The current occupant of the White House is an embarrassment and his policies of a mere seven months in office have been disastrous domestically and in terms of foreign affairs. In a recent press conference, he assured the press that Afghanistan was in no way similar to what happened in Vietnam, but the parallels speak for themselves.

As we examine this 20-year-old war — with the loss of over 2,500 American lives as well as the waste of over $2 trillion — we can only shake our heads.

However, it is so much more than that and the causes of these failures run deep into what is tragically becoming a mindset in America.

One only has to look at the cities controlled by Democrats to see how weakness turns into anarchy. The lawlessness by those who believe that the police are evil and erect monuments to criminals are a big part of what is becoming a very sad American narrative.

As Americans debate over the picture on a box of pancake syrup or the offensive nature of cartoons characters, other nations are looking at America and smiling at its failures. Groups seek to confuse elementary school children about their gender or teach vilification because of skin color instead of teaching them how to read, write and do math, and are setting the tone for an abysmal future.

This is especially relevant when children in schools around the world are learning the requisite skills necessary for them to compete in future global markets.

Paul Spencer, Lewiston