What an insult to the memory of all those involved in both D-Day in 1944 and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 that the yes-men in Washington should invoke these events, likening them to their own utterly inept, unnecessary and wasteful – both in lives lost and economies ruined – bungle in Iran (“The White House says this is the Iran endgame. We’ve heard that before”, August 25). The self-aggrandisement of this administration is breathtaking and knows no limit. What a tragedy for a once-great nation to be used by such a fool as nothing more than his personal plaything. History will not be kind. Patrick McGrath, Potts Point
The Truth and Accountability Project, a US political action committee and advocacy organisation, has published figures that truly focus the mind on current US corruption and the foolishness of Australia trusting it as a reliable ally (Letters, August 26). The committee has listed the stock trades by the past six presidents while in office during a 33-year period. Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden made zero stock trades while in office. Donald Trump, in his first term, had 54 trades and during this term of 16 months so far has had, wait for it, 3624. The PAC adds the following: “This is the most corrupt administration to ever hold power anywhere in the history of the world”, which may be an exaggeration. But maybe not. At the very least it’s an ethics disaster and an abuse of the office. Alison Stewart, Riverview
When will the Americans wake up to the fact that Trump’s MAGA has morphed into MTRA (Make Trump Richer Again)? John O’Connell, Old Toongabbie
Correspondent Vincent Zankin suggests a slogan for Jon Ossoff’s presidential campaign: MAMA (Make America Moral Again). I am all in favour but, Vincent, when exactly was America ever moral? I have read a lot of American history but I just can’t pinpoint it. Paul Sowter, Westleigh
How droll it is that senior US officials are constantly referring to the Iranian regime as “evil”. The Trump (mal)administration could, with equal justification, be similarly described. Very few US regimes over the years could be described as benevolent, but the current one outstrips them all.
Ian Usman Lewis, Armidale
Stand with Canada
Just like our correspondent from Campsie (Letters, August 26), I too am awaiting the announcement from our prime minister about the American president’s outrageous verbal attacks and tariff war on our commonwealth partner Canada. Isn’t it about time Anthony Albanese took to the microphone and denounced these attacks, and while he’s at it, he could follow PM Mark Carney and Doug Ford of Ontario and tell Trump where he can put his tariffs? I won’t hold my breath, but in the meantime I will refuse to buy any products from America and thank goodness I can still get my Canadian maple syrup. Llieda Wild, Eastwood
Goodbye, Dolly
Most of the tributes I have seen mention Dolly Parton’s singing, songwriting and acting talents, which many of us love (“Country music legend Dolly Parton dies aged 80”, August 25). Very few of them acknowledge the arguably greater contribution she made as a philanthropist. Mostly through her Dollywood Foundation, she funded the Buddy Program to encourage kids to stay at school, raised money for HIV and AIDS-related charities, donated to the development of a COVID vaccine, and provided various other forms of community support. My personal favourite as a retired librarian is her contribution through her literacy program, Imagination Library, which has brought books to hundreds of thousands of children who possibly would not have had access to them, from birth to school age, in many countries including Australia. So vale to Dolly Parton, who shared her wealth around and always considered those less fortunate than herself. Mary Anne Kennan, Burwood
Dolly Parton and Donald Trump were both born in 1946. On her death, the messages from the people who knew her frequently used the adjectives “talented”, “generous”, “humble”, “funny” and “genuine”. None of these words could aptly be applied to Trump. When he dies, the flags will fly at half-mast, just as they will for Dolly this week. But whereas the death of Dolly has brought immense sadness, Trump’s death will bring a sense of relief that he can do no more damage. Mike Reddy, Vincentia
Dolly onstage at a gusty KGV oval in Glenorchy, Tasmania: “If this wind keeps blowin’ I might be the first singer strangled to death by her own wig.” Bill Casey, The Gap (Qld)
To credit of few
