Readers' Letters: 'Why Donald Trump gets my vote'

I am one of those ignorant, deplorable voters note-0who happily voted for Donald Trump, not once but twice. And for good reason. He kept his campaign promises. His economic policies brought about the lowest unemployment in the US for 50 years, the lowest unemployment among Blacks since records began.

Why do people get out and vote for Donald Trump?

Trump confronted the imbalance of trade with China, forcing them to negotiate while other nations continued to pander to them. He wasn't afraid to meet face-to-face with the dictator Kim Jung Un on his own territory, without giving in to Kim's demands.

Yes, President Trump confronted Nato, without diminishing US support. He merely demanded that Europe pay their fair share of their own security.

While numerous presidents and other international leaders have spent years trying to secure peace in the Middle East, Trump's policies have encouraged at least three former enemies of Israel to sign peace treaties, with more considering.

President Trump pulled out of Who because they colluded with the Chinese government in lying about Covid-19 to protect that dictatorship. Had the director of Who done his job then the US, UK and other nations would have been better prepared and many lives would have been saved.

The Democrats, biased news media and others have loudly criticised Trump for his response to coronavirus, yet the moment he became aware of the way it was spreading he stopped flights from China and other nations with severe virus infections. The Democrats, meanwhile, pooh-poohed the blocking of flights while busy trying to impeach Trump on accusations that have now proved false.

I guess my ignorance – though college educated in journalism and public administration – and my rose-tinted glasses have enabled me to avoid Trump Derangement Syndrome by clearly looking at the facts of the Trump administration instead of the hysteria and bias.

Steve Aiken, Goslawdales, Selkirk

America the weird

I just can’t understand why any Americans vote for Trump. Why would anyone with any intelligence think that this man should be president? He has got rid of all advisers, opens his mouth and says anything. What a strange election campaign . Do they all want to spread Covid? And the name calling, I’ve never seen an election like this one. For the first time I am worried about an American election.

Trump cares for no one but himself. And he has managed to get the Evangelicals into his camp. I thought Christians were for equality and fairness. All equal. But still not in America. I just don’t get it.

Irene Cameron, Bemersyde Road, Tarbet, Arrochar

Total disaster

As a dual national Scot who voted for Joe Biden “it was a no-brainer”. I am at heart moderately conservative, but could not see Trump continue to divide not only the US, but also the free world.He has also proved totally unqualified to lead, per his handling of the Coronavirus disaster!

Alisdair Innes, Orlando, Florida

Gone too soon

Your article (November 3) tells us how Gordon Wright persuaded Sir Sean Connery to become a member of the Scottish National Party and that his support for the SNP was legendary.

From the age of ten years old, when I first got into James Bond, I have been a fan of Sir Sean. I saw most of his films on their initial release in the cinema. In 1991 I was at the front of the crowd at the Usher Hall waiting for him to arrive to receive the Freedom of the City of Edinburgh. I took some photos and shouted over to him above the hubbub of the crowd the titles of a few of his then recent films and said that these films were fantastic. He answered "Thank you" and went into the Usher Hall to receive his award. During Lockdown I have been watching my sizeable collection of DDs of his films. He was an amazing man and when I read the news of his passing I exclaimed, "Oh no!" He may have been 90 but it still seems too soon. Like many other people, I am all in favour of a statue of him being put up in Edinburgh (naturally subject to the outcome of the results of a check on any possible links to slavery). If such a statue comes to be, I hope there will be a ban on placing traffic cones on it or rubbing its nose for good luck.

From childhood I have been an unshakeable Unionist and I would say that my approach to Sir Sean's nationalism contrasts favourably with the Scottish Nationalists who resigned their membership of the National Trust of Scotland when Neil Oliver was appointed President, just because Neil Oliver is a Unionist.

Sir Sean Connery was definitely one of the greatest Scots who ever lived.

