Goodbye Angela Merkel, who led Europe with great wisdom

In reference to your excellent editorial As Merkel surrenders, the populists march on (October 30), it is a sad commentary on our times that a leader like Angela Merkel, who has led Europe with great wisdom and sagacity, is fading in power. We live in strange times, where populist leaders rule the roost, playing on jingoistic appeals. Instead of enlarging the global economic pie, they proclaim, let us conserve what we have for our own people and let the rest of the world fend for itself. Yet the world has always survived when nations, like individuals, help each other in times of war and distress. US President Donald Tump’s election, Brexit and the rise of right-wing forces in Brazil are all symptomatic of this short-term myopia amongst global leaders. Rajendra Aneja, Dubai