While I am glad that Henry M. Paulson Jr. confronted the chicanery of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in his June 26 Sunday Opinion commentary, "Thinking the unthinkable: A Trump presidency," the balance of Mr. Paulson's comments showed he misunderstands why ordinary, working Americans are so mad. He is right that we are disgusted with business as usual in Washington. However, it was ironic that he said the governmental and economic elites in 2008 looked out for the economy with their "bipartisan" plan.
In truth, Mr. Paulson’s preferred approach focused on stabilizing the financial centers, which advantaged the 1 percent and those whose risky behavior put our country and the world in near-cardiac arrest. It did not address worker and middle-class concerns. That was left to President Obama’s stimulus efforts with little help from congressional Republicans.
To halt Mr. Trump’s contagion, Mr. Paulson recommended entitlement reform and welcoming globalization. What about reforming the tax code to require wealthy companies and individuals to pay their fair share? Happily, Mr. Paulson also suggested fixing programs that help U.S. industries and workers transition to the new economy. But would his Republican friends agree? If Republican lawmakers had acted accordingly in recent years, it’s likely Mr. Trump’s messages would have been less appealing.
Barbara I. Berschler, Kensington