Robert Kelly, Bonhill Road, Dumbarton

The name’s Birkett

Gordon Wright’s recollections of how Sean Connery’s SNP membership card number was 007 reminds me of meeting him and Gordon Brown, with many others, in the Hawes Inn, South Queensferry, prior to sailing across to Rosyth as part of the celebrations of its conversion from naval base to industrial site, in 1997. The company I worked for was the first major tenant to commit to relocating there. My wife and 25-year-old daughter were able to accompany me, and for some time, on a fairly crowded Hawes Inn bench, both were sitting thigh-to-thigh on either side of Connery – a stupidly missed photo opportunity!

When our new factory was built in 1999, we were allocated numbered windscreen stickers and security cards to access the car park and office. By pure coincidence my number was 007; sadly, my similarity with either James Bond or his greatest actor ends with my initials!

John Birkett, Horseleys Park, St Andrews

Fair figures

The imaginative (if not scurrilously misleading) letter of Dr A McCormick published on November 2 rather arrogantly conveys that he is better placed to make judgements about travel outwith his region than the Scottish Government aided by local health boards and a team of experts in their fields.

Not only is his "personal advice” founded on a subjective view which could serve to undermine current health guidelines, it is apparently founded on bad data. Ignoring the accepted fact that in relative terms the First Minister has acted ahead of the Prime Minister at nearly every turn in this tragic coronavirus journey, the data demonstrates that faster and more cautious actions in Scotland have saved lives. Whether reviewing registered Covid-19 deaths or “Excess Deaths”, including those in care homes, the mortality rates (based on “population densities”) during the pandemic in England have been around 50 per cent higher than in Scotland in spite of Scotland’s more aged population.

Instead of disrespectfully accusing the First Minister of “political chicanery” Dr McCormick should stay at home and follow Scottish Government advice, rather than seek to influence the travel arrangements of others.

Stan Grodynski, Gosford Road, Longniddry

Lockdown works

Brian Monteith is quite simply wrong (Perspective, November 2). Lockdown can be successful. He needs to look at Australia and New Zealand. I should know, I live in Melbourne and have been locked down for many months. Restrictions are now eased and the state of Victoria’s 14-day average of cases is 1.9.

Nationally we had zero cases across the country on Saturday.

Colin Hunter, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Covid comfort

Watching the First Minister's Covid-19 briefings, it is not difficult to see why some anti-Independence people are beginning to shift to a Yes vote. All the health experts and Holyrood Government ministers have shown empathy and clear communication and answered hostile journalists with patience and honesty.

It is also significant that some key Scottish Government health advisers like Professor Devi Sridhar and Professor Linda Bauld are often invited to provide expert comment on UK-wide news. This is beginning to show reluctant Yes voters that Scotland has knowledgeable experts and capable management in one of the worst world pandemics. This is in contrast to the cronyism, corruption and ineptitude shown by the Westminster Government.

Conversely, we have also had to go to Westminster to seek clarification on whether we could have furlough support after December 2 when the Prime Minister believes England will come out of lockdown. Despite the interventions of both Scottish Conservative MPs and SNP members we still have no clarity on whether the Scottish Government can rely on furlough support if they have to lockdown on December 3.This is a bizarre state of affairs and shines a light once again on Scottish economic dependency on Westminster under the current constitutional arrangements.

It is extraordinary that in Scotland we do not have the power to manage this disaster and we do not know if we will be able to protect workers' jobs or help working families through these hazardous months ahead. If anyone doubts the Westminster Government's capacity for honest and straightforward dealings with devolved governments they must now realise that this is not going to happen. For Andrew Wilson of the Growth Commission to imagine that we will all get around a table and work out an amicable settlement with the UK Government and the Governor of the Bank of England is pie in the sky!

The varius strands of the Yes movement need to continue post-Indy preparations for a Government-controlled Central Bank, a Scottish constitution and a Scottish currency written into the constitution to protect it for our children and grandchildren.

Maggie Chetty, Woodend Drive, Glasgow

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