Following yet another “world’s hottest year on record”, unprecedented drought and temperatures and wildfires in LA, President Trump has rushed to join Iran, Libya and Yemen as the only countries outside the Paris Agreement. (“Trump blasts off”, January 22). By doubling down on his cry to “drill, baby, drill” and removing all limits on America’s booming fossil fuel industry, the new president has once again declared war on the world’s climate mitigation efforts.
However, this is a war that Trump cannot win. The climate doesn’t give a toss about a president’s ostentatious signing of an executive order. The climate will always win – with increasing havoc if humans are stupid enough to continue dumping greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, already reeling with 420 ppm CO2. Rob Firth, Red Hill (ACT)
President Trump Credit: AP
Donald Trump’s policy of filling the senior positions of his administration with “loyalists”, his control of the Senate and Congress by a Republican Party subservient to him, and his appointment of conservatives likely to favour him in any controversial issue give rise to a government structure more committed to the president himself than to the American Constitution and the people as a whole. One can draw a parallel with the rise of the Roman General Marius, who began the process which led to the Roman legions swearing allegiance to their generals rather than to Rome itself. This was a significant factor in the downfall of the Roman republic. Are we seeing the beginning of the end of the American republic? Rob Phillips, North Epping
Trump made his intentions clear to the American people before November 5 last year – he won the popular vote and the electoral college, so 78 million Americans obviously supported the Trump manifesto this time. The Democrats will need a better messenger next time, preferably Josh Shapiro or Andy Beshear – somebody who can relate to average working-class American families in the rust belt states, otherwise J.D. Vance will have two terms as president from 2029 onwards. Evan Parsons, Thornleigh
It boggles the mind to watch the man who sent a rabid mob to defile a sacred building, violently attack its defenders in an attempt to overthrow the government, in that very same place again be anointed as the leader of the free world. Victoria Harrington, Thirroul
Watching President Trump sign executive orders in front of an adoring crowd reminded me of a celebrity autographing copies of his new book. However, by withdrawing from agencies such as the World Health Organisation and by freezing USAID, what Trump really was signing were death warrants for many of the millions of people receiving essential assistance from the $50 billion US foreign aid program. Clay O’Brien, Mosman
Elon Musk is a rent-seeker whose companies receive eye watering sums of government assistance. You can bet that in his role of DOGE – cutting government expenditure – that it will be the most needy whose funding will be cut and not his. Welcome to the return of the robber barons. John Bailey, Canterbury
Yesterday I rang the Herald to cancel my subscription. I cited my mental health as the reason and that the current news would cause me aggravation. An employee listened politely and suggested I use the MyNews function on my Herald app and select and place in order what I would like to read. She walked me through the function and I said I would give it a go. It’s a new day and after my breakfast I have a much nicer news feed that will give me a more serene start to my day.
Lynn Revai, Greystanes
Now that Trump has been president for a few hours, I’m looking forward to waking up in the morning and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have been resolved, as per his promises. If it isn’t a lie, it will be an amazing accomplishment in diplomacy. Sam Kent, Hunters Hill
Trump’s Mars project will hopefully be an ego trip that encourages him to spend years travelling in outer space searching for aliens to con and new power-bases to set up. His departure into outer space – another great step forward for mankind. Joy Cooksey, Harrington
The news from Mars – everybody is moving to Venus. Roberto Aureli, Neutral Bay
Is Melanie Trump more evolved than the echidna? No need for her to curl up into a tight, protective, spiky ball to hide her face (“The cheek of it: Melania exudes elegance and enforced social distancing with her wide brim”, January 22). Her designer hat provided her with the necessary protection from the lips of the incoming president. Lyn Savage, Coogee
If I was Melania, I would never take that hat off. Kerry Bogard, Millers Point
I’m wondering if the boater hat will be marketed as a kiss shield? Lisa Clarke, Watsons Bay
It was once a common jest that the greatest achievement of Donald Trump’s first presidency was to make George W. Bush look good. The current concern is that the main achievement of Trump’s second presidency will be to make his first presidency look good. Kent Wilson, Collaroy
