A recent letter to the editor (“Trump points out how failures of last eight years have eroded America’s standing,” Aug. 11) questioned America’s relative greatness and outlined a number of problems we are dealing with, laying them at the feet of President Obama and his former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton.

Homelessness, unemployment, income inequality, security and a loss of respect in the world are its main points. Economic concerns dominate the list.

These issues continue to dog our society, and the changes taking place around us accelerate and contribute to the insecurities we all feel. For instance, companies choose to move overseas, implement automated processes and do what they have to in order to increase profits – even change their national identity from American to Irish to avoid paying taxes.

Consider where we were in 2008 as the Bush administration crashed the economy:

• Tax cuts for the wealthy.

• Decreased environmental oversight.

• Opposition to health care improvements.

• The creation of “guest worker” programs.

• Opposition to gun regulation of any kind.

• No attention paid to tax havens.

• Resistance to climate change initiatives.

• Chaos unleashed in the Middle East.

These initiatives set the table for President Obama, and the ship of state does not turn on a dime. In fact, it turns more slowly than ever with a Congress that denies science, won’t act on tax reform and just says “no.”

There is much work to do, but in order to reinforce our greatness, we need to consider with an open mind the positive directives that have been initiated in response to previous poor policy.

Joe Delaney

Portland