The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill

‘Boots on the ground’ demeaning

by Ashu M.G. Solo - 06/22/15 6:18 PM ET

It is becoming increasingly common to refer to ground troops being deployed into a war as “boots on the ground” (“Bush: You need ‘boots on the ground,’” June 12). As a former infantry officer, I find this derogatory and demeaning because it conveys that troops are expendable and nothing more than boots. Remember people fill those boots.

From Ashu M.G. Solo, Wilmington, Del.

Guns a greater threat than feds

Another young man enters a black church, sits and listens for one hour, stands and shoots nine people to death.

{mosads}This is America. There is no other free country in the world that would allow the sale and ownership of handguns to anyone with a driver’s license. “The right to bear arms,” written over 200 years ago by men who could not have foreseen what we would become as a nation, is interpreted as the right for everyone, free and protected by federal, state and local law enforcement, governed by democracy, to have a personal hand gun to fend off that government. We are that government and we now need to protect our freedoms — not from government but from each other.

From Norm Stewart, Aventura, Fla.

TPP works at home and abroad

Trade is an effective tool against economic destitution and political oppression. In Vietnam, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is projected to contribute over 10 percentage points to GDP growth by 2025, according to a study by the Peterson Institute of International Economics. Growth of that magnitude would lift millions of individuals out of poverty in Vietnam alone.

Empirical evidence suggests that economic growth strengthens democratic norms and human rights. Researchers from the National Endowment for Democracy note than democracies with incomes above $6,055 have never reverted to dictatorship. Therefore, the TPP could do more than just enhance economic growth in developing countries — it could also contribute to political development. Economic growth through the TPP would advance democratization and spur greater performance legitimacy for young, liberal democracies. Moreover, so-called “neighborhood” effects — where countries have a tendency to emulate geographically and culturally proximate countries that are economically successful — could encourage democratization in non-TPP signatory countries. The trade deal, by stimulating growth and prosperity, can help ensure that democracies sprout and flourish.

Our own democracy is being tested. Disparities have undeniably increased in the United States. What role has trade played in creating those disparities? Most studies suggest that trade has an indirect and limited role in producing inequality. Trade may supplement inequality, but it does not create it. Poor schools, not ports, are the root cause of inequality in America.

Instead of shadowboxing inequality through trade, we should confront it head-on. Improving access to community college education, building stronger familial safety nets, constructing transportation in lower-income areas, reforming our criminal justice system and promoting jobs for the poor through the Earned Income Tax Credit are the best ways to advance equality. President Obama, observers may note, has tirelessly promoted these legislative efforts.

Opponents of the TPP say we must choose between prosperity and equality. That is a false choice. America can be a country that is both prosperous and equal. Making our country more equal will come through reforming ourselves, not by turning our backs on the world’s poor. To those who say that America cannot stand for equality at home and abroad, we say “yes we can.”

From Joe Webster, Alexandria, Va.