BREACH" (Sunday Sports A19), the article recounts the story of former St. Louis Cardinals executive Chris Correa, convicted for hacking of the Astros’ email and player evaluation database. It also states that Major League Baseball sanctions against the Cardinals are expected this week.
Whatever the sanctions, here's hoping that MLB doesn't once again let team executives and owners get off with a hand slap, as they did with the steroid scandal. As with steroid cheating, Correa's cyber-theft didn't happen in a vacuum. Other Cardinals' Execs were briefed about the intel for years; it is reasonable to assume by the nature of the information that some of them knew where it was coming from.
The same was true of players' use of performance enhancing drugs throughout the 90s and beyond.
If I was MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, it seems fair that the Cards should sacrifice their next three first round draft picks to the Astros. The' Stros would be compensated for the damage done, but most importantly, that penalty would ensure that such hacking would likely never occur again.
Pete Smith
Cypress, TX
Whatever the sanctions, here's hoping that MLB doesn't once again let team executives and owners get off with a hand slap, as they did with the steroid scandal. As with steroid cheating, Correa's cyber-theft didn't happen in a vacuum. Other Cardinals' Execs were briefed about the intel for years; it is reasonable to assume by the nature of the information that some of them knew where it was coming from.
The same was true of players' use of performance enhancing drugs throughout the 90s and beyond.
If I was MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, it seems fair that the Cards should sacrifice their next three first round draft picks to the Astros. The' Stros would be compensated for the damage done, but most importantly, that penalty would ensure that such hacking would likely never occur again.
Pete Smith
Cypress, TX
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Voter Fraud: Nothing Going On Here Folks
Regarding "Let's be honest", (Thursday Editorial), the Editors go on and on about the alleged lies and mistruths perpetuated by President Trump and his aides in the opening days of his presidency. The editorial in particular takes umbrage at Trump's "ridiculous claim about vote fraud."
Ridiculous? Let's review major stories in the past five years:
- The Michigan recount of the 2016 election results which found several Detroit precincts with more votes than registered voters.
- The fact that recounts in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania all resulted in more Republican votes being counted.
- Credible accounts from California and from other states of Republican voters electronic ballots being switched to Democrat candidates.
- The criminal investigation of Democrat support group ACORN for voter fraud in six states for manufacturing tens of thousands of phony voter registrations, resulting in dozens of convictions.
- An article on the time honored practice of "ballot harvesting" votes at retirement homes and homeless shelters in the Rio Grande Valley, frequently with a bribe.
- A report from Arizona by an electoral official of a "harvester" carrying thousands of ballots into a voting station.
- Decades of electoral fraud in Chicago, most recently documented in a sting video that went viral concerning two party officials expounding on the best voter fraud techniques.
The thing they all had in common? Overwhelmingly, the apparent fraud was perpetuated by Democrats on behalf of Democrat candidates. This has been the trend for decades: evidence of Democrat voter fraud, followed by the media pooh-poohing the claims, then encouraging everybody to move on.
Reasonable people looking at this evidence could not fail but to see that there is real voter fraud, and that it virtually always leads back to the Democrats. The question would then be: how much more would naysayers such as yourselves need to see before you put on your gumshoes, pulled out the notepad and the tape recorder, and started rooting out the story?
Pete Smith
Cypress, TX
Ridiculous? Let's review major stories in the past five years:
- The Michigan recount of the 2016 election results which found several Detroit precincts with more votes than registered voters.
- The fact that recounts in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania all resulted in more Republican votes being counted.
- Credible accounts from California and from other states of Republican voters electronic ballots being switched to Democrat candidates.
- The criminal investigation of Democrat support group ACORN for voter fraud in six states for manufacturing tens of thousands of phony voter registrations, resulting in dozens of convictions.
- An article on the time honored practice of "ballot harvesting" votes at retirement homes and homeless shelters in the Rio Grande Valley, frequently with a bribe.
- A report from Arizona by an electoral official of a "harvester" carrying thousands of ballots into a voting station.
- Decades of electoral fraud in Chicago, most recently documented in a sting video that went viral concerning two party officials expounding on the best voter fraud techniques.
The thing they all had in common? Overwhelmingly, the apparent fraud was perpetuated by Democrats on behalf of Democrat candidates. This has been the trend for decades: evidence of Democrat voter fraud, followed by the media pooh-poohing the claims, then encouraging everybody to move on.
Reasonable people looking at this evidence could not fail but to see that there is real voter fraud, and that it virtually always leads back to the Democrats. The question would then be: how much more would naysayers such as yourselves need to see before you put on your gumshoes, pulled out the notepad and the tape recorder, and started rooting out the story?
Pete Smith
Cypress, TX
Friday, January 20, 2017
Piling On Manziel
Regarding "Manziel pledges changes for new year" (Friday A2), Brent Zwerneman spends an entire article showing his contempt for former Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel's recent Tweets admitting to alcohol problems. He finishes the article with this doozy: "Meanwhile, plenty of fans will consider Manziel’s Thursday tweets some of the dumbest things they’ve ever read, until he acts on his pledges."
Millions of Twelve Steppers would heartily disagree. Admitting you have a problem is the First Step. Johnny Manziel is publicly addressing his demons. Brent Zwerneman could stand to do the same.
Pete Smith
Cypress, TX
Millions of Twelve Steppers would heartily disagree. Admitting you have a problem is the First Step. Johnny Manziel is publicly addressing his demons. Brent Zwerneman could stand to do the same.
Pete Smith
Cypress, TX
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