To the Editor:
Your editorial is unfair to Donald Trump. His ramblings about the use of nuclear weapons in the Middle East—“I’m never going to rule anything out”—are merely his expression of the ageless “we will keep all options open,” which when used by one of your favorites, perhaps President Obama, is usually described as wise.
As for Mr. Trump’s suggestion that Japan and South Korea acquire their own nuclear weapons, it is a perfectly legitimate position to raise. Currently, we provide the nuclear umbrella for Japan, South Korea and dozens of other allies, which really obligates us to provide their conventional defense and risks our involvement in a nuclear confrontation. Thus, we end up meddling in all sorts of disputes, from those over rocks in the East China Sea to the borders of Eastern European countries.
As for revamping NATO, we should start asking Trump-like questions. Why are there still 60,000 American troops in Europe? Why do most our [sic] NATO partners spend about 1 to 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense while we spend 3.5 percent? This is not a good or necessary deal for America.
HARVEY M. SAPOLSKY
Cambridge, Mass.
