To the Editor:
Re “A Showdown Emerges Over the Limits of Presidential Power” and “Trump Causes Constitutional Crisis, Scholars Say” (front page, Feb. 11):
Traditionally, former presidents keep a very low profile and do not comment on current events. But I think the imminent constitutional crisis and our current president’s attempt to topple our democracy into an autocracy is a more than proper occasion for them to speak out.
Come on, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden: Make your voices heard! This is unprecedented!
John Willenbecher
New York
To the Editor:
To Republican officials in Washington:
Do you understand that individual citizens have no practical recourse for stopping the president’s current terrifying, lawless power grab? Our vote is supposed to be our recourse. You are supposed to be our voice.
You have sworn to uphold the Constitution, the balance of power, the principles and the institutions, not to ignore them for the agenda of one person or one party. You are the only ones who can restore the balance you are so blithely surrendering to the Trump-Musk administration.
If preserving democracy doesn’t motivate you to grow a spine, look at the issue from the perspective of personal ambition. Consider that the true conservatives in this country are in dire need of leadership. The toadies are essentially burying themselves under layers of chaos and lies.
If a conservative leader is to emerge from the rubble of the Republican Party, isn’t it most likely to be someone who can rise above the supplicants on their knees — someone who can stand up straight?
Either way, I beg you to find the courage to do the right thing for our great experiment in democracy.
Hydee Clayton
Millcreek, Utah
To the Editor:
President Trump has finally revealed his definition of “the deep state”: constitutional democracy. It was conceived by Madison, Franklin, Adams, Hamilton and the other radical founders; the delicate complexities of their government were designed to ensure liberty and justice.
Mr. Trump is now attempting to bulldoze the carefully constructed balance of power to usher in a new post-constitutional authoritarian rule. “Government of the people, by the people, for the people” must be preserved.
Defiance of court orders is a defining action of a constitutional crisis. We are in a critical moment of history. Mr. Trump and his far-right cronies must be stopped.
Kenneth Cohen
Kensington, N.H.
To the Editor:
Re “Paging the Democrats: Please Come In” (Opinion Round Table, Feb. 9):
Though Bret Stephens says in this discussion that “when everything is a ‘constitutional crisis,’ according to some liberals, it means that pretty soon nothing will be,” I disagree. What a disservice it would be to mislead the American people when the recent actions by the current administration amount to a constitutional crisis.
It is a constitutional crisis when an unelected plutocrat unilaterally takes control of the purse strings constitutionally defined as belonging to Congress. It is a constitutional crisis when federal agencies funded by the legislative branch are being shut down by the executive.
It is a constitutional crisis when unjustly fired appointees to the National Labor Relations Board know that, in exercising their right to bring their case before the judiciary, they may imperil the nation because of the Supreme Court’s ideological alignment with the wishes of the president.
Mr. Stephens, if that is not a constitutional crisis, pray tell what is?
Sarah Weinberg
Los Angeles
To the Editor:
Witnessing the collapse of the mighty American democracy is heartbreaking. Who could have thought that America’s democratic foundation was so fragile as to be disassembled so easily? Perhaps the grand dream was too good to be true all along.
Peter Schneider
Hamilton, Ontario
To the Editor:
Against Nature
To the Editor:
Re “After Trump Quashes Report on Nature, Scientists Are Trying to Publish It Anyway” (news article, Feb. 11):
President Trump’s suppression of a careful scientific study of the associated loss of nature and biodiversity is a blatant attempt to hide the truth about the deleterious effects of climate change, and the latest in an ongoing multipronged assault on our environment.
Beyond his reckless efforts to increase the production of dangerous pollutants that are accelerating climate change, he is also attempting to prevent documentation of the ongoing environmental damage.
Mr. Trump cannot change the underlying “inconvenient” truth about climate change by executive fiat. His suppression of evidence will lead to even worse harm being done to the natural world before effective steps can be taken to try to get it under control.
To the Editor:
Re “Can Characters Come Alive Without People?,” by Hank Azaria (Opinion interactive guest essay, nytimes.com, Feb. 4):
Mr. Azaria’s article and video should be required for all aspiring voice actors. We always need to be reminded that physicality is essential to good voice acting.
Even for someone like me, whose primary work is in audio tours for museums, physicality affects the voice in ways that cannot be entirely explained or replicated by artificial intelligence. That’s why I tend to use my hands while I am recording, to point out, to emphasize, to stroke, to smooth, to touch, to direct. All of those gestures shape the voice and make the audio tour more immediate and real.
As for A.I., ugh. At this point, I can always tell when the voice is not real. Maybe someday, that will no longer be the case, but what a loss that will be! Yet another instance of lost humanity and connection.
Nina Greeley
Sausalito, Calif.
A.I. Jobs? Not So Fast.
To the Editor:
Re “He’s Replacing Humans With A.I., and Bragging About It” (Sunday Business, Feb. 2):
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, the chief executive of Klarna, a Swedish tech firm, is just telling us what we already knew: A.I. is coming for your job, and white-collar employees are most vulnerable.
We may see a seismic shift to jobs for tradesmen. Until there are A.I. robots that can crawl under your sink, we’ll still need plumbers, electricians, mechanics and home builders. That is, if anybody can still afford a home by then.
Mark McIntyre
Los Angeles
