As a lifelong Democrat, in response to the Sept. 13 letter, "Unchecked power leads to despotism," I believe the unchecked authoritarian power of our present day is the Republican Party. It controls the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Supreme Court, the presidency, and 30-plus state legislatures.
By use of executive power, the president has done away with environmental protections for clear air, water and safe foods. Republicans cut taxes for the richest 1 percent of Americans and corporations while tax breaks for others were only for five years.
Many Democrats do not support the use of abortion except to save the life of the mother, not as a form of birth control.
The autocratic Republican Party seems to want only white Americans to vote. The party seems to be trying to stop minorities - including blacks, Chinese, and Asians - from voting in the 2020 election.
The autocratic Republican Party acts as though only rich people deserve health coverage, so 50 million mostly poor, elderly, and young Americans have only the Affordable Care Act, which allows those with pre-existing health problems to get coverage.
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Autocratic Republican Party members have proposed killing the ACA and cutting spending on Medicare and Medicaid. I believe the autocratic Republican Party wants to cut our Social Security as well.
Members of this autocratic Republican Party say newspapers and TV news do not publish the facts. Meanwhile, it appears as though the Russian autocratic nation used our Facebook, Twitter, and other social media to brainwash the minds of American voters to steal the 2016 election from the Democrats.
Stephen D. Smalley
Duluth
