Credit: Megan Herbert
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Like most Australians, I am horrified by the invasion of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin’s thinly veiled threat of the nuclear option has kept the United States and NATO from intervening. So we watch a
war criminal use banned weapons such as cluster bombs and incendiary weapons on the civilian population. The latest insane action has been the shelling of a nuclear power plant. What is the difference between being targeted by Russian nuclear weapons and being under a toxic nuclear cloud caused by a nuclear reactor that is accidentally shelled? The very least the West can do is to formally advise the Kremlin that any more shelling of nuclear power plants will result in immediate armed intervention into Ukraine.
Peter Ramadge, Newport
Russia must be crushed economically
The ultimate military defeat of Ukraine is a foregone conclusion. This bloody resistance, helped by copious Western weapons supplies, is nothing but a pointless slaughter of innocent civilians and innocent soldiers alike. While the mainstream opinion is enthusiastically in favour of this resistance, I think that the decision to fight to the last drop of blood is not heroic but reckless. The only meaningful defence is to crush Russia economically, until it collapses and has no choice but to shed those conquered areas of the empire that don’t want to belong to Russia, as happened before.
Ralph Bohmer, St Kilda West
Let’s pray Putin comes to his senses
Scarier than the invasion of Ukraine itself, is the shambolic nature of the attack, with Russian forces launching raids on a nuclear facility and its Kyiv-bound convoy of soldiers running out of petrol. These two early indicators hint at a force that lacks professionalism and basic resources. Unfortunately, they’re armed to the teeth: Dad’s Army with nukes. And their leader, Vladimir Putin? Not a mad genius, just plain mad. Despite the world trying to keep a distance from this unfolding disaster, an increasingly desperate despot with an arsenal of nuclear weapons is a nightmare scenario. For all our sakes, I pray Putin has a moment of lucidity and humanity.
Matt Dunn, Leongatha
The grip on reality is being lost
In all of the indignation against the war in Ukraine, commentators are losing their grip on reality.
All things being equal, a large army will always defeat a small army. Unless the armies of other nations are willing to
support Ukraine, Russia’s army is vastly superior and must eventually prevail.
The longer a war continues, the more people who will be killed.
If we are unwilling to enter the war, it is therefore morally reprehensible for us to aid and encourage Ukrainians to commit suicide in a prolonged unwinnable war that can only lead to a widespread destruction of Ukrainian territory and a greater, unnecessary loss of human life.
David Corbett, Albury
It’s all been seen before
How can we best understand Putin across the sweep of history? For those who can recall classical allusions, Putin offers what was called the Pax Romana, the Roman Peace. It is a peace after defeat and with the acceptance that the peace is only possible because the vanquisher continues to exert power over the vanquished. As a tsar (caesar), Putin is driven by what he contends is the destiny of Russia: a nation once humiliated, rising from the ashes, and needing to resume its rightful position in the world. Putin’s methods are merciless. Just look at the final page of Virgil’s Aeneid and the ruthless slaughter of a surrendering soldier by the founder of Rome, Aeneas. The same atrocity shouts at us through the pages of newspapers today.
Ken George, Geelong
FORUM
Terrorising batsmen
Forget the ″ball of the century″. In this expat Pom’s cricketing world Shane Warne was my man of the century.
When Warne came on to bowl it was time to put the kettle on because you could not bear to watch what was about to unfold. If you did watch you did so through the fingers of both hands.
He terrorised batsmen. Mesmerised them. It’s called sport, apparently. A genius has left the building. RIP.
David Price, Camberwell
Keep it on field
As the greatest legspinner in history and as one of the five greatest cricketers that ever lived, Shane Warne more than deserves the S. K. Warne Stand at the MCG. Another at the Gabba would not be out of place. But as to his off-field behaviour, a state funeral would send all the wrong messages about what constitutes a great Australian. Let’s stick with the stand please.
Peter Leonard, Wangaratta
There for the kids
Just before Christmas 1996, the visiting West Indies team travelled to Wangaratta to play a Victorian eleven. Shane Warne, although only a spectator at the match, was recognised by the local kids and soon there was a long queue looking for a “Warnie” autograph.
