Letters: US presidential debate proved neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump is right choice for the job

Trump knows little and cares less about anything other than himself, and almost set the truth-checkers on fire. Biden, as expected, dozed a bit, went off on tangents and seemed confused while looking and sounding even older than he is.

There are now belated calls for one or both to step aside, but this would expose voters to a hitherto invisible Kamala Harris and an unknown Republican hack.

Perhaps they should postpone the whole shindig, get rid of both candidates and start again next year, leaving the country in the hands of a selected group.

David Ryan, Co Meath

Voters left uninformed as interviewer allowed two men to harp on about golf

The host of last night’s US presiden­tial election debate failed to ask any real, meaningful questions and all­owed both men to talk about golf and all that superfluous nonsense that goes on in these very tedious debates.

The people are left uninformed.

Paul Doran, Dublin 22

Young or old, governing is all about teamwork and a mix is the key to success

Philip Ryan writes that fresh faces show Irish politics is now no country for old men or women (Irish Independent, June 27).

Our current leader is 37 and our new finance minister is only 33.

Philip thinks there is a new era of politics pushing aside older men and women in favour of younger politicians.

On the other hand, across the Atlantic voters are getting to choose between two elderly men for the top position in America.

We saw Leo Varadkar shake things up after the 2020 general election when a lot of experienced politicians and accomplished vote-getters were not reappointed to the Cabinet.

But while I think it is a good idea to bring in new blood to the Government, I also think experience plays a big part in the performance of a minister.

We saw the great expertise that Michael Noonan brought when he made his return to government in 2011.

I believe being in government is all about teamwork, and I think a mixture of youth and experience is a recipe for success.

Thomas Garvey, Claremorris, Co Mayo

Shame on Aer Lingus pilots and management for disrupting holidays

Both Aer Lingus management and the pilots have a lot to answer for.

A working man is allowed only a specific time period in which to take his holiday – it is not flexible. At the same time, his children have been saving all year for their summer break. And now they find out that they can’t go.

Can’t you just imagine the tears, the heartbreak, the disappointment when they’re told they’ve been stopped from going?

It’s a shame.

J Rafferty, address with editor

Electorate have sent clear message to Government about its green policies

The recent electoral drubbing of the Green Party, despite the looming crisis of global warming, was to a great degree self-inflicted.

Its core climate message was often dictatorial, creating counter-productive levels of anxiety and fear, particularly among the younger generation.

The origin of the problem stems from the one-size-fits-all Paris Accord, in which small nations like Ireland were treated unfairly and in the same manner as the major polluters like the US, China, India, Brazil, Russia, the EU and the UK.

All countries, big and small, were legally obliged to reduce emissions by 51pc by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050, irrespective of their historical and current levels of CO2 equivalent emissions.

Former taoiseach Enda Kenny showed an abundance of prescience when attempting, regrettably in vain, to negotiate a derogation because of our minuscule responsibility for global warming, knowing that the demands were clearly unattainable and unnecessary.

The Government has received a clear message from the electorate that a substantial reassessment is now needed.

John Leahy, Wilton Road, Cork

Football fans cheering when their club’s players fail is perplexing indeed

I find it somewhat perplexing that so many of the people here (and good luck to them) who travel across the water to support teams such as Liverpool and Arsenal quite enjoy seeing the England team, including players from their favourite clubs, fail at international level.

Funny old game? Quite.

Tom Gilsenan, Beaumont, Dublin 9

Suggestion King Charles should call for ceasefire in Gaza is unconstitutional

Peter Kennedy’s unconstitutional suggestion about King Charles revealed woolly thinking (‘It’s time for King Charles to step up and call for a ceasefire in Palestine’, Letters, June 27).

The British sovereign does not comment on political “hot potatoes”. Further, just because the Black and Tans were part of the Irish police does not mean all Irish police were Black and Tans.

The original Palestine [British] Gendarmerie enrolled many ex-RIC men of all categories, but it was not exclusively Black and Tans nor Irish.

There was also a Palestinian locally recruited gendarmerie, but under the Geddes Axe, both gendarmeries were disbanded into the overall Palestine Police by stations and rank and file – until the Arab rebellion revived mobile units, starting with a horsed unit in the Samarian hills.

Frank Adam, Prestwich, Greater Manchester

Assange told the truth at great personal cost, so we all owe him our gratitude

It was heartening to see Julian Ass­ange walk free.

We should be grateful for such men and women who believe in a free world and the public’s right to know the truth, sometimes at too much cost to themselves.

It is ironic that the United States – land of the free – had been pursuing him relentlessly for so long.

Aidan Roddy, Cabinteely, Dublin 18