Harry Trickey
Jefferson City
Dear Editor:
With U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin opposing some of President Biden's build back better proposals he has been repeating without a trace of irony that he doesn't want "to foster an 'entitlement' mentality among America's able-bodied adults." (New York Times, Aug. 8)
The slander that working people will begin to feel entitled to government 'handouts' is contradicted by research using game theory by "US psychologist Paul Piff. He discovered that as people gain wealth or advantage they are more likely to feel entitled, to exploit others, and to cheat." And ironically other people will accept the entitled's assertion of dominance and privilege. (The Guardian July 7, 2014)
A wealthy person's sense of entitlement was expressed most eloquently by candidate Donald J. Trump in Sioux Center, Iowa on Jan. 24, 2016: "I could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and wouldn't lose voters."
Or his lewd assertion to Billy Bush in 2005, "when you're a star they (women) let you....do anything."
Nevertheless, two recent books recount how President Trump's sense of entitlement and privilege led to his committing treason against our constitutional order: A classic case of Greek Hubris. ("I Alone Can Fix It," by Leonnig and Rucker and "Peril" by Woodward and Costas)
They recount a running narrative of plots and attempts to corrupt the 250-year process by which elections have been conducted and presidents have succeeded one after the other.
In the end, our government withstood his withering assault because Vice President Mike Pence followed the law instead of succumbing to his demands to break the law and accepted precedents and customs.
Otherwise, Trump might very well have succeeded and we would now be ruled by an American Caesar "who (would) bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus." (Julius Caesar, Act Iii)
The danger remains so long as other persons in government and authority do not challenge Trump's presumption of privilege and hold him accountable for his attempted coup.
So, congressmen and women and Attorney General Merrick Garland, you have the evidence: Will the entitled and privileged ex-president, Donald J. Trump, "bestride the world" unfettered by law, statute or summons?