Warne signed anything the kids put in front of him with a word or two with most of them. As I walked past I asked if he ever tired of such recognition. His answer, “No mate I’m here to help the kids and cricket.“
Shane Warne has been noted for many things but he should also be remembered for his patience and humanity with cricket-loving Wangaratta youngsters.
Warren Garrett,
Wangaratta
Life, death and cricket
Forget President Kennedy. Forget Princess Di and Elvis Presley. In Australian minds, at least, when it comes to the unexpected death of “an icon”, Shane Warne’s shock demise trumps them all. It took over Saturday’s radio and TV news broadcasts, talk shows and programming – all other pressing world events relegated to an afterthought. A state funeral was swiftly declared.
When I opened The Sunday Age, I found the first 10 pages devoted to our hero, the equivalent I suppose of the first 20-plus minutes of TV news (before we get to the sports segment).
Exceptional talent or skill in any field is cause for celebration, and the death of anyone in the prime of life is cause for grief. But am I the only one to think we have lost all sense of proportion?
We have had brilliant achievers in music, ballet, literature, the visual arts, science, medicine, etc. who have also died unexpectedly at a young age and who have merited little more in the public eye than a handful of tributes, mainly from their peers.
Meanwhile, millions of people are trying to cope with life and death scenarios in Ukraine; the targeting of a nuclear reactor has just almost brought about an unthinkable environmental disaster; in Russia a narcissistic megalomaniac has it in his power to determine the fate of the world. And here, in Australia, we have a flood emergency on an unprecedented scale to contend with. Lives have been lost and people are homeless.
Perhaps, if or when World War III is declared, its announcement in Australia will be closely followed by the latest cricket score.
Vivienne Player,
Beaumaris
It wasn’t that easy
People who couldn’t quite see what the fuss about Shane Warne was obviously haven’t tried to bowl leg spin. Find a cricket ball, go down to your local cricket nets and bowl the ball out the back of your hand imparting spin on the ball and land it in line with off stump. Warne did this five balls out six over after over for most of his career. See how you go and then review your estimation of Warne.
Murray Horne, Cressy
Damned either way
Contrary to David Crowe’s article (″Albanese rides tandem on war″, Comment, 4/3), when it comes to Australia’s response on the Ukraine atrocity I am sure most Australians, Labor and Coalition voters alike, would be aghast if Anthony Albanese sought to distinguish Labor’s stance from that of the government. It would probably be electoral suicide and rightly so. It is an issue that should play no part in the election.
Senior members of the Coalition government have been criticised recently for damaging our traditional bipartisan approach to national security issues. For Crowe to criticise Albanese for supporting what Scott Morrison decides we can do now to help Ukraine smacks of damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
Bill King,
Camberwell
Parallel lines
When you see the bombing and pictures of people fleeing Ukraine – if there was a chance to escape to a peaceful country and save your family, would you take it?
How then can we keep imprisoned in hotel rooms and detention centres, those who have done just this?
Betty Alexander, Caulfield
A heart gladdened
Tony Wright gladdened my heart with his tribute to Dr Moss Cass (″The minister who helped bring reform to Australia″, 6/3).
Here was a man who brought energy and ideas that would benefit the whole community and our environment and who was unafraid to stand up to powerful media bullies. He was an integral part of a government that brought great change that benefited so many. If only we had more politicians like him today – less focused on ego, power and serving other masters and more ready to act for the common good on climate, environment, peace, health, housing, and transparency ... the list goes on.
Thank you Tony Wright for the reminder of a good person and his contribution to our well-being.
Anne Sgro, Coburg North
Spot the woman
The photograph of Gough Whitlam’s second ministry in The Sunday Age was very revealing in that I tried to spot a woman. I think I saw one at the back, but I am unsure.
Alan Inchley, Frankston
National shame
Remember when Novak Djokovic was being held by Border Force at the Park Hotel, Melbourne, and it raised the focus of the refugees who have been locked up there for years. Well, Djokovic has long gone, but the refugees are still there. This is a national shame.
Robert Preston, McKinnon
History’s changes
Flying to London early 2019, I awoke over the Black Sea, with the Crimea clearly visible and Ukraine unfolding beyond. From a mile high it seemed so beautiful and serene I shudder to imagine it now.
