Donald Trump has shown courage in standing up to China

With all due respect to Paul Kelly’s analysis (“Caught within a clash of giants”, 10/8), it has been China’s expansionist rogue behaviour that has finally been challenged by President Donald Trump after years of pusillanimous cringing by previous administrations.

While a multilateral approach would have been desirable, no other country, Australia included, was prepared to jeopardise its economic dependency on China — witness the hand-wringing reaction from our media, politicians and the business community to the present turmoil.

Blaming Trump, who has demonstrated guts in standing up to China, because it affects our economic self-interest, is spineless. While Trump’s stilted eloquence may lack finesse, his actions deserve our respect and support, whether demanding greater contributions from NATO, withdrawing from the meaningless Paris and Iran agreements, his efforts at protecting US borders, as well as reducing financial aid to dysfunctional UN and Palestinian organisations, reflect a President whose instincts have a correct moral and practical compass bearing, akin to one previously maligned by the Left — Ronald Reagan.

Mort Schwartzbord, Caulfield, Vic

More CPACs needed

Janet Albrechtsen is to be congratulated for her excellent piece (“Contempt corrodes”, 10/8). For far too long conservative views have been muzzled by minority activist groups who disagree.

Many of these groups will curry favour with gullible politicians who want to promote themselves with their constituents without considering the ramifications of their actions.

As Albrechtsen correctly points out, rational debate is anathema to non-conservatives and activists who will use any means, violence included, to shut down debate.

Unfortunately many politicians and commentators are too afraid to stand up and be counted for fear of the political backlash it may attract.

We need more Conservative Political Action Conferences that should include opposing views to be openly debated instead of grandstanding by politicians such as Labor senator Kristina Keneally attempting to bar a speaker she disagrees with.

Hugh Francis, Portland, Vic

Unconscionable ‘care’

What a frustrating indictment has been penned by Sarah Holland-Batt (“Elders deserve so much better”, 10/8). While her father’s “intellectual curiosity was endless and infectious”, his treatment by those engaged to support and care for him has been unconscionable.

\ Holland-Batt’s description of the physical and mental maltreatment of her father is almost unbelievable, as is the associated cover up and the compassionless, attitude of the carers and administrators concerned. Holland-Batt’s magnificent poem is not only a cry for help and understanding, but a shot at society’s disgraceful emotional intransigence in the treatment of beloved elderly citizens.

Lyle Geyer, Essendon, Vic

Physiology at the crease

You can call it inclusion, diversity or any other hot-button word but the reality is that Cricket Australia has endorsed a policy of legalised cheating and discrimination in women’s cricket (“A game that judges and excludes? It’s not cricket, and not Australian either”, 10/8). Just because a man decides he’s a woman in the wrong body does not mean his physical attributes suddenly become those of a female. It’s not transphobic, it’s physiology.

CA should decide whether it is for a level playing field or that it is bowing to pressure from gender activists trying to convince the world there is more than just male and female. This is another example of noisy minorities telling us we are sexist dinosaurs whose opinion don’t matter.

Don Spence, Ashmore, Qld