Re: "A nation uninformed", (PostBag, Aug 7).
Felix Qui has illumined the corrupt motives underlying all censorship in a most compelling analysis.
The world's knowledge (and wisdom) belongs to mankind to be shared for our collective benefit and enlightenment. Otherwise the "owners" of knowledge develop hierarchical leagues of power in order to repress, control and exploit the rest of us.
We are now witnessing their desperate attempts to censor the internet accompanied by an explosion of propaganda-like news and mind-numbing entertainment.
In an all-out effort to cling to power these elites are throttling humanity and attempting to usher in an era of reprehensible totalitarianism.
The one thing common to all who crave power is their constant complaint, "You don't love me". And then they wonder why we don't.
Michael Setter
Japan's gender bias
Re: "Discrimination at medical school in Japan sparks protests", (World, Aug 5).
The news is not shocking but gender discrimination at examination, employment and job assignment is common in Japan. The problem is that most Japanese women acknowledge it as normal procedure.
One businesswoman told me: "I must work harder than men because I want to be in a good position." She never felt it as discrimination but a challenge on the path to success.
Durian Ninja
Trump trumps Obama
There is great value in reading through an entire newspaper everyday because a thorough review of all the articles sometimes can separate author bias from fact. In his essay bemoaning the steady advance of conservative parties across the world, "Steve Bannon's boost to Europe's far right parties", (Opinion, Aug 6), author John Lloyd attempted to do what no reasonable economist ever would: Credit former US president Barack Obama as largely responsible for the United States' now "booming economy".
But if one simply reads the entire BP, one can see that Mr Lloyd's comments are utter folly. In the same newspaper, the AFP's news report, "Complaints rampant against Tesla cars", painstakingly outlined the disastrous record of Tesla Motorcars in Norway. Consumers are waiting 13 months for repairs, cannot even park in a normal parking lot, and one claims his car only ran correctly for four out of 242 days -- an atrocious 1.6% reliability rating.
The reason why Tesla has been a disaster for Norway is the same reason why Obama presided over the weakest economic recovery in modern American history -- state control of markets. Noway is intervening in the free market by demanding Norwegians use the government's car-of-choice due to global warming concerns and, just as in the USSR, there are nothing but delays, breakdowns and very unhappy customers.
The real reason why the American economy is booming is because President Donald Trump has discontinued intervening in free markets, lowered taxes, increased consumer choices, and withdrawn the government from the hands of industry. And I know that this is true because, after all, I read it in the paper.
Jason A Jellison
Jumpers not dead
Re: "Motoring insecurity", (PostBag, Aug 7).
Sorry to disappoint, but the humble jumper cables are still with us, and they should be carried in every vehicle. Today's hi-tech, super-sealed, secure batteries do short out or go dead. I carry a 12-foot pair of cables and I've stopped to help people in BMWs and Benz's whose batteries for some unknown reason had gone dead.
As for not turning on lights, this is just ignorance. Headlights on Canadian vehicles turn on automatically with the ignition and the lights cannot be disconnected. The international understanding is that headlights should be turned on a half hour after sunset, and turned off a half hour after sunrise, with fog lights forbidden within city limits. Weather conditions should also be considered during the day. Thai drivers learn to drive from friends and relatives. In most countries, one must attend a government driving school, or a private school certified by the government.
Jingle Bell
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