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Do the Trump Reprisals Set a Precedent?

Do the Trump Reprisals Set a Precedent?

To the Editor:
Re “Reprisals Go Around, and May Come Around” (news analysis, front page, Sept. 30):
Conservatives are said to warn of the possibility ​that a future Democratic president​ might​ use the actions of our current president to justify executive overreach. This is a valid concern.
But a more salient question is whether or not a future Democratic-led Congress would fail to exercise appropriate oversight of a rogue Democratic president. If this is considered a likely prospect, then I guess our experiment in self-government will indeed have failed.
Jeffrey H. Newton
Goshen, N.Y.
To the Editor:
The chances of the Democratic Party’s engaging in some type of retaliation for the Republican Party’s weaponization of the Justice Department are probably not a real concern. Because unlike the Republicans, the Democrats do not appear to be petty, vindictive and beholden to a childish, self-serving, insecure leader.
Eric Schroeder
Bethesda, Md.
To the Editor:
Can we stop with the nonsense that everything Donald Trump does — no matter how egregiously wrong — sets a precedent for future presidents?
His punitive use of the Justice Department is a precedent only if he gets away with it, and the fact that a feckless Republican Congress sits on its hands does not mean that this is in any way acceptable and precedent-setting.
What it does say is that when a majority of Congress is finally made up of people with backbone, they will have the obligation to see that the current inhabitant of the White House is brought to justice. His violent trampling on our Constitution and traditions is assuredly not a precedent. Our job is to be sure we get that Congress in 2026.
Nathan L. Jaschik
Rochester, N.Y.
The Benefits of Cultural Exchanges
To the Editor:
Re “Promised a Taste of America, but Enduring Exploitation” (front page, Sept. 21):
I have worked with several J-1 visa programs, including fellowship and au pair programs, and I can attest that the article is accurate in describing some of the troubling abuses that occur. This is particularly true of the au pair program, since the demand for affordable child care in the United States has, unfortunately, created conditions ripe for exploitation.
That said, when J-1 programs function as they were intended, they are powerful tools for intercultural exchange. They allow participants from developing nations — many of whom would never otherwise have the chance — to experience America firsthand, beyond the lens of government or politics.
Equally important, J-1 visa holders often travel to rural or less diverse communities in the U.S., exposing Americans to new cultures and perspectives. This kind of exchange is essential if we are ever to move beyond an “us versus them” worldview.
Yes, reforms and stronger oversight are needed to address abuses. But in pursuing them, I hope we do not lose sight of the many positive impacts J-1 programs continue to have for both participants and host communities.
Samantha Moore
Washington
The Roots of Political Violence
Oddly, Mr. French mentions and links to that data, but then seems to brush it away to plow ahead with his own conclusions.
A national reckoning on these matters must be based on truth, and we must start by accepting that America has a problem with political violence, and most of that violence comes from the right.
This does not absolve violence coming from the left or anywhere else, but it does help accurately identify the problem based on facts, so we can work toward resolutions with clarity about its root causes.
Misplacing blame for violence on the left for political gain is a diversion. And it sends us down dead ends to chase down facts that do not exist.
Gregg Gonsalves
New Haven, Conn.
Sentient A.I.?
To the Editor:
The age of artificial intelligence is our century’s Industrial Revolution. Now that it’s here, it touches nearly every occupation and industry except for purely manual trades.