Are they malicious or incompetent?
To the Editor:
Are Donald Trump and Elon Musk incompetent or malevolent in their actions toward America and the American people? You decide.
Trump complained about the lack of water to fight the fires in Los Angeles. He said he ordered two reservoirs north of the fires to release water.
The problem is that the reservoirs are hundreds of miles from the fires, and the water was just wasted because there was no way to convey the water to Los Angeles. However, farmers in the area now may not have enough water for irrigation in the coming growing season. Is this incompetence or a malicious act to hurt farmers in a blue state? Incompetence or malevolence? You choose.
Trump’s tariffs are an on-again-off-again issue. He has not clearly stipulated what he actually wants to achieve with the tariffs other than addressing vague past complaints. In the process, he has antagonized Canada, one of our longest and closest allies. Incompetence or malevolence?
Musk claimed he wanted to cut waste but seemed to cut jobs and departments randomly or without understanding the functions of the jobs involved. As a result, he cut positions that were essential to government functioning, such as people maintaining nuclear weapons, meteorologists for weather forecasting and national park personnel who keep national parks open and address hurricane damage locally. Many had to be rehired, but Musk’s minions had not kept the contact information for the former employees.
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A prudent businessman would want to know which jobs were either redundant or not essential for his business to functions. This would require examining what functions are required for the business. So why did Musk banish his chainsaw and cut jobs indiscriminately? Is Musk incompetent or malevolent in cutting government jobs?
Trump has never been considered the brightest bulb in the box and the immigrant from South Africa has the emotional maturity of a 12-year-old boy. Still, are Trump and Musk so incompetent, or are they deliberately trying to sabotage the functioning of the federal government? You decide.
Myrna Campbell
Waynesville
