Give it up, already

Politicians and media been stewing over Russia for 75 years. Can the hysteria continue for another 75 years? Stop the insanity!

Gerald Thomas

Grayslake

Too many lead for personal gain

The world is now listening and watching, witnessing widespread corruption of multimillionaire and billionaire despots, many of whom are heads of governments suppressing their populations and pillaging their treasuries for their personal gain. Most of America's media continues to issue veiled warnings, publishing and broadcasting that this country continually elects millionaires and billionaires to office, believing wealth alone, regardless of how it's attained or how it's spent, is sufficient to rule.

Oligarchs of newly created and emerging nations, plutocracies with the affluent elite in control appear to be growing, preventing governments that should be for the people and by the people-at-large. No, the media is not the enemy of the state; its enemy is tyrannical diktat, seducing and cajoling the public to concede to its command.

Reread the First Amendment; you just might be able to save democracy.

James D. Cook

Schaumburg

President offends our sense of right and wrong

A very interesting article in Time magazine April 3 entitled " Can Trump Handle the Truth?" discussed the opposing forces of truth vs. falsehood, opinion vs. fact, lying vs. honesty, and misrepresentation/fraud and deceit vs. genuine reality. As depicted in his daily utterances (tweets), his pronouncements, unfounded accusations and seemingly intentional distortions of what is, our president is attempting to redefine reality. He treats falsehoods as an excusable means of negotiation. If what he utters today is downright false (and he may even know this) and a week later there happens to be evidence to support his claim, he will take credit as if he is a soothsayer of future events.

This is supposed to convince his foes that he is the smart one and in complete control. If his claim remains forever untrue or has a hurtful consequence, he will blame someone else or lots of others. We do not have to get used to this demented way to communicate. This is not simply politics; it insults our sense of right and wrong, our very moral fiber.

Larry Joel Powitz

Arlington Heights