Europe must confront economic growth mantra
It might be “the best Europe we have ever had”, as argued by Timothy Garton Ash; it is, however, certainly the worst planet we have ever had when it comes to the matter of ecology (17 May).
Even in best-ever Europe, the mantra of economic growth has been uncritically assumed to be central to our future prosperity. Here’s a news flash from the 21st century: it’s a bit more complex than that.
It is the endless growth dynamic central to capitalism that has pushed the planet up against, if not over, a number of key planetary boundaries.
It is essential that we replace the delusion of endless growth with the achievable goal of sustained thriving as the key to a better future.
Stewart Sweeney
Adelaide, South Australia
Environmental concerns begin with population
While the article on zero heroes (3 May) was worthy, it tiptoed around the main factor causing increased global pollution: increasing human numbers. Progressives often parade their environmental concerns loudly, but are strangely silent on the question of population growth. How can we get on top of a warming planet, increased pollution, habitat destruction and species extinction if we add 80 million people to the population each year?
Every country should have a population policy that seeks to stabilise or reduce their population.
Gordon Payne
Fremantle, Western Australia
Social media companies treat us like gamblers
In your editorial (10 May), you write that social media companies’ “interests are not entirely aligned with society’s, nor with their individual users’”. Why so coy?
As Google’s former ethicist Tristan Harris demonstrated, social media platforms are designed like slot machines, to grab and hold our attention with the constant gratification of infinite scroll, insistent notifications and video autoplay.
Would you write that the interests of a casino owner are not entirely aligned with those of the punters? Or that the interests of a drug cartel are not entirely aligned with those of drug users?
Steve Easterbrook
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
What are the safeguards for sovereign states?
Your piece on Venezuela shows that the attempted coup is – surprise, surprise – scripted in Washington (A coup goes off-script, 10 May). Meanwhile, you refer to Juan Guaidó as “recognised by most western countries as the rightful leader of Venezuela” That bears some comment.
First, it should make us pause when countries that take years to make global agreements can jump on board within 24 hours of moves to overthrow the government.
Second, Nicolás Maduro was voted in as president, even if it was a disputed process. So was Donald Trump and so was the Brexit referendum, for that matter, but they weren’t the result of forceful overthrow.
Third, the US has always regarded Latin America as its own backyard, to intervene whenever necessary: think of Guatemala in 1954, Chile in 1973 and the contras in Nicaragua in the 1980s.
So here we are watching a casual coup in which a slew of countries have ganged up on an elected president. What are the safeguards for sovereign states if the rest of the world decides you’re a pariah?
David Cooke
Auckland, New Zealand
Royal baby photo won’t help promote democracy
I thought I would be able to escape the sycophantic coverage of the birth of the latest royal baby by reading the Guardian Weekly (17 May). However, I was wrong: half of page nine was given to it – the same space as is used to cover Brexit, the EU referendum and education.
We will never have a proper democracy or escape our ubiquitous class system if we continue to support a monarchy. Democracy and the dismantling of the class system are causes that the Guardian Weekly supports, I trust.
Raymond Pay
Worcester, UK
• I grew up in Sussex, so your calling Archie’s parents, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk is one thing. But saying that Archie is “seventh in line to the English throne” makes me understand why so may Scots want independence.
Euan Thomson
Edinburgh, UK
Doris Day deserved much better coverage
I was very disappointed that the Guardian Weekly could give Doris Day no more than a short mention (17 May). How about a giving her a proper obituary? Surely such a great artist and entertainer deserves no less.
Douglas M Palmer,
Oslo, Norway