Could the Herald please have a moratorium on photos of Trump attached to news articles. I can avoid the articles but not the photos and they make me feel ill. Trish Nielsen, Avalon Beach
Quick, help required! I need an app for my smart TV, with voice and facial recognition. It should recognise certain people and render them into images of turkeys or badgers or anything else laughable. It may enable my survival over the next four years. Diane Prior, Northbridge
Due to the return of Trump to the White House, I wish to advise family and friends through the letters pages that I will be retiring to bed for four years, effective immediately. John Swanton, Coogee
Health heroics
I am writing to endorse one of the heroic psychiatrists who are working “at the coal face” (“Psychiatry crisis puts pressure on wards”, January 22). Dr Michele Meltzer, chief medical officer at Ryde Hospital Mental Health Centre, has been in that post for 25 years, at least. I am in fragile health with chronic mild schizophrenia, but what sanity I possess I owe in part to Dr Meltzer’s support and guidance. She and her team are the quiet achievers and unsung heroes of the system. I hope the Industrial Relations Commission will rule in their favour and preserve the wellbeing of so many unfortunate members of our society. Helen Jordan, Lane Cove
Having worked in NSW Health since 1997, I understand the psychiatrists’ frustration with the system. The same is true for paediatrics and renal medicine, and you are more likely to see consultants of both sub-specialties in the hospital after working hours. But as there is no lucrative private practice for them, they are not resigning en masse.
I would like the psychiatrists to reconsider and rejoin us in the tent, and advocate for Medicare to reimburse other clinicians who do long consultations but not procedures. Jo Rainbow, Orange
Slow and steady
Australia’s low birth rate is a good thing because it provides a base from which to painlessly establish a stable population, either by slightly increasing the birth rate or the level of immigration or a combination of both (“Falling fertility needs fresh approach”, January 22). A stable population makes planning much easier and recognises the costs and detrimental effects of infinite growth. For example, the level of housing stock and food production would stabilise and not have to depend on alienating ever more marginal land and water. Allen Greer, Sydney
Unemployed storks.Credit: Simon Letch
Out with the old guard
The ageing remnants of the Liberal Party have pre-selected a new candidate to run for the federal seat of Bradfield (“Dutton pledges tax breaks, as Mundine camp declares ‘war’ over failed Liberal preselection”, January 19). Gisele Kapterian follows the same old trajectory: lawyer, political staffer, wannabe politician. The deputy leader of the Liberals, Sussan Ley, thinks this candidate would have a great political career ahead of her. Bradfield electors want a candidate who is focused on the views and interests of the electorate, not another foot soldier for Peter Dutton. Carolyn Pettigrew, Turramurra
I am so delighted to see that regional Australia has taken note of the success of the independents on the crossbench in Canberra, with Michelle Milthorpe running a targeted and clever independent campaign against incumbent Sussan Ley in Farrer and candidate Barbara Baikie standing in Riverina against incumbent Michael McCormack. If these neighbouring electorates with a combined area of more than 175,000 square kilometres roll to the cross-bench, the future for the people of southern NSW could look remarkably different to the sullen indifference we have suffered for so long. Gemma Frances Purcell, Grong Grong
Halfway house hybrids
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen’s decision to provide tax breaks only to fully electric vehicles deserves applause (“Cleaner and greener, but no tax perks for hybrids”, January 21). Offering tax incentives for hybrid cars would be like promoting vaping to curb cigarette smoking. It’s not a solution. Hybrids still rely on expensive imported fuels, exacerbate climate change, pollute the air and subsequently harm our health. Unlike smoking, however, a clean, healthy alternative exists in fully electric vehicles, which are also cheaper to run and fun to drive. Hybrid vehicles are only a halfway house that will not get us to the endpoint we need. For a healthier future, fully electric, zero-emissions vehicles deserve our full support. Amy Hiller, Kew (Vic)
For better, for worse
Avoiding divorce is one reason why so many “mark” their anniversary rather than “celebrate” it (“Battling the financial pain of divorce”, January 22). Mustafa Erem, Terrigal
Tougher hate laws needed
