Sure, Yost and Vargas are great. But here’s who belongs in the Royals Hall of Fame first
Honor them now
While Ned Yost, Carlos Beltran, Billy Butler, Johnny Damon, Jason Vargas and Yordano Ventura had solid Royals careers, (Dec. 22, 1B, “Beltran, Ventura and Yost headline Royals Hall of Fame ballot”) they are dwarfed by the Royals’ Hall of Fame exclusion of three super major contributors: General Manager Cedric Tallis, who took an expansion team and made it a winner in its third season; John Schuerholz, who is already in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York; and John Wathan, who gave a lifetime to the Royals as a player, coach, manager and executive.
They’ve belonged for years.
- Alan Hoskins, Kansas City, Kansas
World leader?
For those who are concerned about or perhaps hoping for the demise of the United States of America, here are some numbers.
The U.S. gross domestic product is estimated at $25 trillion. China, which has four times our population, is second at about $18 trillion, and Japan comes in third at about $5 trillion.
The U.S. just approved a $773 billion defense budget for 2023, but total military expenditures are estimated to be much higher. China spends an estimated $230 billion on defense, while Saudi Arabia spends around $64 billion.
Among the world’s most valuable brands are Apple at $352 billion in total assets, Amazon at $420 billion, Alphabet/Google at $359 billion, Microsoft at $365 billion and Walmart at $245 billion. South Korea’s Samsung at around $355 billion is the most valuable non-U.S. brand, according to consulting firm Interbrand.
Said another way, after 5,000 years of recorded human history, one country with 4% of the world’s population is its Hercules. Just think about that for a minute.
There is a fly in the ointment, however. This Land of the Golden Goose spawns politicians who can’t help but personally avail themselves of its power and wealth. As a result, government dysfunction is the order of the day.
In 100 B.C., the Roman Empire extended from present-day Iraq to the British Isles and from the German forests to northern Africa and Egypt. Infighting and civil wars eventually tore the empire apart from the inside, and it was destroyed by outsiders.
Is this a lesson for us?
- Graham Marcott, Fairway
Blunt’s legacy
Congratulations to Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt. He is one of a select group of 18 Republican senators who sealed their legacies and betrayed their voters, party and country by voting for the omnibus spending bill last week.
His record will read that he:
▪ Effectively extended House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s term by killing Republican leverage in the new House against President Joe Biden’s policies.
▪ Escalated a war that could lead to World War III.
▪ Worsened the terrible inflation during the Christmas season.
▪ Protected the borders of other nations but not the U.S., jeopardizing our national sovereignty.
▪ Perpetuated illegal immigration, the influx of fentanyl, the trafficking of kids, the deaths of migrants and the murders of Americans through the militarizing and enrichment of the drug cartels.
▪ Killed any chance of opening our energy sector, ensuring long-term inflation.
▪ Got rich off global lobbyists.
▪ Proved he doesn’t care about everyday Americans.
- Robert A. Taft, Vass, North Carolina
American cruelty
Russian President Vladimir Putin is undeniably a war criminal. It’s time we paid attention to inhumane, hateful and probably criminal behavior here in the U.S.
Human Rights Watch should declare Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as sadists who abuse their elected offices to put people with almost nothing in positions of suffering for political grandstanding. (Dec. 26, 4A, “Migrant families dropped off near VP Harris’ home”) I pray that if either one of these charlatans runs for any other office, down to dog catcher, that people of faith will resoundingly reject them then and forever.
These two are building their warped, un-American reputations and legacies on the backs and pain of human beings who have little left except for hope. As a people, can’t we do better than this?
Without immigrants, the Florida and Texas economies would collapse.
- Steve Shaft, Prairie Village