Ross Gittins may not be an economist, but his critique of carbon credit and offset systems is on the money (“Why Labor’s carbon credit scheme’s an economist-conceived sham”, August 26). Real climate action requires slashing pollution from coal, oil and gas, ending land clearing and restoring carbon‑rich ecosystems – all at the same time. Offsetting burnt coal and gas by protecting a tree is at best problematic and at worst a dangerous crutch undermining progress. Many carbon offsets are dodgy. When will the Albanese and state governments strengthen integrity rules so carbon accounting reflects reality rather than wishful thinking? Sarah Brennan, Hawthorn (Vic)
Ross Gittins’ opinion piece on the Albanese’s government environmental offset mechanism concludes: “The truth is that the economists’ lovely offset scheme is a sham that Labor is using to make us think it cares about climate change when it doesn’t”. Making matters worse, NSW Premier Chris Minns is now retreating from his promise on the NSW government’s long-promised Great Koala National Park. Just as Nero fiddled while Rome burned, so too do our Labor politicians, state and federal, fiddle their con-jobs while Northern Europe burns. Who to believe, Ross Gittins or Albanese and Minns? I’ll trust Ross every time over the others. Michael Davis, Balmain East
Worthy young men
As an AFL household (no, not Swans fans) all I’ve heard for the past week and a half is the trouble with the Swans. If the AFL is serious about player behaviour, why do they have a “Mad Monday”, the title of which implies that anything goes (“AFL players red-faced over Mad Monday”, August 26)? I don’t think the problem is men per se. I have been married to one for 45 years. The problem is individuals and individuals in company. The other week we watched a heartfelt farewell speech from Adelaide Crows player Tex Walker as he prepared to hang up his boots. And at the awards night on Tuesday, a young man whose name I do not know spoke sincerely, succinctly and from the bottom of his heart about the need to be aware of mental health, having lost his brother to suicide earlier in the year. There are some terrific men out there. Genevieve Milton Dulwich Hill
It seems pretty low-brow for a photographer to be stalking a private party of a team of AFL players who came 17th on the ladder this year. We’re really not interested at all at what they “got up to” at their party. Leave them alone. James Butchart, Lilyfield
These AFL stories reminds this bloke of Lord Chesterfield’s line: “Young men are apt to think themselves wise enough; just as drunken men are apt to think themselves sober enough.” Howard Hutchins, Wantirna (Vic)
Truth stripped bare
While Jenna Price makes a fair point about the need for many men to grow up when it comes to attitudes towards women, the suggestion that women would always opt for something like room service and a long shower to celebrate an achievement and would never consider something as debased as hiring a couple of strippers can’t go unchallenged (“Women have changed. Why are men struggling to keep up?” August 25.) A quick Google search reveals several establishments around Australia that seem to be doing quite well offering, for hens nights and similar celebratory occasions, anything from male strippers to naked male waiters and male lap dancers. One even offers a “suck and blow card race”. While I can’t possibly imagine what that involves, presumably it’s something a little more adventurous than curling up under the doona with a camomile tea and a Mills & Boon novel. Ross Duncan, Potts Point
Place for shame
In response to a schoolboy’s question “How do you control a wife?” youth educator Daniel Principe is reported as not shaming the boy but rather using his remark as “an opening to unpack where the student had learnt the premise” (“This Sydney private school asked students to help solve the consent crisis”, August 26). It’s all very well to try to “understand” where these attitudes derive from (no great mystery actually), but let us not remove shame from the equation. Misogyny is evil and should be viewed and treated as deeply shameful. Whether it be a prime minister who engages in sexist banter while willingly participating in some vapid podcast, or overpaid and over-exposed footballers indulging in dehumanising debauchery, or a classroom provocateur mindlessly spewing the latest vile catchphrase he’s absorbed from the so-called manosphere, these behaviours should always be called out and the perpetrators shamed. It’s the increasing shamelessness of our society (and tolerance or apathy) that contributes to the normalisation of disgraceful attitudes and behaviours. Kathleen Riley, Burradoo
We are one but many
Perhaps Pauline Hanson and One Nation need to think more deeply about identity (“The figure One Nation supporters back more than anyone but Hanson”, August 25). Identity is shaped by the characteristics, beliefs, values, experiences and attributes that define who we are, how we see ourselves and how we are recognised by others. Australia’s identity has never been a single, uniform pathway. It has been shaped by many cultures, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives coming together to create the country we are today. One Nation appears intent on reducing that complexity to a single, narrow definition of what it means to be Australian. But that is not the Australia I believe we are, nor the Australia I believe we want to become. Our identity is not diminished by diversity – it is enriched by it. Stephen Wilson, Kangaroo Valley
