Politics’ Fredo Corleone

Re “Living with Trump’s mobster rule,” Opinion, Dec. 22

Who can forget President Trump’s dig of Michael Cohen as a “rat” and praise of Paul Manafort for not “f lipping” during the Russia investigation? Throw in Rudy Giuliani as an addled Robert Duvall consigliere from “The Godfather,” and you have Trumpworld in a nutshell.

But unlike Al Pacino’s criminal mastermind character, Trump is more like the older brother Fredo “I’m smart” Corleone.

As for his followers’ penchant for tough guys ( real or imagined), a segment of the population has always had a thing for outlaws and gangsters. What’s a little collateral damage if you can live the American dream?

Chris Fite Spring Valley, Calif.

According to Erin Aubrey Kaplan, Trump supporters are like members of the mafia, because “in Trump’s world, you have carte blanche to smash and grab, to seize what you want by force.”

Could Kaplan explain exactly what Trump supporters have “seized” by force?

Were Kaplan and Democratic voters equally outraged by the rioting last summer? After all, Trump supporters weren’t the ones seizing an entire area of Seattle.

Where was the outrage by her, the media and the Democrats?

Janet Polak Beverly Hills

Kaplan brilliantly explained the problem facing us. However, I think there’s a bit of selfishness in all of humankind. After all, babies are born demanding to be fed and cared for — and now. But we learn the rules of a well- run social order as we mature.

It takes a leader like Trump to encourage our latent juvenile tendencies and throw the social system into chaos. It will take a heroic stance to get this ship on an even keel again, but we can do it.

Zena Thorpe Chatsworth