Leadership starts at the top | Letters

“The Peter Principle” has long been an acceptable ideology used when explaining human limitations in all facets of life. The book by the same name was written by Raymond Hill and researched by Lawrence J. Peter in 1968. It states, “People in a hierarchy tend to rise to their level of incompetency.” In layman’s language, they are over their heads.

“The Copernican Complex” is derived from Greek philosopher Copernicus’ research in the 1500s. A Copernican Complex describes an individual who believes he is the center and everything revolves around him.

A Wall Street Journal article in 2018 further describes a Copernican Complex as “reflecting a selfish behavior and impulsive yet indecisive decision-making ability.” In layman’s terms, a selfish, me- first mentality.

The reality of these two principles, when combined and found in a controlling individual or group, should be seen as a prerequisite for a dangerous and challenging period for all of us, particularly for our developing children.

Therefore, like many of us, I am concerned about our country’s future and society’s current decline.

Leadership starts at the very top and with leadership comes responsibility, acceptable character, morality, respect, stability and, most importantly, integrity. Recently, these measurable traits have been in free fall.

We must recognize here in the Lowcountry our own responsibility, playing a viable, vocal part in applying these principles to our leaders, ensuring that we have capable, competent and effective leadership at all levels of administration and government, locally and, most particularly, in Washington.

If not you and I, then who?

Earle Everett

Moss Creek

Big threat from China

The viral pandemic that swept across the world in three short months has created a very serious national security concern for this country.

In 1974, I was commissioned in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps to help counter the Soviet Union’s military stockpiles of anthrax, plague, phosgene, sarin gas and other toxins. Today, Russia is a comparatively second-rate military and economic power. China, however, is not.

There is no doubt that China is in a strong position to broaden its development of “germ warfare.”

▪ China has thousands of students abroad studying science, technology and engineering.

▪ China has a host of research facilities in-country working on virology and genetic engineering.

▪ China strives to become the world’s sole superpower and is controlled by a ruthless, autocratic, Communist, one-party regime.

It is no longer science fiction for a country like China to develop a deadly, highly-contagious virus, formulate and reproduce a vaccine for 2 billion Chinese and their allies, then spread it, within days, to every major city of any target nation.

Perhaps, they’ve already figured much of this out. For example, how did the COVID-19 virus travel from Wuhan to the entire world yet conveniently avoid the major urban centers of nearby Beijing and Shanghai?

Today, China reports 85,000 total cases while the U.S. has topped 1 million with an economy teetering on recession and a presidential election in chaos.

Brian Thoreson

Moss Creek

Trump doing a great job

C’mon people, Donald Trump is doing a good job. Who cannot recognize this?

Some letters to the editor against Trump seem grounded on hate, and certainly not reality. Trump is no idiot. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and the New York Military Academy. He is a successful businessman, and now premier president of the United States.

We can’t have anything better. Who do we want as leaders, guys like Barack Obama? George W. Bush? C’mon, give me a break.

Support democracy. Support our elected officials or remain silent and vote them out.

Alexander Pastene

Hilton Head Island