Beware of the new autocracies

Dear editor: The U.S. Florida Parkland school students called out their grownups to act like adults in providing massacre-proof schools through responsible gun laws.

The students were successful for a very slight legislative improvement. However society has missed the students’ second complaint: The NRA, one of many powerful lobby groups whose influence on politicians has crippled the democratic process.

This has rightfully infuriated much of the U.S. populace, causing them to latch onto autocratic Trump, an admirer of Russia’s Putin and China’s Xi.

Now suddenly Trump agreed to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un at Kim’s' request.

Why? Kim of the younger generation with a Swiss education was influenced by China to follow China’s model of a “compassionate autocracy,” which propelled it into an economic powerhouse, while at the same time lifting millions out of poverty.

As does China, North Korea would retain its nuclear arsenal, as does Israel and Pakistan.

Unless democracies can be more responsive to the needs of the people they will be absorbed by the compassionate autocracy movement.

This could be Kim Jong Un’s plan — uniting the Korean peninsula under his compassionate Autocracy and adding to the growing Chinese Asia orbit of influence.

America should be very proud of its Parkland students, who have put their common sense foresight for the nation into action. Joe Schwarz Penticton