Re: “Hegseth: Trump can use force ‘as he sees fit’ on alleged drug boats” (Dec. 7, Nation & World):
Instead of blowing up boats assumed to be transporting cocaine to U.S. destinations, why not simply track these boats to their destination, where they can be intercepted, the transporters arrested, their contraband confiscated and their U.S. drug rings identified and brought to justice?
The Trump administration instead will take every opportunity to play Master of the Universe, a charade hiding weakness with disastrous and often fatal consequences.
If President Donald Trump were truly serious about addressing our addiction pandemic, he would have funded addiction counseling and treatment training programs, and widespread access to treatment centers in his so called Big Beautiful Bill as well as policies that foster hope and combat the despair that leads to addiction in the first place.
Ending the demand would do more to end the influx of supply than bombing boats can accomplish.
Thomas Heller, Seattle
