New Populism

Why is it that we so often find non-members of a group, club or political faction telling the world about the people with whom such a writer disagrees whole-heartedly? This appears to be the case with Richard R. Burt (“The Seductive Appeal of the New Populism,” Opinion, June 19).

“Populism,” by its obvious derivation, suggests the ideas of the people, but Burt seems to be determined to attack the message offered by Paul Kennedy’s “Rise and Fall of the Great Powers” by attributing Kennedy’s ideas to the common people.

As a person who was a populist when Burt was still in knee pants, may I say that he does not speak for me. Let me deal briefly with the items he has outlined:

1. Economic nationalism: We the people do not put making of money above the welfare of all members of the earth’s population, but we do expect a level playing field for international trade and demand that nations who do not play fair should be treated accordingly. And we do not appreciate a situation that provides other nations with such a trade surplus that they can buy our industries and real estate.

2. Strategic unilateralism: We the people hold that the highly bankrupt policy of dealing with other nations with guns to their heads should be replaced with dialogue, reason and mutual respect. For such an educated and civilized nation to depend first on threats of force and denial of World Court decisions is a repudiation of all that is good in mankind.

3. Military neo-isolationism: We the people do not believe that our nation should remain isolated from others; rather, we hold that we on this planet are truly one world.

We the people are tired of decisions about our relationships with the world that are based on military power, nuclear threat, and the elitist concept that Americans are superior to all others and have an innate right to rule the world.

No, Mr. Burt, we the people do not accept your definition of what is good for the country and I sincerely hope that the vox populi will find a way to change the nation’s policies.

MORRIS JONES

San Diego