Editor's note: This letter was originally published 20 years ago today.
Dependent nation
Advice for Y2K election: Vote for no incumbent. Vote for no career politician. The plain truth: We've been had. We've been walloped. We've been robbed. We've been sat on. We've been bombarded with B.S. We've been hammered with lies from the omniscient media as well as the omnipotent, back-stabbing government.
Consider: The economy is great! No inflation! Free trade. Crime rate is down. Lies, lies and more lies. One ugly truth is that we have become a consumer nation, totally dependent on our whimsical trading partners. Communist China is the greatest beneficiary. Our trade deficit is at an all-time high and growing each month that rolls around.
An even uglier truth is that the government of the United States has lost its moral authority, not only here at home, but throughout the world. Our sworn enemies trust us just as far as our so-called friendly nations.
We need not downplay American achievements this century. But man does not live by technology alone. Loss of our textile industry has made us dependent on foreign sources for clothing. We cannot survive on a diet of low-cal-dot-com Bill Gates gourmet cuisine. A nation which allows itself to become totally dependent upon foreign goods loses its productive capability and becomes a servant to its suppliers. Most people not on the government payroll recognize our problems. Many wish in vain for government solutions. They do not exist. The very germ of a solution will be lost or fatally injured in political rhetoric. We need not be deceived.
MARY D. MAY
Benton
Editorial on 01/01/2020