I WAS shocked to read that one in three Australians and 46 per cent of Coalition voters want Donald Trump to win the US elections. This is an increase of around six per cent since 2020, when Trump lost the election. His supporters contested the 2020 election results in over 50 court cases and not one of the Courts supported Trump's voting fraud claims. Trump then subsequently encouraged the riot in Washington which attempted to destroy their democracy.
Trump has openly displayed a total disregard towards women, is constantly proved a liar, rejects the fact that gay and transgender people are born that way and chooses to ignore all past history if it is not favourable to the USA. He rejects scientific advice and evidence on the weather or health matters.
The Australian survey results reveal an apparent mistrust or fear of some or all or some of our institutions, social change, loss of religion, socialism, communism and even the Muslim religion. Surely Australia has enough checks and balances to ensure integrity within our institutions, in our fellow Australians and in capitalism instead of believing a dictatorship is better. I believe social media and the Murdoch media have created these many unfounded fears.
Perhaps this survey also reveals some men believe Mr Trump's treatment of women is normal and acceptable; also, perhaps it's why we believe First Nations people only want to take away from Australians or dominate Australia but forgetting they are the original Australians who, unlike us, looked after our largest asset.
Darryl Stevenson, Coal Point
Name game pain for newsreaders
CORRESPONDENT Michael Jameson ("Go beyond Dutton, Albo sledges", Letters, 3/6), made a great suggestion recently. He wants more variety in the subjects of letters to the editor, so I am writing one about his name.
In a former life I interviewed perhaps his father (or grandfather) about the academic's more efficient coal-cleaning invention, the Jameson Cell. The professor insisted that in my TV story I pronounce his name as Jame-son, and since I am also of Irish descent, I easily concurred. I was reminded of this by a recent television advertisement for Jameson whiskey, in which it is pronounced as if it is "Jamieson" whiskey.
Michael, could you please tell us how you pronounce your name? The same applies to another Irish name, that of the famous chef, Matt Moran. He wants it pronounced Ma-ran, but his father insists on More-an. A minefield for newsreaders.
Ray Dinneen, Newcastle
Climate woes began Albo's reign
PETER Devey ("Renewable rollout a costly failure", Letters, 1/6), the reason Eraring is staying open and the renewable revolution is behind schedule in Australia is simply due to Coalition policy aversion over nine years in power. Tony Abbott claimed climate change is "absolute crap" and destroyed Gillard's carbon pricing mechanism.
Modelling clearly shows that if it had remained we would not only be further down the renewable track but we would all currently be paying cheaper prices for power. Malcolm Turnbull did get Snowy Hydro off the ground but his government ignored a government-funded 2017 Australian National University report that discovered 22000 pumped hydro sites across Australia, and that only a couple would be needed to replace Eraring and Bayswater by the time they began closing in 2023.
Scott Morrison was our first Pentecostal Christian PM. My understanding is some Pentecostals do not get involved in the climate change movement because they believe God controls the climate, so interfering would be a waste of time. Morrison's policy aversion would suggest he leaned that way.
The Coalition continues to be an anchor to progress, but it's simpler to blame Albo, the new boy on the block, for high energy prices and renewables being behind time. Typically, he inherited a Coalition-confected mess.
John Arnold, Anna Bay
Bloodshed is not consigned to past
TO brand the forebears of Palestinians as being "non-affiliated wandering nomad tribes with no historical tenure", Tony Mansfield ("Look at history links Canberra and holy land", Letters, 31/5), is grossly ignorant and extremely offensive.
Palestinians lived in thriving towns, villages and farms, with the majority of inhabitants being Muslim, residing alongside small Christian and Jewish communities.
The Balfour Declaration issued by the British government favoured a Jewish homeland on Palestinian soil.
This led to their land being sliced up by a foreign power, with people being massacred or driven from their villages and farms.
For decades Palestinians have had almost every part of their lives controlled, are hemmed in by a long high wall with checkpoints often waiting hours to pass always under the watchful eye of Israeli soldiers. The sudden cruel attack by Hamas last year and the overly heavy-handed Israeli response has led to more than 36,000 deaths, and still Western leaders continue to speak in weak, hushed tones without actively trying to stop the bloodshed. Where is the justice and freedom in any of this?
Julie Robinson, Cardiff
Patience for patients is unmatched
RECENTLY I went to the ED at the Calvary Mater where, after various tests, it was determined that I had had a heart attack. I was then admitted to the coronary care unit (CCU) and taken to the John Hunter to have an angiogram, then back later to the Mater. Over two days, I had nothing but the best care from everyone involved. They were pleasant, helpful, understanding and caring. Both hospitals were crazily busy and the staff were run off their feet, but I never felt a nuisance. This covers everyone from the harried staff in the ED, to the transport personnel to the nurses in the CCU to the staff at the John Hunter. Please take this as my personal thanks. You deserve it.
Jan Caine, Maryland
Where does conspiracy come in?
GREG Hunt ("Let democracy run its course", Letters, 5/6), claims he is a rational thinker when he states that a randomly-selected jury decided Donald Trump is guilty due to a flawed judicial system and that the charges were trumped up. I'd suggest Mr Hunt will be hard pressed to explain exactly why he came to that conclusion, and why a jury could be so wrong?
Lloyd Davies, Stockton
Why sharks can see boats coming
DARRYL Stevenson ("Sharks are no reason to blow off wind farms", Letters, 4/6), one of the dive boats I've been on shark diving at Neptune Island plays music to attract sharks. Adz won't be happy hearing this as the anti live music blow ins will probably use it to shut down entertainment and can't play music anywhere near the harbour or the beach, someone will get killed. Darryl, sharks have always been attracted to boats outboard motors, they sense vibration through the length of their body. As for the wind farm, will it survive a storm such as the Maitland gale? I have my doubts.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
Sport preparation has evolved
I WAS watching the sports news the other night and they had the NSW women's team in the gym training. I couldn't believe some of the weights that these women were lifting. In the 1960s and '70s it was all conditioning before getting into ball work. You would do at least four laps of the oval to warm up and then do sprints, run backwards, then turn and sprint, followed by stretching for about 20 minutes. You would then do ball work for 40 minutes. After training you would then do your weight training at the bar; lifting a couple of schooners did not cause any injuries.
