U.S. President Donald Trump returns from a trip on July 27, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
American way
Re “Donald Trump has turned the United States into an economic banana republic” (Opinion, Aug. 1): A compelling picture of the United States functioning like a banana republic.
The rich growing conditions for “bananas” were well-fertilized on Jan. 21, 2010. In the Citizens United decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down spending limits on independent political expenditures by corporations as violations of First Amendment protections on free speech. In other words, the court equated money and speech in politics as having equal protections.
Political leaders paid attention to the millions upon millions of dollars in donations which started to flow from the very rich, and now seem to only pay lip service to voters individually and collectively. Only when the impacts of this decision are reversed can America return to the growing conditions required for grassroots democracy.
Martin Birt Uxbridge, Ont.
Re “Trump’s trade policies may lack logic, but they also reflect a serious paradigm shift” (Opinion, Aug. 1): It’s not a coincidence that Donald Trump’s antics are both outrageous and punitive, and not just for foreign citizens but also for Americans. It’s a useful distraction.
Mr. Trump’s “golden age” election victory speech was a rare tell: a direct reference to the Gilded Age of the late 1800s. During this period, the United States transformed from an agricultural economy to an industrial powerhouse. This was also a time of disruptive technological change, rising economic disparity, political corruption, racial repression, poisonous food and drugs.
It’s not difficult to see parallels with current attacks on U.S. democracy, the judiciary and civil rights, coupled with surges in gunboat diplomacy, oligarchy and the enrichment of insiders. It’s also no coincidence that tech bros promote anti-democratic proposals and the dismantling of government regulations.
Denis Gertler Toronto
Up in smoke
Re “A summer season of fire, smoke, ashes and fear” (Editorial, Aug. 1): I was touched by your elegy for summer.
But I was waiting for the jeremiad of disgust that, as we weep, we are resolving to build more pipelines to transport fossil fuels.
Peter Wyatt Magnetawan, Ont.
The wildfires, along with increasing drought, flooding, more severe storms and more erratic weather have been predicted for a long time. We have ignored the warnings and continued our carbon-fuelled lives as usual.
Without concerted action to significantly reduce carbon emissions, this will continue to become worse and we will look back on the summers we are experiencing now as idyllic. The solutions are there: electrification of our homes, transportation and industry, and a transition to non-emitting electricity generation. With the exception of the United States, most of the world is way ahead of Canada on this transition.
The wildfires should be a wake-up call. Canada should get serious about reducing carbon emissions to avoid far worse summers in our, and our children’s, future.
Eve Wyatt Toronto
Outside the ballot box
Re “One person, one vote is basic democratic principle. We should try it some time” (Opinion, Aug. 1): Giving one ballot to every citizen does not create political equality when geography and first-past-the-post give those ballots radically different power. Some votes elect MPs with ease. Others elect no one.
Canada should narrow extreme population differences among ridings, but equalizing district sizes alone would leave larger distortions untouched. Under first-past-the-post, millions of ballots contribute nothing to representation. Regional sweeps conceal political diversity and parties routinely win legislative power beyond their actual support.
Compulsory voting may raise turnout, but forcing more citizens to cast ineffective ballots would not solve the problem. Proportional representation would.
“One person, one vote” should mean more than equal access to a ballot. It should mean that each vote carries the same power in determining who governs and how Parliament reflects the country.
Blake Hamilton Ottawa
Hard to hear
Re “AI data centres are the future. Canada must overcome the backlash” (Report on Business, Aug. 3): “It is easier to tolerate a bit of noise when you know that it is paying for roads and libraries.”
This may be true for some people, but it underestimates the challenges that a constant, humming mechanical noise in one’s outdoor home environment creates for many others.
Sure, heat pumps and air conditioners create mechanical hums. I find them annoying and hope technology improves in the future. But the potential for a humming data centre down the road would create another barrier to a comfortable outdoor environment.
Is it worth it? I say no.
Katherine Howitt Guelph, Ont.
Now, and then
Re “Why moms are paying to get away from their families” (Opinion, Aug. 1): I found myself angry after reading this, in large part after reflecting on my mother and what burdens she carried.
I was born in the 1940s, just after the war. Many mothers of that generation did not work, so they cared for their children full-time.
There was no universal daycare. Mothers of the day, amongst many things, did all the housecleaning, cooked all the meals, sewed all the clothes and went to all the school meetings.
Mothers of that generation managed to raise children who grew up to be well-adjusted, responsible adults. It should be understood that sacrifice on a parent’s part is part of the deal.
I really am not sorry to say that I can’t have much empathy for moms who don’t have a lot of “me time.” My mom had a lot of “us time” and she did so without complaint.
She got it right.
Mary-Jane Robinson Winnipeg
Minority report
Re “The Globe and Mail Bestsellers″ (Arts & Books, Aug. 1): For a long time now, The Globe’s bestsellers lists have been dominated by genre books. I don’t begrudge these authors their success.
But I worry we will no longer know about so-called literary fiction. Will we ever again see on these lists books by Ian Williams, Esi Edugyan, Michael Ondaatje, Heather O’Neill, Michelle Good, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Souvankham Thammavongsa, André Alexis, Kim Thúy, Rawi Hage?
Could we, perhaps and please, have a monthly list of literary fiction bestsellers?
Maxine Glover Vernon, B.C.
Side by side
Re “The Great Urban Shift is here, and our urban ecosystems will never be the same” (Opinion, Aug. 1): Recently I saw a City of Toronto sign saying coyotes are present in our neighbourhood.
It made me proud of City Hall. The sign simply explained what to do if a coyote approaches: Clap, jump, wave arms. There was no fearmongering or demonization. Most moving was the final message: “We can co-exist safely with coyotes.”
This is the mark of a great metropolis: It promotes peaceful co-habitation among all residents, both human and animal.
Gideon Forman Toronto
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