Editor:
Our administration has a fundamental misunderstanding of human nature. They seem to think that, if they speak sweetly and gently to the leaders of countries that hate us, they will cease to threaten us with nuclear extinction. Those with an aggressive nature and a determination to control their fellow humans do not react this way. In fact, such naive, indeed foolish, treatment only makes them more aggressive and dangerous.
Bullies, by their very nature, attack the weak, such as an elderly bus monitor and/or a child with crippling caused by one of those awful diseases to which all humans are vulnerable.
One of my grandsons has been sweet and gentle from birth. He was bullied by some schoolmates for years. Now that he is 66 and over 200 pounds of muscle and bone, with coaches salivating over his football future, his schoolmates let him alone. Why? Because he no longer gives off a sense of being an easy victim. To put it precisely, they are afraid to attack him.
Human nature never changes, whether Middle Eastern or Western. Our president is telling our enemies that they have nothing to fear from us. The next step in this drama is for our enemies to attack us, as they have done in Libya and Egypt. Why? They no longer fear the consequences of such an attack, because our president has assured them there will be none.
Muriel Sluyter
Dolores
Via email
