There's an old saying, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes."

The Vietnam war was misbegotten, a foreign policy blunder. Perhaps the worst part of it was when Nixon bombed Cambodia, a neutral country. That destabilized the country, leading to the Killing Fields in which a quarter of its population was butchered by a psychotic cult under the banner of Communism. We should not have upset the apple cart there.

Cut to Iraq, out greatest foreign policy blunder. It was a neutral country, if not an ally in the War on Terror (Saddam hated Al Qaeda, they hated him). But that wasn't good enough for the moralistic, warhawking Neocons with their mythical WMD and their insanely rosy scenario: "It'll be easy-peasy-- We'll be greeted as liberators, we can plant a Western-style democracy which will take root (in mighty thin soil for it). Why, we can even pay for it with oil revenues!" None of this ever came to pass. Again, we only upset the apple cart, which led to a psychotic cult under the banner of Islam that's now butchering people. By toppling Saddam Hussein, a secular tyrant who kept order, we did Al Qaeda, then ISIS, a big favor. A majority of Iraqis wish he were still there.

If only people would learn from history. Politicians who learned absolutely nothing from Iraq were beating the war drums about Syria, but to have attacked Assad would only have done a big favor for ISIS, who likewise want him gone. Yet GOP warmongers are still whining about a mythical lost opportunity!

Now these same pols are opposing the Nuclear deal with Iran. Fine, but the only other option is an all-out war against them. A war that would make the Iraq debacle look like a Sunday picnic, given that Iran is bigger, more populous, and better organized than Iraq. Would upsetting the apple cart here improve the region or further destabilize it? Need this question even be asked? Apparently, for politicians who never learn, it must. Rosy scenario, anyone?

Sincerely,

Stephen Van Eck

Rushville, PA

Donald Trump's “vulgar” and “uninformed” army of allies---as George Will, the titular Republican chairman, styled them---are battering the gates and storming the walls of the GOP. And the walls came tumbling, tumbling down.

RINOs like Jeb Bush, Karl Rove, Lindsey Graham, John Boehner, and their spokesman, Charles Krauthammer, are at risk of being turned out into the street.

These vulgar outsiders were never invited to the Republican Country Club, never asked to speak before a chamber of commerce, and never so much as acknowledged with a fare-thee-well. Yet their numbers have grown to threatening proportions. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Trump's popularity was thought to be a momentary phenomenon, bursting like a Fourth of July rocket and fading just as fast. Instead, the opposite happened. His popularity has grown as people heard his message, Make America Great Again; and people liked this counter-punching champ who gives more than he gets.

In the latest Fox News Poll, Trump's 24 percent trounced the two runner-ups, Ben Carson with 12 percent and Ted Cruz at 10 percent.

The three are political neophytes, including Senator Cruz. Before winning his Senate seat in 2012 in a landslide victory, Cruz had never held an elective office.

And all this while the heir apparent to the business-as-usual presidential throne, Jeb Bush, struggles for oxygen in single-digit territory despite having $120 million placed at his disposal by his W. Street financiers and Big Business cronies. The rest of the republican dozen are in an IC unit, a heartbeat away from flat-lining.

And what does the insufferably arrogant, George Will, think of this? “A political party has a right to secure its borders,” to ban the “crazies,” and the “whack-o birds.” “The [Republican] party has a duty to exclude interlopers, including cynical opportunists deranged by egotism.” Better to throw them out with the trash, right George?

Karl Rove, lead Republican strategist called Trump, “a chameleon conservative.” To bolster his claim, Karl rummaged through the yellowed pages of pre-21st century to find examples of how Trump changed his position on abortion and taxes.

But who among us, not afflicted with cerebral arthritis---a condition that makes thinking painful---has not had opinions that have matured over the years? Karl, is that you?

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham substituted a reasoned critique of Trump's immigration plan with mockery and insults. Just so much “gibberish” and “nonsensical.” He fears that it “will kill the Republican Party.” Let's hope so, Lindsey, and your career with it.

John Boehner, Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives said, “Clearly most of the candidates have disagreed with his [Trump] assertions in regard to our border. And, certainly, I disagree.” As many find you disagreeable, Mr. Speaker.

And Krauthammer? He remains cemented in his argument built on the false premise that Trump plans a Bataan death march of 10 million illegals to cross the southern border. It is “morally obscene,” “a crackpot idea, ” says he. Indeed it is. But the crackpot idea is yours, Charles, not Trump's.

Hillary joined in with fire from the left: Trump wants to “literally pull people out of their homes, round them up in boxcars in order to take them across our border.” It's Queen Hillary's strained version of a Hispanic holocaust, a fairy tale for adults.

Trump, Carson, and Cruz, have been accused of being xenophobic. But is it xenophobic to standby while the do-nothing parties---Republican and Democratic---do nothing as America undergoes a radical change in character and composition?

Meanwhile . . . .

The Census Bureau recorded 42 million recent legal and illegal immigrants within what are euphemistically called, “borders,” northern and southern.

But why Trump? Why Carson? Why Cruz? Why outsiders?

When a vacuum exists between established parties and the electorate, outsiders are drawn in to fill the void created by issues ignored and actions avoided. That's why.

We're tired of casting meaningless votes, of patronizing politicos who dispense with campaign promises in favor of special interest and corporate contributions. Of having the same-old same-old every quadrennial regardless of what party is in the While House or in control of Congress.

We're sick and tired of being sidelined and marginalized. And we've had enough of America being balkanized into bickering racial, bi-lingual (speak English, Jeb) and cultural factions.

We've had enough. It's time to throw the bums out.

Sincerely,

Bob Scroggins

New Milford, PA