Performance shocks

Our president’s performance at the summit with Vladimir Putin was a shocking display of incompetence, weakness and capitulation to a dangerous and murderous adversary. Rather than “peace through strength,” it seems Donald Trump’s doctrine with Russia is peace through sucking up and surrender. He bashes our longtime allies and trashes his fellow Americans and U.S. institutions like law enforcement, intelligence agencies and past presidents, about which he ceaselessly whines. Instead of recognizing the obvious Russian menace, Trump calls those who report the news the enemy of the American people and the European Union a “foe” of the U.S. It appears Putin has been richly rewarded by Trump for his interference in the last U.S. election.

We need a president who prefers democracies to dictators and who recognizes friends of the U.S. from its foes, one who understands the many real threats to the U.S. (terrorism, cyber threats, climate change, gun violence, etc.) instead of this one who sets up scapegoats like journalists, investigators, Muslims, asylum-seekers and immigrants, judges and trading partners.

Congress needs to grow a spine and, as a co-equal branch of government, start to assert true American interests (including economic ones) and values in the face of the threat Trump poses to them. And everyone needs to vote this fall.

CINDY DAWSON

Little Rock