If only Obama were a socialist

In her July 19 letter, Ms. Muriel Potter states that the Obama administration “is now closing nine border stations and reassigning the agents to higher priority stations.” I have no way of verifying this allegation, but assuming it is true, it may simply indicate the elimination of certain border crossings in favor of higher-priority ones, as in a higher traffic load, more cases of infiltration or other logistical reasons that would justify consolidation.

Another allegation that I’ve heard repeatedly is that the Obama administration has deported more illegal aliens than Bush and Clinton combined. If this is true, then Ms. Potter’s statement that Obama has “opened the gates even wider” to illegals is patently false and unfair.

As for her plaint that Obama is responsible for a “move to socialism and decay,” this is nonsense. Personally, I fault Obama for being too far to the right. No way is he a socialist, any more than Clinton was.

Since 1980, Democrats have lacked the spine to stand up for socialist policies that might actually have been of benefit to the American people, which is why the right has been so successful pushing its extremist agenda. “Those people,” at least, have the courage of their convictions, as despicable as I may personally hold them to be. They’ve got a loyal base, many of whom are Ms. Potter’s — and my own — generation and presumed ethnicity. Whether or not Obama wins re-election, our generation will shortly be history, and our grandchildren will be obliged to assume the burden of cleaning up our mess. Meanwhile, dialogues, like the brief one we have been having, need to continue.

William Kromer

Northfield Falls