George Bush Leaves Office

David Broder (Commentary, Jan. 17) strains credulity when he writes, “The United States under the leadership of these Republicans effectively supported the people whose values and aspirations came closest to our own--and helped them prevail.”

Many of the people we have supported were the likes of P.W. Botha, Efrain Rios Montt, Ferdinand Marcos and Deng Xiaoping. The “values and aspirations” of such foreign leaders are not close to “our own” at all. Democracy, egalitarianism, compassion, widespread economic opportunity and human rights played little part in their political philosophies.

I think we have gone through some nasty, dangerous and petty years with Reagan-Bush. There are very few things I admire them for accomplishing. They have left us with a bloated military that can’t tell a hotel from a missile launcher, a huge deficit/debt and an S&L; disaster for our children and grandchildren to pay off. Our banking system is shaky. Our jobs have been exported. Greed received admiration while social service agencies received the back of the hand. As a result, the last “superpower” sees its cities and villages filled with homeless poor. Some record.

The “mostly good memories of the Reagan-Bush years” are for many of us simple folk nightmares we didn’t need.

JIM SCHRIDER

Pacific Palisades