Copyright Los Angeles Times
To the editor: During the first World Series game, we applauded Canada’s ad featuring Ronald Reagan denouncing the use of tariffs. President Trump then canceling trade talks and adding additional punitive tariffs is yet another infantile tantrum, and shows our allies (if we still have any) that he’s not to be trusted in any negotiation (“Trump ends trade talks with Canada over tariffs ad that Ontario premier now says he’ll phase out,” Oct. 24). Our president has worked diligently to convince the world that he’s incapable of operating at a level more mature than a 6-year-old. Ellen Butterfield and Scott Fraser, Pasadena .. To the editor: Considering the current political climate, if the Dodgers win the World Series again and get an invite to the White House because of it, surely they will face a public-relations nightmare no matter their decision. But, given that Trump recently ended trade talks with Canada, if Toronto’s Blue Jays are crowned champions, will they even be offered an invitation? And, if so, would they ever accept? Even in sports, the world remains mired in moves of political “strategery.” Mitch Light, Carpinteria .. To the editor: I completely agree with everything guest contributor Christian B. Teeter wrote about American economic overreliance on China (“The real cost of America’s overreliance on trade with China,” Oct. 26). It was intelligent, sane and based in fact. But alas, there is an elephant in the global economy room. From the op-ed: “The U.S. has always thrived in open economies governed by fair competition. The right response to our current challenge is deeper engagement with nations that share those principles — countries like Japan, Australia, England, Canada … .” In the very same edition of the Los Angeles Times was this headline: “Trump says he will impose extra 10% tariff on Canada over TV ad.” When a president whose only strategy is retribution against perceived “enemies” has the authority (apparently) to throw tantrums against nations that share our principles, words like intelligence, sanity and fact have little bearing on our current reality.
