To the editor:
With lots of hope, we are looking forward to our new President. He has got a mammoth task to perform, starting with a near 20 trillion dollar debt, a failing health provider system, terrorism and a over blown immigration issue.
By no means can this be solved in the first 100 days or even the first 100 weeks.
Hasty, people-pleasing policy formation and executive actions will not solve issues overnight. Swift action is required but then this isn’t like making a deal across the table. It has to be discussed and debated with a erudite consulting group before pressed into action.
That is not evident looking at the recent immigration ban from certain countries which does not include Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, the perceived last home of Bin Laden.
Also, the rejected “build a wall” initiative and the cancellation of Mexican head of state visit bathes us in a poor international limelight.
These issues are less impacting to the population as compared to unemployment, health insurance, dismal housing market and low economic growth of around 2.5 percent.
If we want to “make America great again,” we need to ask few questions: Are we ready to accept higher insurance premiums? Are we willing to drop Amazon and buy local? Are we ok with productive immigrant human resource? Is the populace ready to save and spend on essentials only?
If the answers to these isn’t an emphatic yes, we are still a long way from greatness.
Michel Thakur
Vicksburg