LETTERS: Trump hands the world to China on a platter

It’s hard to decide which is worse: Trump’s racist remarks now heard around the world, or his lame attempt to deny he said them. It only confirms what perceptive people have long known, writ large: He’s a racist from his heart.

His racist remarks have roiled Second World and Third World nations, and confirmed the low expectations First World governments have had of him from the start. The ripple effects will further set back America’s global position vis a vis China’s burgeoning influence that most Americans are blissfully unaware

Trump has practically handed worldwide influence on a silver platter to China, which is still fundamentally Communist, remember.

Rarely mentioned publicly, China’s “soft” colonialism has quietly been making important inroads globally among struggling nations, enhancing local economies and building welcome infrastructure, earning their gratitude. Many of them possess vast natural resources vital to modern industry. Africa alone is the sole source for certain precious minerals vital to manufacturing what the digital world needs in order to exist.

Three times the size of the continental United States, Africa is far more important in such mineral wealth, beyond gold, oil and diamonds, than most of our parochial politicians seem aware of. By the time we wake up, China will have stolen such a march on us that we shall long regret it.

We are hard-wired to expect nearly instant gratification (i.e., profits) on our investments. The patient Chinese instead wait decades for payback. Moreover, the millions we are paying China in interest on loans are funding their inroads while we sleep.

Not only has China considered Trump to be their “useful idiot” all along; he now has gone one better with his insults of all people not white, egregiously sabotaging our nation long beyond his term in office. Once rung, a bell cannot be un-rung.

Ted Z. Manuel, Hyde Park

Flirting with self-proclaimed ‘strong man’

Sadly, the citizens of this great country are witnessing the gradual unraveling of the most exalted institution in the land, the U.S. presidency.

It was probably inevitable that in our evolution as a democracy, we would at some point flirt with a self-proclaimed strong man. This is especially so when the strong man claims he is the smartest person in the room and that he alone can solve all our problems and promises everything under the sun. Since the election of such a person, we have witnessed chaos, confusion and drama after drama emanating from the White House. Week after week, his words and actions create new controversies.

The big question is whether our system can withstand a person of such questionable character and temperament in the oval office?

Ned L. McCray, Tinley Park