Waleed Aly (“The hard battle for the truth”, October 18) reminds us of a need to be sceptical of any story that confirms narratives we already believe. Our minds cannot escape the confirmation bias that pre-disposes us to focus on confirming evidence. Not even scientists are immune from this bias. Daniel Kahneman, the Israeli-American psychologist who works on the psychology of judgment and decision-making, says that is why we need philosophers of science. Mark Porter, New Lambton
Waleed Aly rightly warns that we must fight misinformation for the future of democracy, but it has become a corporate product for sale in the advertising market. The Republican Senator who lied that President Biden started Hurricane Milton was “amplified”, in Aly’s words, in profit-making headlines by corporate right-wing media. Dutton’s Voice slogan “If you don’t know, vote No” was profitably amplified by Fox media, X and the right-wing press. If corporate profits were not made by misinformation, facts would be clearer and our individual beliefs would not be so manipulated. Barry Laing, Castle Cove
Waleed Aly and the importance of truthCredit: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
I wish I had Waleed Aly’s confidence that we can set high standards to challenge our own echo chambers of misinformation. Few people can resist it if it suits their narrative. Change is not possible without legislation, commitment and holding to account the media platforms that peddle such falsehoods. Ideally we should become more sceptical, but the endless stream of information makes it hard to discern what is true and what isn’t. It’s in this space where conspiracy theorists operate. More resources must be committed to educating the young so they understand that just because a message is easy to read doesn’t make it true. Manbir Singh Kohli, Pemulwuy
I have relatives who have gone down the rabbit hole of conspiracies and misinformation, believing it’s all true. Until Donald Trump arrived I could have worthwhile rational discussions with them. Not any more – from politics to society in general to religion, their thoughts are based on what they’ve read online, believing outrageously far-fetched stories as true. It is a nightmare that I hope they finally get out of. Con Vaitsas, Ashbury
Waleed Aly runs the usual line that conspiracy theories are about stories we have already decided we want to hear. That must be only part of the explanation. These theories proliferate and propagate when there is a critical mass of very unsettled, anxious people. Then any narrative that distracts, or purports to “nail it”, will serve. The wackier and more far-out the better, as long as it takes our minds off real and present worries. There’s no question that the pandemic was a fertile breeding ground but the ongoing wars in Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon, doom over the US election and monster storms and seeming unending struggles to make ends meet are enough to unnerve us. On top of all that, politicians who deliberately press our buttons have a lot to answer for. Margaret Johnston, Paddington
Recent letters regarding the Voice referendum clearly show that “Yes” supporters feel the vote was lost due to disinformation spread by the Opposition and “No” campaigners. The deliberately false claims and statements evident in the US presidential campaign may also result in the election of a candidate who is totally unfit for office. We cannot allow such false information to become entrenched in our elections, yet both major parties have opposed the “truth in political campaigns” legislation proposed by Zali Steggall MP. Voters must be allowed to make decisions based on fact not disinformation. The argument that even the village idiot is entitled to freedom of speech should not override the need for voters to be able to make decisions based on the truth. Alan Marel, North Curl Curl
Republican movement
I was a member of the Malcolm Turnbull-led Australian Republican Movement (Letters, October 18). If a referendum for an elected President of Australia was held today, I would vote No. The leadership of Australia must remain within our parliamentary democracy, checked and balanced by our constitution. Get the model right and vote on the republic. Rick Johnston, Potts Point
A worthy dame
Jacinda Ardern gets a gong from the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle.Credit: AP
Dame Jacinda Ardern will no doubt suffer the criticism of those armchair critics who will say she has “betrayed” the republican movement by accepting an imperial award (“Republican ex-PM Ardern becomes a dame”, October 18). Ardern is not a rabid republican or a rabid anything; she sensibly sees things as naturally evolving within society. The joy on her face during the conferral reflects the grace of someone who recognises that, although it comes from another field, the award has been made with affection and recognises her practical love for humankind during her time as New Zealand’s prime minister. Donald Hawes, Peel
Premier’s low blow
Premier Chris Minns should give himself an uppercut for pledging taxpayers’ money for the promotion and staging of the UFC (“Minns fights for more UFC bouts”, October 18). I don’t care how much tourism and spending it generates, I fail to see where, at any level, it can be considered wholesome entertainment or contributes anything to the wellbeing or intelligence of our society. Bob Edgar, Westmead
Does NSW need cage fighting?Credit: AP
It is time for both federal and state governments to stop spending taxpayers’ money on professional sport. They need to spend money on items supporting the population as a whole. In other words, infrastructure and support for those less well off. Realistic job creation and rebuilding the public service would benefit the nation as a whole. Barry O’Connell, Old Toongabbie
Chris Minns seems to be a sensitive person who in normal circumstances would be opposed to violence. Yet he and his government support an anachronistic gladiatorial contest like UFC bouts, which have as their main objective the physical maiming of a fellow human being. Channel the funding of UFC bouts instead towards research into traumatic brain injuries. Trevor Somerville, Illawong
Crash highlights folly of density over-reach
One motor accident (“Two dead after head-on collision on Harbour Bridge”, October 18) closing a few lanes in one direction, and there’s gridlock in every direction for kilometres – from the Spit to the Anzac Bridges and from the Warringah Freeway and North Sydney to the entire CBD and beyond. Despite this, we allegedly need a much greater population and, therefore, more cars – in a city that will never have an all-reaching underground rail service like Paris or London to reduce car travel. Alex Mattea, Sydney
More care needed when drivingCredit: Sydney Morning Herald
