To the editor: I’m bewildered by Josh Hammer’s column, “Vance is right that Europe’s values are no longer the same as America’s.”
He says that Europe is taking an unlucky flip towards censorship of dissidents. It’s the US that’s doing this!
In some components of the nation, medical doctors can not speak candidly to their sufferers about abortion, essential race concept can’t be mentioned, and books are being banned. Ordering the tip of range, fairness and inclusion applications is a blatant assault on free speech.
It’s nearly laughable that Hammer claims that the US prizes sovereignty and nationhood whereas “European elites more and more don’t.” Ukraine is a sovereign nation, however the US is interceding to present a part of it away to Russia. We have now our sights set on Greenland and the Panama Canal, and President Trump has acknowledged he needs to increase our territory.
And what’s this finger pointing at European elites? Elon Musk is the richest man on this planet, and Trump is a billionaire. You may’t get way more elite than that.
Stephanie McIntyre, Simi Valley
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To the editor: In his piece arguing that Vice President JD Vance was appropriate to criticize European leaders throughout his latest speech in Munich, Hammer ignores the horrible toll taken by uber-nationalism within the twentieth century.
After World Warfare II, this nation led efforts to create a brand new and safer worldwide order, one based mostly on the rule of legislation. This has served our pursuits properly for 80 years. Blowing it up can solely serve the pursuits of our adversaries.
Glenna Matthews, Laguna Seashore
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To the editor: Vance is incorrect.
Europe’s values have been and proceed to be the identical as ours: democratic governance, the rule of legislation and respect for human rights. I imagine these values are supported by majorities on either side of the Atlantic.
It’s true that conservative insurance policies on immigration are in resurgence right here and over there. However these are insurance policies, not values.
It’s the U.S. below Trump that has deserted our shared values. And I imagine most Europeans reject the egocentric, shortsighted, self-serving insurance policies superior by Trump and Vance.
Moderately than align the US with Europe, they make us an outlier and solely weaken us.
Drew Davis, Redondo Seashore
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To the editor: Hammer is true — Europe’s values aren’t the identical as ours.
Europe’s “delicate … elite sensitivities” embody not repeating probably the most damaging battle within the planet’s historical past. Vance and his all-but endorsement of the neo-Nazi German political get together AfD “takes a blowtorch” to these sensitivities.
And this reward will get a platform within the Los Angeles Occasions. Why?
Michael Smallberg, Menlo Park, Calif.
