To the Editor:

After WWII, the USA was the undisputed political and military leader of the world. The Cold War that followed WWII was a power struggle between countries in which the leadership of the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) wanted total control of their country, their citizens and to be able to control other countries around the world through economic and military power.

What we witnessed was the final capitulation of the USSR as they realized that they could not compete against the USA. The world has always had and will continue to have individuals and groups who have as a goal the desire for total control of a country without any consideration of what the citizens of the countries want or need. The USA, on the other hand, with its history of its citizens choosing those who they want to govern, has provided a totally different type of leadership. This leadership was especially evident after WWII when the countries we had vanquished in war, Germany and Japan, were helped by us in a recovery to a new life as democratic countries, where citizens had rights that they previously did not have.

The Cold War is over and the USSR is no more. However, we still have power threats from countries such as Iran, Russia and China.

Where does the USA stand today? We have options. We can stand back and let theses and potentially other countries work to send us to the category of a second-world country, unwilling to lead.

History is always there to remind us that powerful countries always have been replaced by other more powerful countries. Are we one of those countries that will eventually come under the control of a more powerful country? The USA is at a crossroads and we need to be ready to answer the following question: Do we want to abrogate our role as a leader in the world and let others have that leadership which will eventually determine the future of the USA?

People, listen to the voices of history and think beyond your own personal self-interest as you consider who should lead our country in the next four, and probably eight, years.

 

Gene Schwartz
Pinetown