LETTERS: Standing by opinion on female commentators

Letter writer Baron Large defends his stance against female NRL commentators.

FEMALE PERSPECTIVE: Erin Molan hosts the NRL Footy Show.

IN REPLY to Gail, Berserker (TMB 14/5), I wouldn't say I was whining in my Letter to The Editor (10/5). I was giving my opinion.

I still stand by what I wrote, that there are too many women on Fox Sports commentating on rugby league.

You stated that you would rather watch these women than Blocker Roach and you are probably right, but I would rather listen to what Blocker is saying as he knows what he is talking about.

The two reporters you mention, Matt Shirvington and Andrew Voss, I can't remember them ever being the anchormen running their own program, just reporting. (I stand to be corrected on this).

Gail, surely you realise that the women playing rugby league would make far better anchorwomen than the 'fab four' as they have taken the hits and kicked the ball.

First-hand experience is far better than reading notes that other people write for you.

Yes, you're right that some men have self-prepared questions but they come across as if they know what they are asking.

Gail, a word of advice if you want to be taken seriously, you should give your full name.

Baron Large

Berserker

Time to ditch trickle- down economics

THE Coalition government has more in common with communists than they would probably like to admit.

Communism did not work for the reason that it runs contrary to human nature. The idea that people are going to put in extra effort and solve problems for little personal reward proved to be quite erroneous.

'Trickle-down economics' is proving to be the same.

The idea is simple. Give the richest in society more money and they will create more opportunities, therefore flowing wealth for everyone. Imagine the economy like a 'champagne fountain' with tax cuts at the top and the benefit running to all of us.

Again, the problem seems to be human nature.

Since the 1980s when these ideas became popular with Reagan and Thatcher, our societies have been getting increasingly unequal.

Australian inequality is now at record levels. Human nature is not to share what we do not need (there are of course many exceptions to this rule).

Even if the 'champagne fountain' model is correct, much of the champagne in our global economy now flows to private banks in overseas tax havens rather than back to the systems and the workers who helped create the wealth.

The evidence that the theory is flawed is not abstract.

Only an estimated 3% of the penalty rate cuts of last year is estimated to have been spent on higher wages for workers.

We need to change the rules on employment to bring back balance to the economy. Australian company profits rose by over 20% last year but pay rises on average were less than 2.5%. The extreme ideology of 'trickle-down economics' needs to be put on the same scrapheap as communism.

Ironically, if we don't do something soon, the levels of inequality will soon be approaching those in Victorian Britain, which inspired Marx and Engels to write The Communist Manifesto is the first place.

Robert Forsythe

Glenlee

Not all countries

are multicultural

IN yesterday's (14/05) newspaper there was a commentary from our mayor over the Taiwanese and Chinese flag, painted on a bull. Once more the divisive issue of multiculturalism intervenes in our society.

The quote that she gave, as follows: "... encourages them to hold fast to their culture", indicates that we are allowing no integration within our Australian society.

Instead of immigrants, both legal and illegal, coming to terms with our society, we are told that we must allow them to maintain their own unique identity. How wonderful, one country, 180 different cultures.

So why do we need this many cultures? In Saudi Arabia, there is basically one culture. In Israel, there is only the Jewish way of life. In China, well, we all know of the one-party rule there. Again, if multiculturalism is so great, then why isn't everyone doing it?

To continue, why are we not encouraging mass immigration of white people to African countries, if multiculturalism is so great?

No, it seems that it is tailored only against white European countries, to be divided and split up.

Multiculturalism is a divisive and ridiculous politically correct ideology which will rot and decay what our once great society was, into a puddle of mediocrity and chaos.

Michael J. Ireland

Berserker

Homophones may not be politically correct

TEXT message in TMB (11/05/18) mentioned the 'ignorance' of female anchors on sports programs and used 'there' twice to indicate possession.

Only the word 'their' shows possession. Now that is the level of ignorance that I would normally overlook but for the fact that he accused them of it, but it does highlight my frequent encouragement for us all to 'get a handle' on the language that we claim to speak.

We may not all be able to write plays like William Spokeshave's Omelete or Comedy of Terrors or Naming of the Screw but we might at least try to stick to some of the rules of good communication. And Ed Vaughan of Carmila did quite a good job of that with his letter on the same page regarding 'Chemtrails.' I'm suspicious of them but I don't have many facts as to what they are, why they occur or what effect they have on us lowly humans.

But I did enjoy his little phrase, 'sickness industry' referring to the effects of immunisation of which no-one seems to be able or willing to provide details. As for being at all in doubt if our government (either side) would lie to us, I consider that a no-brainer! Just watch to see if their lips are moving.

Al Byrnand

Wandal

Originally published as LETTERS: Standing by opinion on female commentators