Lack of US strength under Biden of pressing concern

Adam Creighton’s article (“World shivers in the dark as Biden’s light on the hill fades”, 18/1) sent a shiver down my spine. Joe Biden has become such an ineffectual President that he invites adventures from both Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. His Vice-President, Kamala Harris, is also singularly unimpressive. And yet under the American system, she would succeed Biden if he were judged to be incompetent.

So we have a lame drake and a lame duck for at least another three years. The consequences of such weak leadership at this time bring unpleasant reminders of Neville Chamberlain and Munich to mind. Cold shivers again.

Alexander Haege, Tamarama, NSW

In her memoir, American-born Queen Noor of Jordan recalled a 1988 phone conversation between her husband and US president Ronald Reagan. After initial greetings, Reagan, she says, simply read from a prepared script, until King Hussein asked a question. The president immediately became confused and the call was abruptly terminated. This, we should note, was in the final year of Reagan’s second term, when his mental deterioration was sadly evident – despite being then younger than Joe Biden is now.

It is troubling that from the very outset, White House minders appear to have been painstakingly scripting a struggling President’s every interaction with the press. As recent interviews show, their endeavours have not been attended by any notable degree of success.

Perhaps the effort Democrats devoted to gaming 25th Amendment strategies to remove president Donald Trump may not have been entirely wasted, for the election of Biden (the result of Trump Derangement Syndrome) is looking increasingly like a case of elder abuse.

Terry Birchley, Bundaberg, Qld

Word games

While I know we are “all in this together” since the “sharp lockdowns”, the “road map” we have been using to try to “flatten the curve” has obviously not been “nimble” enough, even with “genomic testing” to avoid “RATs” and other acronyms.

The “double vaxxed” among us are trying to “push through” the “memes” and other internet distractions to find the truth. The “curfew” used with “mask wearing” allowed me to “pivot” sufficiently to check the “modelling” used by the “LGAs”.

The “unprecedented” poor pronunciation of “Omicron” has made me “self-isolate” to avoid the next Greek letter “variant”. I am slowly learning this whole new language.

John Ball, Galston, NSW

Following with interest the letters and comments on various forms of torturous word abuse, how timely to receive an email containing the following: “Most of our guests will not be impacted, and if you are impacted going forward, we will be in touch with you directly …”

I couldn’t help but think so much communication has been so thoroughly “impacted” by corporate jargon that it is now utterly constipated.

Deborah Morrison, Malvern East, Vic

Labor’s record

It’s disappointing that your editorial failed to challenge Frydenberg’s fraudulent attack on Labor’s tax record (“Lower, flatter personal tax rewards effort, lifts incentive”, 17/1).

The facts are in Frydenberg’s own budget papers. His Treasury gobbled up 25.1 per cent of GDP last year (equal to our highest-taxing PM, John Howard, in his final year). The Rudd and Gillard governments never taxed as much, collecting only 21.3 per cent in 2010-11. We matched Peter Costello’s proposed tax cuts (except for the very wealthiest, which went to education tax credits) and went further by tripling the tax-free threshold for all.

Last year’s pandemic spending ballooned to 31.6 per cent of GDP. And now Frydenberg says he’ll spend on average 28 per cent every year over the next four years? Even at the peak of the last global recession, we never exceeded 25.9 per cent.

Meanwhile, national debt is rocketing to $1.3 trillion while wages stagnate and major infrastructure needs are ignored.

Kevin Rudd, Brisbane, Qld

Poll positioning

Always a good read from Ross Fitzgerald with his usual political flair (“In grip of ‘pincer’ from left and right, PM faces defeat”, 18/1). For the sake of our nation – wounded by a deadly virus along with huge debt incurred by JobKeeper – I hope his prognostications for a Labor win are wrong.

This is not the time to change horses; there are too many dire consequences if Labor snatches victory. Its usual profligacy using taxpayers’ money and extravagant promises already aired by Anthony Albanese demonstrate its economic incompetence. With a sabre-rattling China, and unions flexing their muscles for higher wages when businesses are struggling, we need strong, experienced government.

Lesley Beckhouse, Queanbeyan, NSW