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Trump’s bringing back the ‘Red Scare’
President Trump has claimed in recent speeches that politicians claiming to be democratic socialists are really communists. Well, that seems to bring America back to 1952 when Sen. Joseph McCarthy was holding hearings and claiming communists were trying to take over America. Now with President Trump’s popularity ratings in the toilet, he’s trying to use old scare tactics to appeal to voters. The president is using his executive powers like an authoritarian leader with the help of a very compliant Republican majority in Congress and the Supreme Court. So, I pose the question: What is more dangerous to American democracy, a fascist or a democratic socialist?
Richard Briant, Royal Palm Beach
Did America need two celebrations?
As our country celebrated its 250th birthday, there’s a crisis brewing. America250, the bipartisan non-profit, has been organizing events for the celebration all over the country for over a year, and doing a great job. The Trump administration quietly created Freedom250, a group run by officials from the White House. Why did we need a second organization to plan the events?
Here’s the kicker. When donors contacted the White House wanting to donate to America250, according to CNN and other sources, they were given routing and account numbers for the shadow organization. Now, Trump and his White House control a good part of the money donated by citizens, and the result is no-bid contracts, shoddy work, vanity projects, and events like the Great American State Fair. How much money was spent on that debacle? My question is what type of person actually comes up with a plan like this? Not a leader. I’ll wait for the court dates.
Robert, Mayer Boynton Beach
Birthright opposition a bit hypocritical
How ironic about the Trump administration and the first and second ladies. Melania Trump was not born in the United States and Usha Vance’s parents emigrated to America in 1970, just in time for her to be born here. Yet, President Trump and Vice President Vance are adamantly against birthrights as defined by the U.S. Constitution. In addition, two out of three of Trump’s wives were not born in the U.S. What a bunch of hypocrites.
Rosanne Gordon, Boca Raton
A little help with all these labels
I have questions about all these political labels. For starters, what’s the difference between a liberal and a progressive? What’s the difference between a socialist and a democratic socialist? Is a person a member of Antifa a person who is against fascism? If so, what’s wrong with that? We fought [Benito] Mussolini during World War II because he was a fascist.
Is a member of MAGA a person who agrees with President Trump no matter what he says or what he wants to happen? Are federal programs like Medicare and Social Security forms of socialism? Most people in the United States like these programs, except for the ultra-rich who do not need them but still may receive their benefits. Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Aaron Handler, Boynton Beach
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump’s bringing back the ‘Red Scare,’ Post reader insists
Reporting by Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
