Looking beyond politics
The right stuff
Regarding “Thumbs up, down” (Page A13, Dec. 17), here’s an emphatic thumbs up for Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson. Please be advised that global oil men rise to top management largely because they are expert diplomats who negotiate huge trades and deals that develop peaceful global trade. They also know more about some foreign nations and their leaders than some conventional Ivy League-trained diplomats do.
As eastern editor of World Oil and Pipe Line Industry in New York City from 1955 to 1959, I worked with both diplomatic types. Sheldon T. Mills, former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Ecuador and Jordan; a Cold War expert and a family friend, was my only good conventional diplomatic source of petroleum information. Others lacked industry and even ample lingual or geographic expertise.
I have more confidence in retired oil executives retreaded as U.S. diplomats than in an Ivy League-trained secretary of state. Harrison T. Brundage,
Houston
A bit jittery
I voted for Donald Trump because he was more honest and trustworthy than Hillary Clinton.
I felt that I had to vote for Trump. But since then, I am beginning to have some strong doubts.
The selection of R.W. Tillerson as secretary of state (the most powerful person in the Cabinet) deeply disturbs me about a person who constantly cared more about Exxon than about the interests of America.
Trump’s questions about the F35 fighter plans is a great concern since this aircraft will dominate the sky for years to come. Without it, the Chinese and Russians are catching up.
Trump’s knowledge of foreign affairs by his own admission comes from watching the news. That combined with reading no serious books on foreign affairs makes me very nervous. But he distrusts the media. Then what?
Trumps communications to the public by tweets is very disturbing.
Finally, Trump has seemingly withdrawn his solemn promise to build that wall to keep out those crossing the border illegally.
I have not lost confidence in the man, but he makes me very nervous, even before his inauguration. Peter J. Riga, Houston
Get a grip
It is amazing to watch the actions of some Democrats that cannot seem to get their mind around the fact that their side lost the presidential election.
First they stage protests, then they demand recounts in several states, then they claim the Russians influenced the election, then they lobby the Electoral College voters to not do their duty, and now we hear talk of impeachment — all before President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office!
I’m sure that a lot of good Democrats are mortified by the actions of many of their fellow party members. As we go forward, we need to remember that the entire Democratic Party should not be judged as a whole by the attempts of a few protesters who desperately want to change the election results.
Bob Fowler, Point Blank