Sir, – In his excoriating assessment of Donald Trump, Michael McDowell provides ample evidence of the moral bankruptcy of the 45th US president ("Trump is a moral monster and a danger to humanity", Opinion & Analysis, September 9th).
However, we need to remember how Mr Trump has been enabled by an acquiescent Republican Party obsessed with maintaining the status quo at the behest of its billionaire patrons.
Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and their colleagues will have to stand accountable for facilitating the transformation of the US into a cauldron of racial and social tension while using this as distraction to roll back environmental and social protections to benefit big business. No US election in living memory will be as pivotal in its impact on both the US and the rest of the world. As we watch California being devastated by fires, we are reminded that the battle against climate change has been undermined by the current US administration. This election provides the opportunity to reboot the global effort to address the looming climate and biodiversity crisis.
This requires a radical change to how we as a global society do business, and is a significant challenge to the status quo. This change, if implemented, will drive both social and economic realignment, resulting in more equitable and sustainable global economy.
Bearing this in mind, it is hugely important that the right people are in positions of power to manage this transition, and Mr Trump and his sycophantic enablers are not the right people for the job. – Yours, etc,
BARRY WALSH,
Blackrock,
Cork.