As an avid reader and supporter of The Port Washington Times, I am utterly dismayed that the Times would publish (Dec. 24, 2021) the long-winded and terribly inaccurate Readers Write letter titled “Adolf Hitler, Donald Trump and Trump suckers.” That letter, submitted by Alvin Goldberg of Great Neck, attempts to compare our former president, Donald Trump, to one of the most deranged and evil persons in all of recent history, Adolf Hitler.
Comparing Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler is as inappropriate and wrongheaded, as it is inappropriate and wrongheaded to compare Andrew Cuomo (you remember him, don’t you?) to Jesus Christ. I don’t recall ever reading any prior letters from Mr. Goldberg in the Times, although I could be wrong about that. I can guess at why Mr. Goldberg’s letter was unhesitatingly published by the Times, but I will have to go into that in another Readers Write letter to the Times if the Times will publish it.
Mr. Goldberg gives us a “potted” history of Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler, but in his history, he gives us a number of half truths and some absolute untruths. “Adolf Hitler had a deep understanding of mass psychology and mass propaganda.” “Hitler took pride in being a master salesman and showman.” Where, Mr. Goldberg, did you ever read such things? But then, Mr. Goldberg goes on to tell us that “Trump rejects rationalism, liberalism, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and all movements of international cooperation and peace.”
Please, Mr. Goldberg, do tell us where you ever learned about all of those monumental failings of our former president and do you really believe that tens of millions of Americans could have all been fooled enough to vote for someone with all of those monumental failings? Of course, Mr. Goldberg shows us how little he really knows about recent world history in the very first sentence of his rant.
Mr. Goldberg tells us “World War II ended when Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allies in May 1945.” Sorry, Mr. Goldberg, but World War II didn’t end until four months later, when in early September 1945, the Imperial Japanese government and the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces, surrendered to the Allies aboard the battleship USS Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay. (Editor’s note: This error slipped through the editing process after it was marked to be corrected).
Why didn’t Mr. Goldberg attempt to compare Donald Trump to the Emperor Hirohito or to the Generalissimo Tojo? Probably because at 6-feet-3 inches tall and at 260 pounds or more, President Trump just doesn’t look the part of a Japanese and besides that, President Trump has let it be known that he just doesn’t care for Japanese food, all that much. Of course, Mr. Goldberg may have forgotten that Imperial Japan participated in World War II and was responsible for numerous atrocities, crimes against humanity, before and during the war.
Mr. Goldberg ends his rant by urging us to “Get smart” and “Help save America and Democracy.” There is no doubt in my mind that the best way for us to do that is to reject completely the paths of turmoil and destruction offered by Black Lives Matter, Antifa, Smash and Grab, and the Biden/Harris led government.
Joel Katz
Port Washington
