---- "Frustrated" racists?

 

Reza Foldat's letter in the January 20 Bulletin claims that those in the January 6 insurrection attempt in Washington were “frustrated” racist Americans. She feels they had a right to express their opinions. There will still be much analysis to understand the Trump phenomenon, but I believe Foldat’s view is naïve and premature, and certainly very tolerant of such vile extremist behaviour.

Donald Trump tapped into the gross economic inequality evident in the USA. He catered to ethnic and racial prejudice, which suited many of his followers.  A great showman, but his bravado disguised his incompetence as president. His ill will towards others was a smokescreen to hide his greed. Most Canadians saw through this. Trump, in his quest for power, sought on January 6 to overturn a fair election and turn democracy on its head.

It's sad that so many Americans fell for his pitch. He did not deliver on health care, nor  improve the USA’s infra-structure, he ignored the Covid-19 pandemic, and pointed to his partially-built wall with Mexico as his signal achievement. He pardoned many criminal friends as a parting shot to the country. Fortunately in Canada we have progressive parties such as the NDP which has the political force to rectify some of the neo-liberal economic policies that Foldat discusses in her letter.

Carl Hager