SUNDAY'S ABC News featured some discussion with voters from Hunter. Oddly, neither a man who had just joined the National Party nor anyone else remembered that Scott Morrison's ads about future energy sources do not mention the word "coal". Not once, not at all.
The ads do rave about the jobs which solar power and so on will produce, but they don't say who those jobs will be for, what the jobs will be, and where the jobs will be located. In fact, from what I have seen the Coalition has only ever made one specific comment about any of those things; namely, to sneer that the only jobs created by solar power would be mowing the lawn under the panels.
I think coal miners and everyone depending on the coal industry could be forgiven for feeling that Scott Morrison and his crowd have dumped you. Mr Morrison's ads were apparently aimed at winning over Green voters. I believe it indicates that he has decided that you're not crucial anymore and that you're all just history. But right now, in the present, there are ways for you to retaliate. Firstly, tell your mates in every other coal mining area right around the country. Secondly, on election day, no matter who you vote for, in both houses you and your mates can put the Coalition last.
Grant Agnew, Coopers Plains
Greens, Labor not synonymous
LABOR Leader Anthony Albanese headed to Byron Bay for Bluesfest on Sunday to get up on stage and talk about promises to support funding the Arts. Greens members attend festivals, host events and participate in their local arts (plus make stronger pledges). We are not the same.
Campbell Knox, Maitland Greens
Enough with politics, let's get real
WE will be bombarded with promises and propositions in this campaign. If you truly believe that Labor has your best interests at heart, think again. I believe the Greens are the puppeteers who have their hands up the backs of the Labor dummies. You vote Labor, you have clearly been blindsided.
Don't for one moment think the Greens are going to save this country from climate change, foreign interests, floods and pandemics. Why haven't all these controls been suggested prior to these elections, promoting protests and bagging the political party in power? Instead they should have worked with the Liberals to come up with options to rectify our problems, which affects every man, woman and child in this country, not just their political party.
Even voters like me have come up with better solutions than all these bickering power-hungry parties. How about they get real and stop being spoiled brats and work together to resolve our nation's problems together? That would be a first. These politicians put their hands up to earn big bucks and win brownie points; honestly don't for one moment believe they are concerned about you as an individual.
How about you vote for a party that has Australia's interest at heart? Good luck finding one, I'm voting for the devil I know, not the one who doesn't know or who is being manipulated by parties with alternate objectives. Stop overseas investment. How about we slowly phase out fossil fuels, go nuclear, pump flood waters inland to dams?
Graeme Kime, Cameron Park
Fascism trumps the other evils
THE 20th century gave us three well-known political movements: Communism, Nazi-ism and Fascism. People tend to assume that they are all the same, no different. This is wrong. There are many differences, and Fascism is the most dangerous.
Communist ideology stems from published texts by Marx and Engels in the 19th century. Communism believes in state ownership of property and the means of production. Private enterprise is not permitted. The Nazis also had a published reference point, Mein Kampf by A. Hitler, but private enterprise was permitted. Private companies underpinned production of war materials in World War II. This did not seem to conflict with any ideological position.
Fascism, on the other hand, had no attachment to any particular ideology, or principles. In the 1920s and 1930s they were like thugs dressed in distinctive uniforms, the Italian brown shirts. These days they are just as likely to wear business suits. Having no attachment to an ideology.
Robert Paxton, a noted political scientist and historian, describes fascism as a form of political behaviour, marked by obsessive preoccupation with national decline, humiliation and victimhood. Putin and Trump ticks all of these boxes, and others, which may explain a lot.
"The collapse of the Soviet Union was the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century", according to Putin, and the humiliation of Russia as a superpower. From Trump's perspective, we got the refrain of the USA's alleged decline. His slogan Make America Great Again seems to be a direct reaction, and hasn't changed one iota in six years.
Fascists are prone to extreme violence, which we see in Ukraine, to achieve their ends. To become a Communist or Nazi Party member you had to apply to join. To be a Fascist no formal membership is required.
