Sir, – David Woods (Letters, April 15th) lauds Donald Trump’s actions in Iran and admonishes the Pope, accusing the pontiff of “disturbing levels of arrogance and ignorance”.
Woods paints Trump as a responsible world leader wrestling with the challenges of geopolitics and, heeding the expert advice of intelligence agencies, making a bold intervention to secure a safe future for the Middle East and the world.
The evidence of our eyes and ears tells a different story: a binding international agreement limiting Iranian nuclear capabilities torn up by Trump on a whim; best intelligence advice on current Iranian threats ignored.
A reckless war launched unilaterally against military and civilian targets, without achievable goals or credible exit strategy, which has plunged the region into conflagration and the world into a political and energy crisis. He has strategically strengthened the positions of his adversaries, Iran, Russia and China, while destroying his own country’s alliances.
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His forces have ended the lives of 120 pupils buried under the rubble of Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school on the first day of the war and has since threatened to end the lives and civilisation of 92 million others.
There is a disturbing level of arrogance and ignorance on display here for sure. But it is not the Pope who should stand accused. – Yours, etc,
RONAN MCDERMOTT,
Rathgar,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – Contrary to the idea that the Pope doesn’t know what he’s talking about (Letters, April 15th), I’d like to suggest that the spat between himself and Donald Trump is a study in self-awareness. The Pope’s job is to spread the Christian message, which is one of peace, and to do so in a state of self awareness, calmly, with humility and compassion. This he is doing.
Trump, on the other hand, appears to be not only unaware of his childish grandiosity, but also willing to lie barefacedly when challenged about his blasphemous self-portrayal as divine. Awareness changes everything. – Yours, etc,
LUCY WEIR,
Kilworth,
Co Cork.
Sir, – I agree with one statement in David Woods’s letter when he says Trump has the world’s leading intelligence agencies at his service.
It’s just a pity he doesn’t make use of some of them. – Yours, etc,
MARGARET WINTERS,
Skerries,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – David Woods writes (Letters, April 15th) from the Department of Classics, University College Cork, where the study of ancient civilisations is pursued.
How noteworthy then that he voices support for a US president who has threatened to annihilate the ancient civilisation of Persia/Iran overnight. It may be timely to recall that the Roman historian Tacitus criticised those conquerors who make a wilderness and call it peace. – Yours, etc,
ADRIAN MOYNES,
Heytesbury Street,
Dublin 8.
Sir, – As Donald Trump’s chaotic, at times ludicrous and now dangerous, time in office trundles on, it is unbelievable (or maybe not) that he’s now having a go at the Pope of all people.
Is it deflection, is he deranged (one of his favourite words) or is he simply losing it? Who knows.
However, it is clear that there is no limit to the madness of his posts on his so-called “Truth Social”. Anyone could be his next victim. I’ve even heard that Santa has already gone into hiding. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN CULLEN,
Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
