Sir, – “Tensions are already emerging in Camp Trump between populists and libertarians” (Opinion & Analysis, January 25th) is a brilliant piece by Patrick Smyth as it encapsulates everything we should wish to consider when discussing the current American administration.
I remember reading some of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged years ago but of course never thought I should see it one day as the bible for the circle of American billionaires who have bent the knee to their president; the political landscape back then was clearly quite different. Everything in the inauguration speech and what we’ve heard from those in Donald Trump’s circle is invested with elements of the idea that “greed is good”, what Rand called “the virtue of selfishness”.
Smyth’s analysis, and its application to President Trump’s gang now running the show, with Pete Hegseth just confirmed as defence secretary, is a great piece of comparative journalism. – Yours, etc,
ALASTAIR CONAN,
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Coulsdon,
London.