As the community leader who spearheaded the campaign that resulted in Section 93Z of the Crimes Act being passed in 2018, I have followed the current debate closely (“Premier may defy advice on hate speech law reform”, January 22). The premier is spot on when he says everything begins with words. The government review headed by Tom Bathurst SC, which advised against strengthening 93Z, was handed down before the current litany of antisemitic attacks. The 93Z campaign ultimately comprised more than 30 communities of varying faiths and traditions. The need to keep the people of NSW safe has never been more critical. Current laws are clearly inadequate and urgently need to be strengthened if the worsening antisemitism crisis is to be meaningfully tackled. Vic Alhadeff, Darlinghurst
Police have released vision of two people wanted over graffiti sprayed on the walls of the Southern Sydney Synagogue at Allawah.Credit: NSW Police
Senator Paterson’s response to the AFP’s investigation into foreign actors’ involvement in antisemitic incidents reflects the Coalition’s policy agenda of blaming Albanese for every incident relating to acts of antisemitism in Australia. Peter Dutton and Senator Paterson have been the Pied Pipers of the campaign to attack the PM from the Sydney Opera House demonstration in October 2023. Their behaviour is inflammatory, offering no solution to calm tensions in our multicultural society. Michael Edgar, Balgowlah
With the effects of war on the other side of the world playing out in terrible events on our streets, policing has a major role to play, but so does more effort to build greater social cohesion. Ross Gittins has written that too many of our children are being educated in faith-based, selective or segregated schools. When a high-quality public education system, open to all, slowly evolves into a lack of engagement in classrooms between children of all faiths, cultural backgrounds and economic circumstances, it should be no surprise that there is less understanding of differences. This is very much to the detriment of social cohesion and understanding. Brenda Kilgore, Red Hill, ACT
Thank you, El-Hassan Emr, for letting us know of the circumstances under which your cousin was taken prisoner by the Israeli forces (Letters, January 22). I saw one young woman interviewed on the news after her release and wondered what action would have caused her to be imprisoned. Apparently, the use of social media may be enough. There has been very little news of the fate of these Palestinian prisoners used as fodder in the hostage exchange.
Sally Shepard, Nelson Bay
Drugs deterrent works
Lex Lasry’s criticisms of Singapore are without merit (“In 2005, an Australian citizen was hanged in Singapore. It could happen again”, December 3, 2024). There is clear evidence of the strong deterrent effect of capital punishment. The result of the deterrence is that more lives are saved. When Singapore introduced capital punishment for the trafficking of drugs in the 1990s, there was a significant reduction in the trafficking of such drugs. Evidence shows that traffickers limited the amounts they trafficked to below the capital punishment thresholds. A survey in the region from where most of the traffickers come showed that 87.2 per cent of the respondents believed that capital punishment deters people from trafficking substantial amounts of drugs into Singapore. The harms that drugs cause are apparent all around the world. Horrific crimes are regularly linked to the drug trade, and hundreds of thousands of lives are being lost every year. Lasry did not mention these crimes and deaths. It is disappointing that Lasry has sought to make a baseless attack on the integrity of our judicial system. His allegations of activists being repressed in Singapore are also untrue.
Anil Nayar, Singapore high commissioner to Australia
An apparent death threat mailed to Michael Bachelard after he wrote about how the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church covered up child sexual abuse. The note had the name of a victim-survivor on it. We’ve obscured it for legal reasons.Credit: Michael Bachelard
Exposing the Exclusive extremists
Those of us who have had the good fortune to escape the clutches of the Exclusive Brethren owe a debt of gratitude to the tireless efforts of investigative journalist Michael Bachelard, who, against all odds, will not be silenced and continues to expose the brutality of this extremist religious sect (“A decapitated doll and a prayer for my death: The many, many threats of the Exclusive Brethren”, January 17). Having first-hand experience of the life-long trauma and heartbreak inflicted on individuals and families who dare to speak out against the EB, it is my hope that authorities such as politicians, police and the courts will finally take steps to hold their leaders to account. It is outrageous that we Australian taxpayers contribute to the millions of dollars the EB receive in funding for their schools, and we are powerless to prevent it. Clearly this financial assistance goes a long way in ensuring the EB cycle of control continues from cradle to grave and should be stopped. Joy Nason, Mona Vale
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