Benjamin Franklin foresaw the US's descent into despotism | Brief letters

Nesrine Malik hits the nail on the head about the American constitution (Trump 2.0 is exposing American exceptionalism for what it is – and has always been, 3 February). Benjamin Franklin sowed the seeds of this in 1787, when he predicted that the new constitution would be “well administered for a course of years, and can only end in Despotism”. Looks like old Ben was right. They got rid of kings, but have now decided to bring them back.
Peter Loschi
Chadderton, Greater Manchester

Giving everyone in Gaza a million dollars to relocate would cost $2.3tn, exactly what the US spent on the war in Afghanistan.
Dr John Doherty
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire

Re your report (We must protect the BBC World Service, says MP, 1 February), years ago I interviewed a top BBC executive and, playing devil’s advocate, I suggested that the BBC World Service was a British propaganda tool. To which he replied: “Yes, it is. But it’s a very subtle form of propaganda. It’s called telling the truth.”
Nigel Robinson
London

Re adverse school reports (Letters, 4 February), a maths teacher perceptively opined that “I am afraid John is doing his best”.
John Saxbee
Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire

At a south London comp in the 60s, before there was an embargo on “discouraging comments”, a jaundiced, elderly colleague wrote on the report of a noted troublemaker: “Indolent, insolent and therefore ignorant!”
Amanda Rainger
London