When someone has a goal in mind, he or she is often willing to believe the unbelievable and suspend judgment to achieve it.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard seems to have fallen into that trap in her report on Syria (“U.S. must stop helping terrorists fighting Syria’s government,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Jan. 26).

Long before the Syrian uprising, the Assad dynasty was known for its brutality. Has she ever heard the phrase, “Hama Rules”?

Her capitulation to the narrative of the Assad government that all was “peaceful” and well in Syria before the uprising proves how important it is to know the history of a conflict before promoting one side of it.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a thug supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin, another thug, at the expense of hundreds of thousands of dead civilians and a tidal wave of refugees beating at Europe’s door. Gabbard has gone over to the dark and ignorant side if she uncritically believes the “rebels” she was allowed to talk to during her recent visit to Damascus.

Jean E. Rosenfeld

Downtown Honolulu

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Gabbard heard both sides of conflict

I believe U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard did the right thing by visiting Syria (“U.S. must stop helping terrorists fighting Syria’s government,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Jan. 26).

She has opposed using American troops and money to overthrow bad foreign leaders, and has taken a further step to hear from both sides of the conflict in Syria where we are apparently supporting the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

By now we should have learned that overthrowing the leader of a nation leaves a vacuum that gets filled with chaos, the result being others rising to power who are as bad as the one who was overthrown.

Gabbard also was criticized for meeting with Assad (“Gabbard defends meeting Syrian leader,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 26). Not meeting with bad leaders would be a mistake. Knowing them gives us good information regardless of our decisions.

Let us hope that Gabbard’s visit will encourage our leaders to reconsider our actions in Syria and take steps to change them.

Ralph H. Conway

Kailua

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Consequences of proposed tax serious

The proposed tax on investment properties (“Teachers pitch a tax for funding,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 26), will create a negative cycle of events:

>> A tax on investment property owners is levied;

>> Investment-property owners raise rents or sell properties;

>> Rental inventories become unaffordable or diminished;

>> Homelessness increases;

>> A new tax is levied to deal with the homeless problem.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association must consider the unintended consequences of its efforts to raise funding for teachers.

Kathy Novak

Moanalua Valley

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Obama succeeded despite opposition

The negative comments being made against the Trump administration by Democrats and the media should be welcomed by all Trumpians.

After all, Republicans and conservatives spent eight years clawing away at former President Barack Obama and opposing him at every turn, resulting in the restoration of the automobile industry, resurrection of the American economy, creation of millions of jobs, availability of health care for millions of Americans, reducing American military involvement in active fighting with a huge reduction in military deaths and disfigurements, and a feeling of pride in America and its first hapa president.

As I see it, the negativity being leveled at President Donald Trump should serve to strengthen his resolve to make America great again, heighten his awareness of what it takes to become a great president, and drive him to succeed in the face of great adversity.

Frank Akana

Aiea

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Legislature shouldn’t have ‘blue dogs’

In your story about the Legislature’s opening session, you quote Senate President Ron Kouchi as saying: “You have those that are blue dogs and a little more fiscally conservative like myself” (“Prayers, music kick off new legislative session,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 19).

“Blue dog” often refers to Southern White Democrats who act like Republicans. It is especially repulsive to hear it in the Aloha State.

In the Hawaii politics molded by Jack Burns, Dan Inouye and Patsy Mink, we believe in caring for others. We should care for our keiki and not leave them without qualified teachers. We should care for our kupuna and not leave them without housing or health care. We should not tax the less fortunate at a rate twice what we tax millionaires and billionaires, which is what’s happening now. It is penny-wise and pound-foolish to cut social services yet fund massive prisons for those left behind.

Blue-dog policies lack aloha and lack long-term common sense.

John Bickel

President, Americans for Democratic Action Hawaii