Sir, – Why did US house speaker Nancy Pelosi have such a compulsion to visit Taiwan and on arrival utter the words: “Today the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy” (“US speaker Nancy Pelosi arrives in Taiwan amid rising tensions with China”, News, August 2nd).
The world faces no such choice nor should it. These decisions are best left to every country, its leader or leaders and its people to decide without external interference, be it well-intentioned or otherwise.
Many of us are fortunate to live in a democracy but perhaps it is not a model that suits all. – Yours, etc,
AIDAN RODDY,
An Irish businessman in Singapore: ‘You’ll get a year in jail if you are in a drunken brawl, so people don’t step out of line’
Paul Mescal’s response to meeting King Charles was a masterclass in diplomacy
Protestants in Ireland: ‘We’ve gone after the young generations. We’ve listened and changed how we do things’
In Dallas, X marks the mundane spot that became an inflection point of US history
Cabinteely,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – I am happy to give letter writer Claire O’Malley (Letters, August 4th) a good reason for US house speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.
Taiwan is an independent, self-governing country. Showing support for them against a possible aggressor is a noble gesture. In a parallel way we support Ukraine against their aggressor. Is the latter “sheer madness”? I don’t think so.
Neither is the supporting of Taiwan “sheer madness”. – Yours, etc,
ANN McLOUGHLIN,
Dublin 4
Sir, – Claire O’Malley (Letters, August 4th) asks for a single good reason for Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Is accepting an official invitation made by a democratically-elected government not a good reason? – Yours, etc,
RICHARD BANNISTER,
Co Kildare
Sir, – Your letter writer Claire O’Malley is spot on (Letters, August 4th). The visit by Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan was sheer madness and only illustrates the “superiority complex” of the US government when meddling in other countries’ affairs! – Yours, etc,
TADHG McCARTHY,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.