Returning in May, I stopped over in Hong Kong, revisiting long-standing and discovering new pockets of its diverse culture. Lovely young people I met were realistic but hopeful of retaining relative freedoms they enjoyed in one of the world’s most dynamic, open and successful cities. Within weeks, these hopes were shattered.
How much has changed in such a short time. Neo-imperialistic regimes evolved from communist states with ″for life″ autocratic rulers repressing and violently attacking neighbouring citizens, justifying their tyranny on fabricated interpretations of history.
Is Marx, champion of the people, turning in his grave while Trotsky, proponent of ″world revolution″, Stalin and Mao rest smugly in theirs? The tsars of Russia and the Dowager Empress of China would certainly be disturbed, as they demanded their imperial delegates respect the cultures and customs of their indigenous vassal territories.
Caroline Leslie, Hawthorn
Launch the truth
Real news in Putin’s Russia will get 15 years in prison. Expat Russians should phone home to tell the brutal truth about actual invasion, actual war in Ukraine, that officially cannot be told in Russia. Mobilise the anti-Putin Army of Truth.
John Gough,
St Kilda East
Step on it
The Australian Defence Force has taken a week moving to support people in flood-impacted areas in Queensland and NSW. Hopefully the ADF would move a bit quicker if Australia was under wartime attack.
Barry James, Lilydale
Buzz in the burbs
Rather than lambasting CBD workers (The Age, 5/3), many of whom have found the flexibility of working from home advantageous to many aspects of life, perhaps the article should have considered a less city-centric view.
There is buzz to be had in the burbs. The sooner commentators (and City of Melbourne councillors) stop trying to drag the CBD back to what it was two years ago, and instead creatively reimagine a new future for the CBD, the better.
Andrew Laird, Malvern
Delightful decision
Recently I was horrified to find five layers of packaging surrounded a diminutive measure of Turkish Delight I had been given. A delight which, when measured, occupied less than 40 per cent of the package volume in which it was enclosed. What a waste of materials, trees, chemicals, printing capacity, etc, a classic example of not only our throwaway culture, but also of single-use plastic packaging and deceptive marketing.
So what a joy it was to learn that in an historic vote taken last Wednesday the United Nations committed to the development of a binding global treaty designed to curtail plastic pollution worldwide. Brian Marshall, Ashburton
US, reconsider Iran
Given that the spectre of Russia unleashing its nuclear weaponry appears to be the main reason why NATO countries are tolerating the catastrophic loss of life and freedom in Ukraine, I wonder whether the Biden administration will reconsider its approach to the Iran nuclear deal?
Henry Kalus, Southbank
AND ANOTHER THING
Shane Warne
S.K. Warne, the only bowler I saw at the MCG who received a bigger roar, created more excitement and expectation when thrown the ball than D.K Lillee.
Phil Alexander, Eltham
Is this the greatest sense of disbelief and loss since the passing of the people’s princess? Yes. Vale, the king of spin. The people’s champion.
Paul Deany, St Kilda West
Renaming the Great Southern Stand the S.K. Warne Stand is a great idea, but wouldn’t the Great Shane Warne Stand be even greater?
Michael Hipkins, Richmond
Vale, Rod Marsh and Shane Warne. They’ll be at the Pearly Gates Bar sharing a beer.
Linda Lewis, Watsonia
Shane Warne worried about climate change and his children’s future. Our politicians only worry about one thing: winning.
Bernd Rieve, Brighton
Ukraine
How can there be a ceasefire if there is no war? More weasel words and actions from Putin.
Doris LeRoy, Altona
Say no to a nuclear war. We can do more to help Ukraine if we don’t poke the mad man.
Sharyn Bhalla, Ferntree Gully
The Prime Minister condemns China for not criticising Putin but says nothing about copout India.
Malcolm McDonald, Burwood
It seems communism and capitalism are both capable of producing deluded leaders.
Graeme Lee, Fitzroy
Every climate catastrophe makes it more difficult for the LNP to remain true to its fossil fuel supporters and still expect Australians to vote for them.
Bill Burns, Bendigo
So, the Treasurer’s Kooyong electorate, with all its public transport links, doesn’t need four expensive station car parks after all.
Phil Lipshut, Elsternwick