Wednesday's letters: Losing China, teaching true history, cooling planet

China-U.S. relationship becomes lose-lose

In the New York Times on Nov. 1, Thomas Friedman warned that China is “losing America,” citing a survey showing more than 80% of Americans have an unfavorable view of China.

The Chinese can equally claim that “America is losing China” as a survey shows that less than 35% of Chinese people have a positive opinion of the U.S.

Clearly, the world’s key bilateral relationship is shifting from win-win to lose-lose. Friedman puts almost all the blame on China. But Washington is not blameless.

The signature policy angering Beijing is encirclement, which started under President Donald Trump, with President Joe Biden following in his footsteps.

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Biden has doubled down on Trump’s revival of the Quad anti-China military partnership with Japan, India and Australia. Then the U.S.-led military pact, AUKUS, was created with Britain and Australia.

Regarding Taiwan, Biden has switched from “strategic ambiguity” to the more confrontational “strategic clarity.”

Washington’s latest technology sanctions on China are designed to kneecap China’s global rise. Biden has also sustained the disastrous tariff war against China by keeping in place all “punitive” tariffs, a hidden tax of $620 on each American household.

America and China are mutually losing each other. It takes two to tangle.

Istvan Dobozi, Sarasota, former lead economist, World Bank

In teaching history, stick to the facts

There remains widespread support for teaching honest history in our communities. May we advocate teaching honest history in our schools.

A few citizens among us today believe it is OK that we consider their ideological preferences when analyzing what has happened or is happening (e.g., regarding slavery, the Jan. 6 insurrection or “election deniers”).

As has occurred throughout history, may current historians record documented facts and data as opposed to citing unproven conspiracy theories, regardless of what may be their source.

Every sports team has its avid supporters, but they follow the rules and actual scores – win or lose. Political advocates should do the same to avoid chaos and preserve justice.

I believe it is through competent evaluation of actual historical events, as they occur, that we achieve valid societal development.

Jim Beck Sr., Sarasota

Act on warming before it’s too late

If Earth was a patient, the medical diagnosis would be “critically ill.”

The United Nations’ latest climate report is not good. Almost every nation is failing to meet its goals. Plus, war and inflation are causing countries to ramp up production of coal, natural gas and oil.

Some 90% of carbon dioxide emissions goes into warming already overheated seas. This places Florida increasingly in the path of more dangerous storms.

A recent boat trip by University of Florida scientists found our seas more impacted by Hurricane Ian that previously thought. Coral reefs were churned into sand. More red tide has been located off our shores.

What can individuals do before it is too late?

►Contact your legislators.

►Contact the media.

►Switch to solar heating and cooling and electric cars.

►Stop using fertilizers and pesticides that end up being deposited on your favorite beach.

►Donate to legitimate green nonprofits.

►Prepare your household for at least two weeks of power outages in case our decentralized power grid fails.

►Store water and canned foods; count on frozen foods only with a generator.

If there was a Doomsday Clock for global warming, it might well read “2 Minutes to Midnight.”

Thomas L. Moses, Sarasota

In politics, dishonest people rise to top

I have the good fortune to venture daily into the community and meet different folks. The vast majority are good-natured and kind, except for a few curmudgeons at a local coffee shop.

What vexes me is that with so many wonderful citizens, we get such substandard people in politics: People who deceive, steal, commit adultery and are substance abusers. Scoundrels who take money from unscrupulous sources, undercut the needy and take personal advantage of their positions.

Politicians enter office with average personal wealth and in time make great gains in their financial status.

Why, in a nation with so very many fine people, do we get so many amoral candidates?  How can folks who claim to be devoted in their respective faiths support individuals of such low moral conviction?

Politics has been a dark game throughout history. With age and experience a people and a nation should rise above the shameless, exploitative, corrupt nature of dark politics and enter the light.

Yet unprincipled players continue to rise to the top of politics. The only place cream rises to the top is in the milking parlor. In politics, other matter too often rises!

Richard Andrews, Bradenton

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: U.S.-China relationship shifts to lose-lose, teach honest history