Readers sound off on insufficient presidential platforms, American apathy and Daniel Penny’s jurors

On overseas policy, some candidates deficiency vision

Beechhurst: There are 2 conspicuous overseas argumentation issues that the statesmanlike candidates person glossed implicit with chiseled reality-avoidance platitudes.

When it comes to the destiny of Ukraine, which has courageously resisted Russia’s scorched-earth warfare of aggression with subject assistance from the Western powers, Donald Trump plausibly argues that Vladimir Putin would ne'er person invaded Ukraine had helium been reelected (after all, it was President Biden’s bug-out from Afghanistan, lifting of Trump’s sanctions connected the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and dumb remark astir a “minor incursion” that bedewed Czar Putin’s appetite). But down Trump’s boast that helium could extremity that warfare connected Day One is the wide accusation that helium volition unit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accede immoderate Ukrainian territory to get a bid deal. What’s peculiarly vexing, though, is 45’s jaundiced oculus toward the NATO alliance, which reeks of a unsafe isolationism and is hardly Reaganesque.

When it comes to our beleaguered Mideast state Israel, Kamala Harris has nary harsh words astir Iran’s puppet-master relation successful mounting the portion ablaze, lone perfunctorily defends the Jewish state, and perpetually calls for a ceasefire based connected a pie-in-the-sky two-state solution. Moreover, it was this administration’s foolish appeasement of that No. 1 authorities sponsor of coercion that opened the doorway to the unsafe situation astatine hand. And let’s not hide however that pusillanimous argumentation besides enabled Iran (and China) to assistance support Russia’s warfare instrumentality greased.

Too atrocious determination wasn’t a statesmanlike statement that focused exclusively connected those 2 overseas argumentation flashpoints that person shoved america person toward a World War III scenario. James Hyland

Devoid of ideas

Staten Island: To Voicer Herb Paserman: You person to beryllium moronic to authorities that Kamala Harris tin beryllium 1 of our champion presidents ever. She can’t talk a condemnation without saying the connection “Trump.” She doesn’t cognize what overseas argumentation is. She can’t lick the ostentation oregon borderline situation due to the fact that she and Biden caused it. Face it, Herb: In a small implicit 3 months, you and I volition beryllium watching Trump instrumentality the oath of bureau again! Thomas Fraumeni Jr.

So precise sick of him

East Meadow, L.I.: After doing enactment with the Trump Organization astir 40 years ago, surviving successful New York and getting to cognize the existent Donald Trump, it is the archetypal clip I person to hold with him erstwhile helium says it’s going to beryllium the biggest and astir important predetermination ever and we request to prevention our country. That’s wherefore we request to spot him suffer and ne'er perceive from him again. Jeff Tuck

Time to retire

Dartmouth, Mass.: Donald Trump’s show successful the past weeks of rallies, donor dinners and appearances demonstrates his diminished cognition and energy. For those MAGA supporters who tolerated oregon adjacent enabled his vitriolic rantings and lies and swore unflagging loyalty whitethorn present person a mode to claw retired of the rabbit hole. Commencing with his utter decision astatine the statement with Kamala Harris, with incoherent responses, inappropriate facial expressions, sapped vigor and continuing to explicit outrageous accusations, helium is providing his ardent supporters with the accidental to yet and respectfully admit that helium is nary longer the Trump they adore and privation arsenic their president. Just arsenic President Biden’s fervent supporters could publically admit his diminished quality to govern, Trump’s MAGA millions tin bash truthful arsenic good portion inactive believing helium had been a large president. Betty Ussach

Unfair influence

Greenburgh, N.Y.: The media should halt emphasizing however candidates are doing successful polls. The lone canvass that should number is Election Day voting. Polling results astir apt power however immoderate voters volition formed their ballots. Many voters privation to beryllium connected the winning broadside oregon volition enactment a campaigner who seems to beryllium generating momentum successful the polls. If the media emphasized candidates’ positions connected issues alternatively than connected polling results, determination could beryllium a antithetic result successful immoderate elections. Paul Feiner

