To the editor:

Some notes and musings about recent news:

Jerusalem is a city almost unique in world history. A religious tinderbox for some two millenia, the United Nations deemed it under international control in 1949 following Israel’s recognition in 1948. Legally, its status has been in limbo since Israel seized it in 1967; indeed, no other nation maintains an embassy there.

That ancient city has survived so much, but can it survive Donald Trump? The president’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capitol was soundly condemned by the U.N. in a 128-9 nonbinding vote. No major nation joined us. Petulantly, the administration vowed to “… remember this day.” More likely remembered will be the rest of the world supplying diplomatic leadership until same returns to the White House.

After grueling labor, Congress finally birthed a tax overhaul law. Proud ‘Papa’ Trump presented generous tax breaks to the wealthiest 1 percent; the rest scrounge for crumbs and worry about ‘CHIP’ funding of their children’s health insurance, as well as their own, in Trump’s boast of sandbagging Obamacare.

The new law potentially adds over $1 trillion to the national debt over a decade. After screeching about debt during Barack Obama’s presidency, the law’s “yea” voters suddenly awoke from their torpor, mumbling: “Debt? What debt?”

An email swirling in the right wing’s online flotsam features a pop-up box on a computer screen with a moving bar and the notation: “Uninstalling Barack Obama. 95% complete.” As a fully completed task, presumably, the economy would suddenly shed some 15 million jobs, the Dow would drop about 12,000 points, millions with pre-existing health conditions would be without insurance, and our economy would resume its Great Recession.

With the president labeling “fake news” upon responsible, time-tested media sources, and his boosters stepping up their attacks on investigator Robert Mueller, have they forgotten the decorated combat veteran is a solid, lifelong Republican appointed by the current Justice Department? As his investigative scent hounds follow their leads, could the trail be headed too far up Pennsylvania Avenue for Mr. Trump’s comfort?

Who else imagines Donald Trump well cast as George Bailey’s nemesis, old man Potter, in a current remake of “It’s A Wonderful Life?” An interesting twist could feature Potter/Trump in the film’s “what if I’d never been born” segment. Hmmm…

Douglas Smith

Rockingham

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