There was a time when the United States of America was a decent country and a decent society, and I remember that time, but that was a long, long time ago. People change. We all do as time goes by. It is best to notice what people do rather than what they say.

The problem with America, for America, and indeed the World, is that if they are not at war with someone, blaming someone, there is this deep irritation in consciousness that they are weak. They need to invent enemies just to be proud of themselves as a people.

Don't worry so much. The world is not going to end and you are not going to hell.

Can America continue to afford to keep borrowing money from China to pay whole countries every day to hate China and Russia? China doesn't expect America to ever pay its debts to them, of course, and so is off-loading the loan/currency to Russia at a discount. America is not so smart when desperate.

Can America continue to afford to keep borrowing money from China to pay people to hate China?

I note Mr Duterte, the president of the Phillipines, is well on the way to working out a good permanent understanding with China regarding issues in the South China Sea through dialogue and neighbourly respect. I expect the response by the USA will be to declare him a dictator, to fund insurrection, and to make a mess as they always do. But, they will be spread a bit thin now with the demise of King Rama IX of Thailand, Thailand, their other past friend.

Letter to the Editor of the Cairns Post re the growing populist legion of detractors in regard to the Cairns Hospital: Dear Editor Having lived in Cairns for 30 years, I am appalled by the detractors in regard to the Cairns Hospital. I look forward to the good work of Mr Terry Mehan in fixing things up. There have only ever been two minor problems with the Cairns Hospital. 1: Where it is 2: What it is. Thankyou John Fitzpatrick Cairns