Behaving in a violent manner against perceived "enemies" is your badge of membership. Robert Paxton once regarded Trump as a right-wing populist. After January 6, 2021 he amended his opinion, to place Trump among the fascists.
Mati Morel, Thornton
New era for old can of worms
TWO short takes writers asked why our world is characterised by suffering, decay, death, arbitrary disasters and injustice (Letters, 8/4). One writer proffers a 'fall of man, out of Eden' guilt trip explanation. He suggests that an imperfect world into which God has cast us suits our imperfect and sinful nature. He invites readers to find out more. The other writer quotes 13th Century theologist Thomas Aquinas: 'for those with faith, no explanation is necessary, for those with no faith, no explanation is possible'. Unfortunately, Aquinas and this second writer may be correct.
Recent psychological studies have found that people's beliefs and opinions are based on emotions rather than reason and objective evidence. Once we establish our beliefs, objective truth and evidence becomes irrelevant to most of us. We cherry-pick; rejecting arguments against our beliefs, and selecting those arguments and 'evidence' that support our beliefs. Today, social media site algorithms help reinforce our beliefs.
Many religious believers cherry-pick their holy books and declare 'God has revealed truth to me'. By implication and by definition, non-believers cannot know the truth. Now that is a showstopper. Who can argue with God and irrationality? But in which truth and in which God do we believe?
Geoff Black, Caves Beach
What lies beneath unsurprising
IT'S not surprising that contractors found the concrete slab in Newcastle Ocean Baths. It has been there for over 50 years. I used to run back and forth over it with my mates during the big seas, getting barrelled by the waves crashing over the pool. It was uncovered every time waves came over the pool in big seas. The maintenance crew should have known about it.
Graeme Galvin, Warabrook
SHORT TAKES
I WOULD like to thank the kind friendly family and others who assisted and comforted me on Good Friday on the walking path at Nelson Bay. I was walking our dog and he pulled on the lead causing me to tumble onto my face. I was quickly surrounded by a very concerned group of people who couldn't do enough to help me, and I am very grateful. In the confusion I could not remember any names but you know who you are and I hope you are reading this.Thank you again.
Eileen Watson, Nelson Bay
I AM slowly running out of any critical encouragement I've ever had for the Knights.
Bill Slicer, Tighes Hill
THERE is no doubt that Ray Drury needs help and support. However he has stated that he has been ignored for many years. So the question that has not been asked is why have his local Labor members not helped him. That would be the brick wall who have been conspicuously silent on this.
Tony Jones, Swansea
IT'S interesting to note that both Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese attended church on Good Friday when the majority of Australians did not.
Joan Lambert, Adamstown
I'M continually amazed at the vast knowledge of Adz Carter on any subject, often expressed in this section of the Herald, and his obvious dislike of our current Prime Minister and the Liberal Party. Perhaps he should have been consulted when all the pandemic surged across the country, requiring the importation and distribution of vaccines Australia wide as recovery from the natural disasters over the last couple of years went on. Yes, there were a few issues as part of the learning curve on something unprecedented, but I commend the government for its management. Then again, like the Labor Party, it's easy to criticise while never offering solutions and or compromise.
Peter Mullins, Rankin Park
WELL done, Singleton Army Base, for disturbing the peace over the Easter weekend. Eggsplosions on Good Friday, Saturday and Sunday with exercises on a weekend which is one of the most revered and remembered festivals of the year, a time which should be for reflection and peace to the community. Not the time for warfare exercises. What a farce. Lay down your arms and pray for peace in Ukraine.
Ken Winterschladen, Pokolbin
DOMESTIC chores wouldn't be called mundane if it was only men who did them.
Dave Wilson, Bar Beach
IT is both heartening and refreshing to read Fred Whittaker expressing support for the skate bowl construction albeit perhaps with tongue in cheek (Letters 16/4).
