Dear Editor:

“Elections have consequences,” we are constantly being told…and so they do, catastrophically at times. But our current coup leaders would do well to learn another truth from ancient Chinese philosophy: Words have consequences. K’ung fu-tzu, better known as Confucius, taught that a leader’s clear and precise language is crucial to good government: “If terms be incorrect, then statements do not accord with facts; and when statements and facts do not accord, then business is not properly executed; […] when order and harmony do not ourish, justice becomes arbitrary [.…] Whatever a wise man states he can always dene, and what he so denes, he can always carry into practice, for the wise man will never be remiss in his denitions.”

The current chaos caused by impulsive anger and shameless lies subverts the rule of law in our country. Eliminating inspectors general, silencing whistle-blowers, and indiscriminately ring workers with vital expertise, President Musk’s hostile takeover of the federal government has increased inefficiency and broken our trust in national government. Vice President Trump, owner of bankrupt casinos and real estate tycoon, has been tremendously successful at our cost by enriching himself, promoting the interests of his cronies, and adding to his property portfolio by emptying federal buildings and putting them on the market.

The FBI headquarters, the Justice Department building, and that of Health and Human Services are the crown jewels; millions more square feet of government office space round out this clearance sale. When he embarrassed himself and the American people at his rally in the House chamber on Tuesday night, his misuse of language was painfully obvious: It propelled him into juvenile boasts (I’m greater than Washington), outrageous threats (One way or another, we’ll get Greenland) and pathetic lies (Biden spent millions making mice transgender).

According to the Constitution, which Trump regularly ignores, we have another 47 months of distorted and corrupted language blaring from the White House. It’s hard to hope that the laws of our land will be “faithfully executed” and that we can look forward to domestic security and tranquility. If only he had read and taken to heart yet another lesson from the ancient Master: “He who speaks without modesty will perform with difficulty.” 

Bill Hammond

Boothbay