to the editor: I totally agree that President Trump has only bad options in the Iran war (“Trump has only left himself with bad options on Iran” May 20). The problem is that Americans, along with most countries in the world, are paying the bill for their mistakes. Trump is like a drunk captain and unfortunately we are passengers on his Titanic.
After tearing up the treaty President Obama had signed with Iran, Trump followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's lead by attacking Iran not once, but twice. The first time he claimed that Iran's nuclear program had been destroyed. Obviously that wasn't true, hence the second attack.
The damage is already evident in the tragic deaths of thousands of victims. However, most people are also worried about the economic consequences, as prices rise and will likely remain high even after the war ends.
Friedrich Merz, Chancellor of Germany, has declared that the United States lacks a clear strategy and that Iran is humiliating us. That may or may not be true, but the real tragedy is that Americans and people around the world remain hostage to a reckless captain who runs the ship we all sail on.
Domenico Maceri, San Luis Obispo
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to the editor: More war will do nothing to prevent nuclear weapons and will only worsen the world hunger crisis. Diplomacy is the only way to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue.
We need to reach a deal with Iran that allows inspectors to return to nuclear facilities. But we also need to reach agreements with nuclear-armed nations, including Russia and China.
There are more than 12,000 nuclear weapons worldwide. Most of these weapons of mass destruction are in the hands of the United States and Russia, with China third. Why not reduce nuclear weapons to hundreds, moving towards the ultimate goal of their complete elimination?
Instead of nations wasting billions of dollars each year on nuclear weapons and war, precious resources should be diverted to feed the hungry and reduce poverty.
We need to focus more on feeding the world's hungry instead of making more weapons. There is so much suffering and instability in the world due to hunger and conflict.
People of all nations could benefit from nuclear disarmament leading to increased funding for food and other aid.
William Lambers, Cincinnati, Ohio
This writer is an author who partnered with the United Nations World Food Program on the book “Ending World Hunger.”
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to the editor: Trump has issued what many believe to be his irreducible demand of Iran: not have nuclear weapons.
You may not have realized, but Iran does not have nuclear weapons. The United States has them, and it is widely believed that Israel has them too. Iran has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; Israel has not done so. Comparing Israel and Iran on a scale of death and destruction is not favorable to Israel.
Iranians are often criticized with variants of insults calling them “crazy mullahs” who would immediately bomb Tel Aviv with a nuclear weapon if given the chance. Actually? Israel and the United States have attacked and invaded much more than Iran. So why are we obsessed with this one point? We could also demand that Iran not blow up the moon.
Too often, Iran is portrayed as the monster we should keep chained in the basement, but it is by no means the worst country in the world. Iran's opponents use outlandish and frankly irrational “what ifs” to justify their demands. Arguing “do you want Iran to have/do x, y and z?” He only persuades the fearful and ignorant.
Some continue to insist that we must finish the job, namely the Iran war. There is no work to finish. We need to immediately abandon a horrible mistake.
“Evil Iran” was a point largely ignored by presidents until Trump. It's time to let go.
William N. Hoke, Manhattan Beach
