The DSA is the true threat to democracy
I imagine that a lot of the readers of this newspaper are, like me, tired of the same old clap-trap of “Republicans bad, Democrats good” in the letters section.
Let’s look at what the far-left portion of the Democrats is really advocating for. The most influential and fastest-growing part of the left in this country is the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). However, they are anything but democratic! They are the true “threats to democracy.”
Recently, the DSA released its “manifesto” for what they are advocating. These positions were verified in a recent TV interview by the co-chair of the DSA – Megan Romer. Here are some of their positions: abolish the Senate, abolish the Electoral College and have Congress elect the president and Supreme Court, making all three former groups answerable to a coalition. This sounds like a dictatorship to me where all three branches of our government are abolished – a true threat to democracy.
In addition, the DSA is advocating for abolishing our country’s borders, defunding the Pentagon, closing the prisons, defunding the police and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This sounds like chaos and anarchy to me.
Is this the country you want to live in? Not me. Is the destruction of what this country was built upon and made it the greatest country in the world what you want? I don’t.
If you don’t either, then look at both sides of our politics, not just one side. Doing that will be a great protection against the real and current threats to democracy.
Bob Reynolds
Carroll
The myth of the Republican platform
Many Republican themes are largely myths, superstitions, and suppositions.
One example is parental rights and parental control.
The case study and poster children are in the headlines: 16 children rescued from Ohio home looked ‘almost feral,’ …Jul 1, 2026 — The children’s parents and two grandparents were charged with felony child endangerment, a prosecutor said.
“We don’t want no stinkin’ government interference.”
“Parents should make decisions for their children.”
“Government should stay out of people’s lives.”
“Limit government regulation of healthcare, education, or personal conduct.”
“Parents should be empowered.”
“Parents should have greater authority over their children’s education and upbringing.”
Their talking points about family values can easily be seen to be vacuous and ludicrous in the face of the logical extreme extension of those viewpoints. Our society has the advantage of some 30,000 years of human history, knowledge, and progress. This government and its political, social, and economic structures are said to be among the best ever possible in offering a fair balance of competing forces and personal opportunities. There are reasons for having an experienced and competent “deep state” of unelected bureaucrats. Over many years, those positions and agencies have been determined to be there entirely for the benefit of the American people.
The current Republican Party of Trump and MAGA cultists, extremists, minions, toadies, parasites, sycophants/psychophants, and moral impotence is a mere continuation of the many historic attacks on the New Deal and its aftermaths.
The lists of one outrageous order, toddler’s whim, or action after another is overwhelming and hard to keep up with. Budget cuts, mass firings, ending programs have devastated US rights, justice, education, consumer and environmental protections, and leaves the public with diarrhea, measles, no health care, higher gas and grocery prices, tariffs never to be refunded to the individual user, destroyed lives, and an endless and worthless war.
Republicans “Cut Taxes and Spend More.” DOGE and Trump have not saved US dollars.
Those voices saying “the government is the problem, there are too many rules and regulations, their budgets are too high,” should take a serious look at the Siders family.
Allen BrandBremen
Trump can’t have it both ways on affordability
Billionaire Trump says the word ‘affordability’ is a hoax
It isn’t a stretch to realize that only a billionaire like DJT, could, in no way, understand how the regular working-class American citizen struggles with daily stresses of affording gas, food, shelter and healthcare. His ‘family’ privilege makes him incapable of empathy. Donald Trump claimed the media invented the term “affordability” after he became president to criticize his policies. Then, in a reversal, he quotes himself as the author of “affordability.
But nonetheless, this Mar-a-Lago castle tenant proves his distaste for the common person, as he said this, of the term affordability, during a Cabinet meeting in December 2025, Trump called affordability a “hoax.” Yet, Inflation has hovered around 3.0% to 3.5%, driven higher by broad-scale tariffs implemented in 2025 and subsequent global energy market disruptions from the conflict in Iran.
Trump has previously claimed to invent the word affordability — despite it being in use since the 1500s, per the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Then on Wednesday, Aug. 5 he again doubled down: “It was a word they devised — affordability,” the president said during a rally in Las Vegas. One must also note that The Oxford English Dictionary traces the word “affordability” back to the 1910s.
Trump has previously claimed credit for coining other terms like “equalize” and praised the word “groceries” as beautiful, even as the inflation costs have soared since his election.
So, “who” is benefiting from the Trump economy while he scoffs at affordability being a hoax?
Well, TRUMP is! The membership fee for his Mar-a-Lago club is $1 million per person, up from a previous rate of $700,000. …Annual Dues: Approximately $20,000 per year, Minimum Food Spend: A minimum dining requirement of $2,000 annually, Overnight Stays: Priced separately, reportedly starting at $2,000+ per night. Bedrooms: 58; Bathrooms: 33; Bomb shelters: 3
Also, we have a sitting President accumulating wealth from cryptocurrency ventures: The primary driver of his financial expansion is cryptocurrency, which generated over $1.4 billion to $3 billion through ventures like memecoins and his family’s crypto platform. NOTE: His family’s.
Affordability a hoax? Only if you have Trump’s pocketbook.
Bob Muckensturm
Lancaster
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Opinion: Letter writer says the DSA is the true threat to democracy
Reporting by Lancaster Eagle-Gazette / Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Lancaster Eagle-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
