The Trump era

Sharon Murdoch (cartoon, March 26) exemplifies what US President Donald Trump’s aide, Steve Bannon, said about the media: ‘‘they are the opposition’’.

Because Trump has tried to strengthen borders he has been accused of being a racist and a bigot. Trump pointed out there has been a huge increase in murder, rape and riots in countries like Sweden which have unfettered immigration. Sweden’s utopian socialist experiment has failed and Trump is rightly pointing this out as a warning to America.

Pauline Alexander, Auckland This year we once again have the chance to exercise our democratic right to vote for those who will govern us. Many people around the world are denied this right by repressive regimes.

All the more alarming, then, to see the succession of readers’ letters to the Star-Times expressing understanding, or even approval and admiration for a liar and bully elected to high office by a mere 26 per cent of the available vote.

Perhaps New Zealand Trumpophiles are so frightened for the future that they would surrender any freedom, any rights, just to have someone to look after them and, of course, their kind? Electing people willing to suck up to the current US Administration will certainly carry too high a price.

Stan Jones, Hamilton Alice Snedden (‘‘I hate ‘PC gone mad’,’’ Escape, February 26) was right on with what is free speech and what is offensive, till she came out as a left-winger and basically said that Trump rails against minorities. That’s where she lost the plot.

I am retired, and a political junkie, and I watch a lot of TV CNN, Fox, BBC and Al Jazeera. I have never heard Trump rail against minorities. He certainly rails against illegal immigrants, who happen to be minorities.

Trump did not say there had been a massacre in Sweden, yet the left-wing CNN keeps saying he did. I have watched the clip and he said you should see what is going on in Sweden, and if he had not said what he did, the media would not have reported that there are now no-go areas, and that violent acts are being perpetuated, caused by uncontrolled immigration.

GR Scown, Whanganui