Letters to the editor: Russia-U.S., family separation, development | Idaho Statesman

Russian-American history

Let’s create a deeply conversant team of American and Russian history professors to provide advice to all political decision makers and the press.

Fact: The U.S. violated the German reunification understanding that NATO, in James Baker’s words, would not advance “one inch” past the East German border. First violated by Bill Clinton.

Fact: George W. Bush terminated the 1972 ABM treaty and advanced NATO.

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Fact: In Imperial Russia/Soviet Russia, 60-76 million perished from all causes, 26 million in World War II.

Fact: U.S. 1900 population was 76+ million, hence the equivalent of between 79-100 percent of the 1900 U.S. population perished in Russia.

How has U.S. involvement in foreign wars of choice worked out since the 1991 formation of the Russian Federation?

“There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare ... who wishes to fight must first count the cost.” — Sun Tzu, Art of War 500 B.C.

Family separation

I read with interest William Logsdon’s letter July 25 relating to the media coverage of the zero tolerance family separation issue that Jeff Sessions rolled out for the Trump administration in April. Mr. Logsdon equates the policy to the policy implemented in the previous three administrations. He therefore thinks the media is unfair in its heavy focus on the issue now.

However, FactCheck.org states that, “In defending its ‘zero tolerance’ border policy that has caused the separation of families, the Trump administration has argued that the Obama and Bush administrations did this too. That’s misleading. Experts say there were some separations under previous administrations, but no blanket policy to prosecute parents and, therefore, separate them from their children. Bush and Obama did not have policies that resulted in the mass separation of parents and children like we’re seeing under the current administration.”

Therefore, it appears that the media is doing the job they should be doing.

Development

I am disappointed in our elected officials who are approving all the development going on in this valley without considering those of us who have lived in this area for years, and those of us who have contributed to the quality of life in this area. We are the ones who voted for these elected officials, and it seems to me that our elected officials are saying they don’t care just as long as it’s not in their backyard. How much longer is this going to continue?