Paul Sakkal’s Sun-Herald article was a must-read for anyone who cares about Australia’s future (“Musk’s X enables Australia’s neo-Nazis, warn Coalition and online watchdog”, February 2). Australian neo-Nazis are running riot on Musk’s X, warns our eSafety commissioner and also, notably, the coalition’s James Paterson, who has obviously decided that what is going on in far-right politics is too much. Labor failed to get their social media legislation through the Senate in 2024. Even if they succeed this year, it will be too late to safeguard our election from the torrent of misinformation on social media. The main problem is that few under-40s read a newspaper so they get their opinions filtered by the wasp’s nest of social media, Sky News and influencers. If you need convincing that misinformation and disinformation is a serious threat to the Western world, look at what has just happened in the US. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, in response to Trump’s election this week, moved the doomsday clock’s hands the closest to midnight they have ever been. They also took the dramatic decision to list misinformation and disinformation as an existential threat to the world, along with the spread of nuclear weapons and inadequate climate change action. Nothing could be clearer. Gary Barnes, Mosman
Neo-Nazi groups are running riot on social media platform X.Credit: Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images
Mike Tyson made the salient remark that “social media made y’all way too comfortable with disrespecting people and not getting punched in the face for it.” Just saying. Steve Ngeow, Chatswood
One wonders when Peter Dutton will say something about the neo-Nazis standing in front of the War Memorial. The silence is deafening. I wonder if he would have been as silent if it had been 16 Indigenous Australians waving the Aboriginal flag in front of the War Memorial. Russell Grey, Annandale
All-purpose visa
Peter Dutton’s proposal to reintroduce an “investor visa” is confusing (“Dutton makes private pledge to review $5m investor visa”, February 2). This is a man who has repeatedly railed against migrants, blaming them for rising house prices, crime, violence, traffic snarls and sundry issues and problems. More worryingly, he has inflamed talkback radio, influenced media coverage, engaged in verisimilitude as a deliberate tactic, and used social media as an influencing tool around the issue of race and migration. Apparently, he will turn around his long-standing anti-migration stance for a price. He seems to think wealthy migrants won’t affect schools, public hospitals, traffic congestion, food prices, crime and other issues like poor migrants do – especially those fleeing genocide, war and violence who can’t pay his proposed entrance fee. Bernard Stever, Richmond
Dutton reportedly wants to bring back a scheme that was stopped by Labor for fears it was bringing spies and criminals into the country. How does this match up with his pledge to ban foreigners from buying property here, or does he think these mega-rich people who buy residency will be content to scramble in the rental market? And how does it match up with his claims to be the best leader to handle national security? Toni Lorentzen, Fennell Bay
Jump to the right
Parnell Palme McGuinness has identified a Trumpian trend that is shaping Australian politics (“Young men are drifting to Dutton. Will their mothers vote with them?”, February 2). Will their mothers and others follow is the question. Probably is the answer. Like many long-term Labor voters, I have been shocked at the prospect of Dutton as PM and puzzled at his status in the opinion polls. It is becoming clearer. In interviews, he is always confident, articulate, definite and with all the answers and solutions (whether or not they are real). In contrast to the PM, he does not have a constant quizzical look on his face and appear to struggle to formulate answers and then articulate them with confidence. Exactly what would attract young male voters for a start. How Labor might counter this canary in the electoral coalmine is unclear. Alan Russell, Unley (SA)
Let kids be kids
Coaching for the HSC might be one thing, but coaching preschoolers for the “academic and behavioural demands of kindergarten” is beyond the pale (“School readiness programs are booming. But are children being overprepared?”, February 2). What happened to dolly’s corner and the water play trough? Can’t the professional kindy teachers be relied on to provide a welcoming, fun, appropriate and stress-free environment to allow their tiny pupils to flourish both socially and academically? Viv Mackenzie, Port Hacking
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