Copyright The New York Times
To the Editor: Re “The Rot Creeping Into Our Minds,” by David Brooks (column, Oct. 24): Mr. Brooks has correctly identified many of the problems besetting America today as stemming from the moral and mental rot that now permeates a large portion of American society. What Mr. Brooks fails to point out is that the primary driver of this rot is the gradual triumph of predatory capitalism, which has manifested itself in its purest form in Donald Trump. Power is money and money is power. Capitalism in its purest unbridled form recognizes no higher authority than this relationship. Gordon Gekko, the main character in the film “Wall Street,” anticipated Donald Trump’s America perfectly: “Greed — for lack of a better word — is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed in all its forms.” In short, America’s true god is Greed, and unregulated predatory capitalism is its modus operandi. The rampant cynicism Mr. Brooks decries is simply the unmasking of America’s true nature, which under President Trump no longer need hide behind the illusory facade of such quaint ideals as democracy, freedom, fairness, equality, truth and justice for all. Frank Mathias Asheville, N.C. To the Editor: I, like David Brooks, wish we could rely on tradition, norms and reasoned debate. But we cannot. We all recently watched the administration pardon a crypto criminal, tear down the East Wing of the White House, accept a private donation of $130 million to help pay U.S. troops and post a disgusting meme that would put a rogue 14-year-old in detention for months — all this in a handful of days. When we the people see the executive amassing more and more power while his party dissolves into a cult of personality, is it sufficient to argue boldly for a change in the (hoped for) coming midterm elections — over a year away? Our house is on fire. A read-aloud of a fire safety book is not a sufficient response. Don’t blame the Democrats if they try to organize the neighbors into a fire brigade when the fire department is not going to come. Judith Guenther-Adams Oakwood, Ohio To the Editor: As soon as I read David Brooks’s first sentence — “In 2020, Democrats won a convincing election victory” — it was clear that his article was built on a faulty premise. In fact, the Democrats’ victory did not convince half of the country, including President Trump, who encouraged a violent assault against the seat of Congress in an apparent attempted coup. That is the premise from which all arguments about the Democrats’ strategy since Jan. 6, 2021, must follow. Since that time, the Republicans have engaged in an unrelenting campaign of bad-faith attacks against the bedrock institutions of our government, including its very foundation, the Constitution. The tactical choice to brand the shutdown as a fight about health care is open to debate. What is not up for debate is the necessity of the shutdown as a dire defensive act on the part of Democrats. Mr. Brooks correctly identifies the symptoms of democratic blight, but he misplaces the blame for its cause. Pete Estridge Chicago To the Editor: David Brooks makes an important argument about the erosion of faith in our democracy. But his criticism is valid mostly for the elites in both parties and perhaps the core of the MAGA movement. There were several million people out in the streets for the “No Kings” protests last month, demonstrating their deep belief in democracy, the rule of law and justice. And for every person who marched there were many, many more who hold the same values. This movement will only grow larger, and it is the reason for my hope. There is deep disgruntlement among rank-and-file Democrats — and I am one — over the failure of our leaders to put forth a positive, proactive vision and program for the country instead of mimicking or complaining about the destructive tactics of the Trump administration. As an octogenarian, I believe we need to primary out the ostriches in our party and replace them with new, younger progressives who have a stake in their own future. Sheila Collins New Rochelle, N.Y. To the Editor: David Brooks is right that democratic habits like persuasion and restraint are eroding. But his column dissolves moral clarity into a haze of “both sides” blame. Equating Donald Trump’s sustained assault on constitutional order with Democrats’ political hardball isn’t balance, it’s evasion. We cannot rebuild faith in democracy by pretending that its destroyers and defenders are the same. Paul R. Manuele Amawalk, N.Y. Republican Election Stunts