Soviet prophecy

Ariel, Pa.: Some 65 years ago, Nikita Khrushchev stated, “We volition instrumentality America without firing a shot… We volition destruct you from within… We tin assistance their elected leaders successful giving them tiny doses of socialism, until they awaken 1 time to find they person communism.” In little than 2 weeks, we volition find retired if the socialist American politicians successful Washington person achieved their extremity to destruct this large federation oregon if the American radical person awakened to halt it. Which volition it be, patriot oregon comrade? Joseph Beyhl

Unsavory op-ed

Brooklyn: The op-ed from strategical communicator Ken Frydman (“Trump’s McDonald’s sojourn puts Harris successful blistery oil,” Oct. 23) is simply a disgrace. When you people nonsense from Voicer Shlomo Klein, I conscionable person to laugh. When you people this garbage astir Harris’ disclosure astir her part-time McDonald’s employment that Trump mocks and calls a lie, you’ve gone excessively far. Frydman is simply a strategical communicator each right, including his notation to Trump’s request to spot Barack Obama’s commencement certificate, but his strategy is hypocrisy. No notation of Trump refusing to disclose his taxes, his aesculapian records, his transcripts of acquisition achievement, etc. If helium thinks Trump making fries — a occupation helium isn’t qualified to execute — is simply a bully look for the president, he’s easy amused. Maybe Trump has shown that the lone occupation helium should aspire to is “You privation fries with that?” Anne Slamka

Employer records

San Francisco: This full question of whether Harris worked astatine McDonald’s oregon not is truthful ridiculous. Who cares? But you cognize who tin wide it each up? McDonald’s. Surely, they indispensable person a grounds of her employment. And if you think, “Well, that was a agelong clip ago, earlier we had computers,” past wherefore would anyone expect Harris to person a wage stub from backmost then? Anyway, who cares? Jimmy Layton

Compartmentalized carnage

Hallandale, Fla.: It’s evident that excessively galore of our citizens either disregard oregon stay apathetic to the genocide and starvation being committed successful Gaza, on with our government’s complicity. Israel not lone bans TV stations from the enclave but besides targets and fires upon journalists to this precise day. Doesn’t that archer you thing astir the sheer criminality and warfare crimes of Israel, portion our authorities sends the bombs, munitions and wealth to proceed its slaughter? Our wide morality and behaviour remains successful the gutter, some sickening and depraved. And it doesn’t substance who wins the election. Sid Sussman

Matter of beingness and death

Broad Channel: According to caller polls, it seems that astir Americans enactment abortion. Do they truly cognize what termination is? It is not the removal of a blob of cells oregon the products of conception that galore are taught. It is the sidesplitting of the astir guiltless of humans, the unborn baby. Life begins astatine conception, a technological fact. Yes, determination are hard cases, and arsenic a nine we person to assistance these women with hard pregnancies. We accidental we are a civilized nation. Are we? Since 1973, we person allowed the sidesplitting of much than 63 cardinal unborn babies. How tin anyone deliberation it’s OK to termination a baby? Joan Kinneary

Depraved

Brooklyn: Re “Long Is. therapist deed with baby-porn charges” (Oct. 25): Renee Hoberman is the astir despicable quality connected this planet. Raping and torturing infants and children — this nonfiction really made maine cry. Monsters bash exist. Eileen Hughes

Alternate mode

Manhattan: To Voicer Robert Clolery: I person a solution for you. Instead of taking taxis and Ubers to get to your destination, instrumentality the train. Donay Queenan

Can’t beryllium guilty

Yonkers: To Voicer James Baldwin: Daniel Penny was attempting to support radical — his chap riders. Unfortunately, it resulted successful the decease of a quality being. I warrant that a wide leftist specified arsenic yourself would person done perfectly thing but tally disconnected the bid astatine the adjacent stop, lone to let your chap riders to fend for themselves. If I were to beryllium voir dired for Penny’s trial, I’d play immoderate crippled and accidental thing to beryllium selected for the assemblage successful bid to origin a mistrial by hung assemblage successful asserting “not guilty” to what I judge volition beryllium a wide assemblage uncovering Penny guilty. Ralph A. Manente