Letters to the editor: Reckless US foreign policy has caused misery for generations, and you can’t blame Trump for that

But let’s be clear about what is playing out in the US. It is scraping the barrel when character assassination comes from an adult man having sex with an adult woman.

The Democrats are supporting terrible wars in Gaza and have questions to answer about the numbers of Ukrainian dead.

For decades, their massively irresponsible foreign policy has caused great unhappiness to millions of people, and not just one or two generations.

It needs to stop now, but they never talk about peace. America is in debt to the tune of trillions of dollars and the ordinary man on the street is suffering from the harsh effects of inflation.

Two old men are the insulting offerings from the combined war parties as “leader of the free world”.

Democrats and Republicans are, as George Galloway may have put it, two butt cheeks of the same flabby backside.

If anyone thinks Trump alone is the reason – or the solution – for the woes of the US and how it contaminates the lives of others far from Washington, they are naive.

The US political system needs to be quarantined from the rest of the world (7.6 billion of us).

They need to be encouraged to immediately establish a clean democracy that is free from the influence of individual and corporate donors who are basically buying lawmakers.

If we in Ireland are forced to choose the nations we cosy up to, we should look to the future and do the maths.

The power, the trade, the culture, the sheer scale of humanity is eastwards. We need to get comfortable with the idea that there are no good guys and there never were.

It’s all a compromise in geopolitics, a fact the Americans also need to acknowledge and accept.

Trump, a deal-maker, at least understood that.

The entire Trump-Stormy episode is tawdry. It signifies a great malaise in America and in its politics.

The body politic cuts a weak, pathetic, silly and immensely immoral figure.

Mary Matthews, address with editor

Rain clouds finally catch up with Donald’s parade as poetic justice is served

Isn’t it poetic justice that Donald Trump, who once described climate change as a “hoax”, has been given such a rude awakening by Stormy Daniels?

Rob Sadlier, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16

Ex-president’s conviction should be wake-up call for right-thinking Americans

Justice at last for the people of New York against the man who constantly derided the judicial system and the people of that great city.

Donald Trump, who attempted to initiate the coup at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, has got his just deserts at last – becoming the first former US president to be convicted of felony charges.

His rhetoric after conviction is to blame the judge, President Joe Biden’s administration and anyone he dislikes. Everything is “rigged” and “corrupt”, according to the Trumpian playbook.

While he had already been convicted of a civil matter, he is finally being convicted of a criminal one.

Sadly – and this is the sting in the tail – under the US constitution he can still run for the presidency. He could become president, even as a convicted felon.

With more cases to face, let’s hope the gavel will finally come down on this despicable, misogynistic, narcissistic man.

How many scandals or Hollywood tapes does it take before his supporters and the people of America wake up to the fact they can do better?

Christy Galligan, Letterkenny, Co Donegal

Your vote has the power to shape the future, so make sure it doesn’t go to waste

There are three elections on the island of Ireland in the next five weeks. They comprise local and European elections in the Republic next Friday, followed by a UK general election for the people of Northern Ireland to concern themselves with on July 4.

With all of the above in mind, I would like to recommend Brian Cregan’s fantastic book Parnell – A Novel.

If anything or anyone could prove to people that democracy and non-violent methods are a key to progress, it is Charles Stewart Parnell.

From 1875, when he was first elected to the House of Commons in a Meath by-election, his impact was seismic.

Later, as leader of the Home Rule League and then the Irish Parliamentary Party, he weakened the power of landlords in Ireland.

He stood for the poor people in the blighted villages and tenant farmers of the west of Ireland. Along with Michael Davitt and others, the Land League came into being and the word “boycott” became part of the English language.

The influence he had with Irish voters in the UK at that time formed an important part of his success.

Parnell would not be out of place in any of the elections today and, hopefully, moral outrage or religion would not influence his downfall.

People of today, especially first-time voters, should realise the importance of their vote and how it can help shape the future.

John Healy, Bohermore, Galway

Ireland has recognised Palestine – now it’s time to recognise US failings

Israel has succeeded in calcifying our hearts and emotions. We fear looking on social media because we see injured and traumatised children looking back at us.

We see hospitals blown up, evidence of shootings in operating theatres, food-delivery vans incinerated, hostages shot dead because they were assumed to be Palestinians and tents blown to bits with women and children inside.

The UN, through American veto, has been reduced to rubble. The International Court of Justice has been ignored by the US and Israel.

The majority of the world wants this inhumane bombardment to stop. However, well-placed power over decades, by a minority who use the Bible to justify murder, ploughs on, heedless of humanity’s cries.

Ireland has recognised Palestine. It now needs to recognise that America should be called out. Stopping US warplanes passing through Shannon is a necessity.

John Cuffe, Co Meath

Leinster ought to park the battering-ram approach and prioritise drop-kicking

I refer to yesterday’s back-page headline about Leinster coach Leo Cullen (‘Cullen still convinced he’s doing what is best for Leinster’, Irish Independent, May 31).

Leo is wrong in this instance. The best way to win is to minimise the butchery of rucks, particularly near goal lines.

Then, maximise space and long, fast passing for drop-kicking from the mid-line onward. The back seven ought to be trained by their coach to drop-kick successfully from the first minute (and not only at the last minute).

With so many points achievable from this approach, teams could exhibit try-scoring now and again. The unseemly sight of bulked-up young men battering each other dangerously has no place in civilised games.

Joe Foyle, Ranelagh, Dublin

Trove of happy memories from simpler times of church bells and real chats

Reading Roslyn Dee’s recent column brought me right back to the days of my youth (‘Church bells give us pause for thought in a fast-moving world’, Irish Independent, May 30).

In my home town, we have a large cathedral with a very high steeple that can be seen for miles in all directions. It also had a set of very loud chiming bells that could be heard ringing every 15 minutes.

Many a long day was spent in class, longing to hear the 3pm bells ringing, signifying that school was nearly over for the day.

When we were out on the bog saving the turf in tough conditions, the Angelus bell would chime out loud and clear at 6pm. This signalled the day’s work was slowly coming to an end.

We did not have watches or mobile phones to inform us of the time of day when working outdoors, so we relied very much on the church bells to tell us what stage the working day was at.

They were simpler times and the pace of life was much slower. People had time to talk to each other face-to-face and enjoy each other’s company.

Nowadays, it’s all done on the laptop, the tablet or the mobile phone. Looking back, I often wonder if those days listening to the church bells informing us of the time were happier days all round.

Tom Towey, Cloonacool, Co Sligo