Given the deathly small margin of error afforded between lanes and the non-existence of avoidance possibilities in the increasingly dense traffic on the Harbour Bridge, is it time to rethink the present 70km/h speed limit? Megan Brock, Summer Hill
Lack of oversight
Your correspondent (Letters, October 18) raises an important point regarding the limitations imposed on doctors by ever-increasing bureaucratic oversight. Most other professionals such as teachers, nurses, psychologists, lawyers and engineers after many years of university education and then professional experience, also suffer the same ballooning restrictions. On the other hand, politicians require no university education or training and their performance is generally gauged by their peers or the passing of legislation. It’s them who have created this bureaucratic mess so they can look good ie. create more laws/rules, job well done. But why not increase political or professional performance reviews? The reality is that politicians resist oversight by suggesting the election cycle is the ultimate political oversight. Similarly then, registration/oversight, once every three or four years, created and supervised by each professional grouping, is sufficient professional oversight. What is good for the goose should be good for the gander. Paul Gannon, Coopers Shoot
A GP crisis has been inevitable for many years. How can anyone afford to run a bulk-billed service when the government rebate for a 20-minute visit is $40 to $50, less than $150 per hour, which barely covers the receptionist’s wages, insurance and rent? No mention of the many other costs. And surely after many years of training the doctor deserves some pay, too. Katriona Herborn, Blackheath
There may be other factors at play discouraging medical graduates taking up general practice. In the 1980s, it was two years of HSC hard study to obtain the necessary marks for entry, five years at university, then usually two to three years working 60 to 80 hours a week in a hospital, followed by training on the job. Now half the universities offer medicine as a postgraduate degree, so that’s two degrees (seven to eight years), and the college of GPs requires additional post-resident specialist training before one can be called a GP. With no disrespect to GPs, who do a great job, it’s no wonder graduates elect to choose a “real” specialty that will pay better. In 1984, 85 per cent of GP costs were covered by Medicare. Now it’s less than half. David Ramsay, Bexley
A curious yearning
Nick Kyrgios, back on blackCredit: Chris Hopkins
I knew something was missing in my life, but until now I could not figure out what it was (“Kyrgios declares he’s ready to return”, October 18). Mustafa Erem, Terrigal
Ta-ta tar
Your correspondent might be bemused by Sydneysiders’ alarm about ocean pollution from ships leaking oil (Letters, October 17), but the familiar sight of black tar balls strewn across English Channel beaches when he was a lad might be one good reason many of his compatriots chose to pack up and move to Australia. Ross Duncan, Potts Point
I do sympathise with your correspondent about the oil on his feet and togs. But if he thinks the Channel coast waters of England were “freezing” he would’ve died of hypothermia at my local beach on the Northumberland coast – without even venturing into the North Sea. You try and tell young people today that – they won’t believe you. Steve Cornelius, Brookvale
Cafe culture
Saying that Sydney cafes are the best in the world is just so Sydney (“Sydney’s cafe scene is the best and sunniest in the world”, smh.com.au, October 18). I love the city and lived there half my life. It does have great cafes, and apart from having more rainy days than any other Australian capital city but Darwin, it is beautiful on a sunny day. But I must point out there are also excellent cafes in every other place I have lived, including Boston USA, Hilversum in the Netherlands, Adelaide, Newcastle, Orange and Dubbo. Don Easter, Dubbo
Sheet rip-off
On the subject of price gouging of other sorts (Letters, October 18), why is it that the price of a queen-size sheet is greater than a single sheet, yet I pay the same for a small shirt as someone does for an extra large? Raymond Quigley, Gulgong
Fangs for nothing
Ouroboros, a scuplture by artist Lindy LeeCredit: Alex Ellinghausen
In this time of economic hardship for so many, you have to question the spending of $14million on a huge piece of stainless steel that purports to symbolise a snake eating its tail (“Bold $14m centrepiece for revamped Sculpture Garden”, October 18). Beggars belief. Elizabeth Kroon, Randwick
High price of denial
Do you remember 20 years ago when scientists said that not doing anything about global warming would cost more than doing something? And were ignored? Keith Binns, Goulburn
Postscript
It’s been a busy week on the Letters page, with mighty correspondence from correspondents near and far. Quite a few letters, also, from people who haven’t written for a while, so thank you, welcome back and please keep writing.
The first anniversary (please note: this is not America, it is the first anniversary, not the one-year anniversary, thank you) of the Voice referendum this week brought in many letters. Many writers still disagree on why the referendum was lost, are trying to make excuses for the No voters and are just generally annoyed that Yes didn’t win. The discussion continued long into the night in the comments section.
In the here and now, however, the big story was one of housing, or, more specifically, the one house to soon hold one prime minister and his soon-to-be missus. Yes, in case you missed it, Anthony Albanese has bought a house, a nice clifftop $4.3 million number in Copacabana (the real one north of Sydney, not that Brazilian beachy pretender).
Reactions ranged from ″how dare he when the rest of the world is struggling?; it’s none of our business; how many people would do the same if they had the money?; at least he’s honest about it and what about the other guy?″, to ″won’t somebody please think of the children?″ No politician can ever be allowed to win in public opinion, it seems.
One subject, however, with almost complete approval, was the mooted plan by the government to stop banks charging people to use debit cards, the main objection being only that it will take until 2026 to get the plan in action.
At the beginning of the week was a discussion about the American voting system and, honestly, how mad is it? There was lots of congratulation for Australia’s system as well. As the American election gets closer, letters writers here are scared of a Trump win as every day he looks weirder and weirder.
On a lighter note, there was sympathy for lobsters with the news of a lifting of the ban of exporting them to China.
Harriet Veitch, Acting letters editor
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