A BODY rots from its head. Throughout history, whether in business, politics or politics in extremis - warfare, success or failure is attributable to leadership.

For those who argue we should afford Donald Trump respect, as the "Leader of the free world" I would ask that they speak to the people of the city of New York who have done business with the Trump organisation. I lived there and I saw at first-hand what doing so meant.

The United States is a wonderful country populated by many good people. It rejoices in its "can-do" approach and working in New York was energising and exciting. However it is a country of extremes. Americans truly believe their country is chosen by God to be great, provided that God reflects the American ethos of neo-liberal capitalism. The result is that there are no social brakes put on individuals' behaviour when pursuing success and success is measured entirely in financial terms.

As everywhere the rich dominate, but unlike the old world where the worst excesses of greed are tempered (albeit marginally) by the concept of social service, there is no such tradition of service in the US. The Kennedys, Bushes, Clintons all utilise their position, financial influence and power in pursuit of their own self-aggrandisement. Trump is no different in that regard.

However where he does differ is that he has no sense of history or his place in it. For those other families they saw their place in the context of history. Mr Trump sees everything beginning and ending with himself.

To argue that we must respect the position of President and therefore extend that respect to the current incumbent is to take the old world view.

Mr Trump does not respect the position, nor its historical responsibility. His actions are determined by how he believes he himself has been treated, not himself embodying the position of President of the USA.

Because of that he is the most dangerous person on the planet today.

If you don't believe me, just ask a New Yorker.

Bill Mitchell,

Upper Ardelve, Kyle.

DAVID Stubley suggests (Letters, July 13) that Donald Trump's attributes are being denigrated by a biased media and us "ill informed people. I do not read political news but I do, unfortunately, have to view on television "the fact" of a person spewing forth racist, misogynistic, bigoted hatred. And this person is supposed to be the leader of the western world.

Every word that Mr Trump spouts is for his own self-serving reasons and he demeans us all. That is why tomorrow I must join the protest. He is not a leader for a civilised society.

Lesley Barrow,

17 Redhall Bank Road, Edinburgh.

AMIDST the political turmoil and unbearable pressure Theresa May has been under this week, along comes President Trump to doubtless turn a drama into a full-blown crisis.

On the bright side, the Prime Minister has finally found a use for her peripheral and wretched Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell.

Following months of marginalising Mr Mundell in Cabinet and refusing to even register him as a viable participant in any of the Brexit discussions or negotiations, Mrs May has instructed Mr Mundell to officially meet and greet President Trump when he arrives in Scotland.

The words poisoned and chalice readily spring to mind.

I hope our lacklustre Secretary of State manages his unenviable task with less gusto than the indecorous pizzazz he displayed when he opened a food bank in his constituency in 2015.

Owen Kelly,

8 Dunvegan Drive, Stirling.

SNP Deputy Leader Keith Brown tells us Donald Trump isn't welcome in Scotland ("Brown: We are united against this bigotry", The Herald, July 13).

He may or may not be correct – but does it matter what the SNP administration thinks about Mr Trump? Nicola Sturgeon heads a devolved domestic assembly of a non-sovereign nation. He's the leader of the world's largest economy. Despite Ms Sturgeon's relentless self-aggrandisement, she has no international trade responsibility nor foreign affairs remit. Why would Mr Trump bother to meet her?

But could Ms Sturgeon and her lieutenants luxuriate in jeering from the sidelines, if Scotland were an independent nation? I suspect she'd be working as hard as Theresa May is with President Trump to grow our economy and support job creation.

Martin Redfern,

Woodcroft Road, Edinburgh.

THEY blame their countries' woes on "outsiders".

Those who do not vote for them are "dead" to them. They identify a new outrage or refer to an old one in nearly every sentence. They make incessant cries of perceived injustice. They make high and mighty proclamations on behalf of the people. They rail against a biased press. They have their pet journalists, newspapers and channels.

They have launched ill thought-out and fatally flawed legislation. They have put unsavoury people in positions of authority only to whip them away when the truth of their backgrounds emerges.

They claim that they would have done things with the EU differently. Instead of accepting that that people don't agree with them they claim that nobody has listened to them.

I'm fair scunnered listening to both Donald Trump and the SNP.

Kenny Wilson,

21 Union Street, Greenock.

BRIAN Beacom’s slant on President Donald Trump’s visit ("Let's play golfer Donald because Scotland is bunkered", The Herald, July 12) mentioned the WB Yeats poem, The Second Coming. However, the part of the poem which has always seemed most interesting, or even prescient, to me at least, Mr Beacom has removed. The lines in question are probably more appropriate for much of what is happening on planet Earth:

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

The last two lines above being very pertinent.

Dr Ronnie Gallagher,

5 Wyndhead Steading, Lauder.