While based in London in the 1990s I frequently used to spend a week at a time working on-site with collaborators in Milan. I was particularly struck when walking around the city that there were no “foreign” faces – everyone was “Italian-looking”, with no one visibly from other cultures or continents. There were few, if any, Chinese restaurants at the time. It made me feel slightly uncomfortable, having grown up in cosmopolitan, multicultural Sydney. Perhaps Pauline Hanson would appreciate this form on monoculture . I thought of this the other day while travelling home on Sydney’s Metro and looking at who else was on the train. I’d like to invite Hanson to join me on that trip one day. This is the face of modern Australia. Dale Bailey, St Leonards
Friendly fire won’t save democracy
Kylie Moore-Gilbert asks why authoritarianism is more popular today, and answers that it’s because of influencers’ propaganda which is akin to that practiced by the Nazis (“The influencers convincing a generation to tear down democracy from within”, August 26). Odd, then, that she focuses on a left-wing Twitch streamer, Hasan Piker, and attacks the Democratic Socialists of America for commemorating Fidel Castro – but doesn’t mention, say, Elon Musk. Another reason authoritarianism is more popular today is that so many influencers insist that left and right become identical at the extremes – and then use that dubious claim to draw parallels between democratic socialism and actual existing right-wing tyrannies. This makes it impossible for the democratic left and democratic centre to band together, and pushes people on the left and the right towards the extremes. By contrast, the best way to save democracy is to build coalitions among democrats. Moore-Gilbert could promote coalitions by reaching out to people who agree with her on the evils of authoritarianism, even if they disagree about the meaning of the Cuban revolution. But instead, she likens them to Hitler – which is a misuse of her own influence, and also breaks the Herald’s letters page tip to “keep it civil”. Justin Evans, Petersham
Flawed logic
Correspondent Ken Enderby makes the point that we have a continuing dependence on gas for certain industrial processes and so should curtail the use of gas in the home (Letters, August 25). The logic is seriously flawed. Gas-fired generation is and will be an essential part of our baseload (and peaking) generation of electricity. So if domestic use of gas is curtailed, or banned, that gas which would have otherwise been delivered directly and efficiently into domestic situations will now be diverted to gas-fired power stations, where it will be converted into electrical energy at, at best, 60 per cent efficiency. That electricity will then suffer transmission losses in getting to homes, with the result that we will use something approaching one-and-a-half times as much of the scarce gas to get the same amount of energy into those homes. And that is saving our industries? I don’t think so. David King, Crows Nest
Only human
I shudder at the thought of driverless taxis (“Aussie capitals ‘will be driverless within a decade’, says robotaxi pioneer”, August 26)? Human taxi drivers can and often do tell you how to fix politics, love, sex and sport. They’re raconteurs, historians, poets, comedians, philosophers and, if you believe that their cousin owns the best restaurant in town, epicures as well. Lastly, they’re the person who cleans the cab before taking the next fare. Driverless taxis? No, thanks. Peter Butler, Wyongah
What are the odds?
Last week a mish-mash of unsatisfactory gambling reform. This week, Qantas is offering non-stop flights to Las Vegas. Is there anyone awake is this country? Don Nealon, Taree
Desperately seeking snoozin’
Your correspondent’s brilliant idea of separate doonas shouldn’t be wasted on Elon Musk (Letters, August 26). She herself should write a book. May I suggest the title In Bed with MaDoona? Jeremy Brender, West Richmond (SA)
Your correspondent suggests couples using separate single doonas. What about single beds or, better still, single rooms? That solves the snoring issue as well. Jenny Greenwood, Hunters Hill
- To submit a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, email letters@smh.com.au. Click here for tips on how to submit letters.
- The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform. Sign up here.
Read the full article here
