To The Editor:
Donald Trump recently tweeted (what else?) that we must greatly expand our nuclear weapons arsenal. Was this something he proposed on the campaign trail (and I happened to miss) or did he think it would be better to surprise us all after all the votes were counted?
According to news reports, his buddy Vladimir Putin agrees that a new arms race is in order. So now what will China say? Iran? North Korea? How about our presumed secretary of defense, General “Mad Dog” Mattis? Will he be on board with this?
Is Mr. Trump serious or is this simply some sort of perverse “negotiating position”? Or, since he has already wondered aloud why we should have nuclear weapons if we can’t use them (and will have his finger on the nuclear button), is he just insane? Or does he somehow believe that this is how responsible world leaders conduct diplomacy when millions of human lives could be at stake? Or is this how he intends to “make America great again”? Or is it part of his plan to “create jobs” by putting people to work building even more nuclear bombs and missiles? Does he realize how such rash statements can scare both Americans and other nations? Does he ever stop to consider the consequences of his words and actions? Does he even care?
Or, on the other hand, is Barack Obama right when he assures us that there is nothing to be concerned about and all will be well under the new administration?
Fasten your seat belts, America; we are in for a turbulent ride. Hopefully, we can avoid a crash landing at the end.
Paul Hanke
Warren
