Trump is not the first corrupt American politician. Since World War II, millionaire members of the US military-industrial complex have bribed senators and misled presidents into taking illegal action to overthrow the governments of some 51 democratic countries, making the USA the world's biggest exporter of state-sponsored terrorism.
This neo-fascist plundering has been kept in check by honest politicians, constitutional judges, crusading journalists and outraged church members, but Trump's cronies are now actively working to suppress these restraints.
Josh Chandulal-Mackay has acted very properly in calling attention to the dangers we all face from Trump and the profiteering neo-fascists backing him. I hope Josh gets everyone's full support.
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JOHN ARCHER, Ohakune
Breastbeating
Loved the minor front page item of February 17 ("Topless billboard - time to man up"). I saw perhaps greater mirth in that article than some.
One sad killjoy reportedly thought the new joke billboard, featuring a male chest, somehow still objectified female breasts (that one has me beat and I can only assure readers that men have breasts too, and I don't feel objectified by the joke man-picture).
Dare I also point out that the original model, undoubtedly a woman, objectified her own breasts in the first billboard? Follow my logic - she clearly had breast implants; breast implants are of no use in milk production; therefore she objectified her own breasts by a useless surgical addition.
And I am still waiting to learn if anyone is offended by the anatomically complete, full-size bull statue still standing nearby - a crass display of objectified masculinity for drooling ladies.
Such a load of bull don't 'alf make me feel small ...
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STAN HOOD, Aramoho
Stop stopbanks
I wonder where the "moving of 100 homes" came from (Chronicle; February 23).
In the six years I was on the regional council it was "lift and move" as part of managed retreat.
One idea I came up with was for NZTA to lift the height of Anzac Parade one metre and use the river side as a form of stopbank.
Anzac Parade has a number of older rental homes and they would hardly be considered "high value" homes. Yes, they belong to someone but surely when people buy in a flood plain they know what happens in a flood?
I spoke to a couple of owners impacted by the last major flood. The just wanted to sell up and move out of the area.
I'm surprised that the Insurance Council - which would have paid millions of dollars for what can only be classified as a screw-up on the part of the previous council in not removing people and property earlier - are happy to pay out to repair properties and furniture in the flood plain.
Stopbanks are a waste of time. They are expensive and they will get over-topped and destroyed.
My plea to Wanganui residents is oppose stopbanks. They are a waste of ratepayers' money and will increase our city debt and make living here unaffordable.
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BOB WALKER, Retired Horizons Regional Councillor
Opinions amuse
I always find the Opinion pages the most entertaining in your paper.
In the letters, for example, where everyone has the right to express an opinion, there are climate change deniers, Trump supporters, creationists, mixed-up crackpots and the occasional loony. But it's all interesting.
Among the columnists, I like Jay Kuten whose extensive knowledge of politics is expressed in a reasoned and persuasive way. Yet some of your correspondents, for inexplicable reasons, seem to think that they know more than he does.
Your regular MP contributions are nearly always waffle and fudged statistics but I try to read them all the way through.
Joe Bennett's effort in last Wednesday's Dominion Post was magnificent.
He mocks Trump outrageously and wants to see Trump "... stumbling naked down Pennsylvania Avenue under a barrage of rotten fruit".
All sentiments you feel everyone would wholeheartedly sympathise with. But to my delighted astonishment even Joe has his half-witted critics.
So you can see why I consider the offerings in the Opinion pages to be often unexpected but always interesting.
I D FERGUSON, Whanganui
Corrupt media
Once again Jay Kuten shows his ignorance of the situation in his homeland, the United States.
The population has cottoned on to the fact that their mainstream media is corrupt, crooked and complicit with the old ousted regime.
I saw figures as low as 6 per cent of the population believed the mainstream media, so I have been watching the alternative media.
Instead of pouring scorn on Trump, Jay should be examining the old regime through the alternative media - the media his compatriots use.
Trump is America's knight in shining armour. The mainstream media - CNN, Washington Post, New York Times, ABC etc - posted only the bad on Trump yet refused to expose the appalling truth about the incumbent regime's candidate and predecessor.
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WILLIAM PARTRIDGE
Hunterville
