It is not enough for Australians to breathe a sigh of relief at the prospect of Donald Trump losing this election.
We have tolerated this noxious brand of nationalism for far too long. We cannot be complacent and say that the problem has been solved with this one election. It is up to all of us to be vigilant against the ongoing threats to our democracy posed by fascist demagoguery.
To do this, we must steel ourselves to be actively anti-racist. We must find a way forward that does not dismiss the First Nations in this country. We must recognise and reckon with the perils of our environmental destruction. We must resist complacency and corruption in our elected officials.
We cannot look at the US, and be content that the world had a near miss. The responsibility to look after the future is still on us.
Kathleen Wild, Mayfield
Trump a symptom, not the cause
THIS election in the US should be a warning to other nations: underfund health, education and infrastructure while pouring billions into the war machine and you have a fractured, unhealthy, uneducated populace.
The poor who work three jobs to survive do not have the time or ability to read past the headlines or go beyond TV sound bites. They are prime fodder for the much-needed boots on the ground in the military and easy to manipulate at home.
Trump has gained 10 per cent in minority votes since the 2016 election. He is a symptom of the problem, not the problem itself. The problem has been building along with the US empire. Both parties need to take responsibility for the dystopian nation that affects everyone in our world.
Patricia Philippou, Charlestown
Keep an eye on domestic politics
WHAT Scott Morrison and his camp apparently believe is that our inherent apathy will allow the setting up of a two-tier Federal Integrity Commission, a commission with one tier to hold open hearings into allegations of corruption and abuse of position involving Australia's garden variety of citizens and another to deal in closed session with similar allegations made against our political class.
While hopefully the Senate will reject any such legislation placed before it, the reality our elected government is so arrogant and dismissive of public opinion they would see such a two-tier system satisfying our expressed concerns about political corruption is insulting in the extreme. Possibly they are actually hoping to avoid through political distraction, having to confront an issue which would potentially embarrass many individuals?
Barry Swan, Balgownie
People power is asleep at wheel
THE only reason for our country to lose confidence in our future, is a lack of passion and confidence to scrutinise the past. There is no argument that the people deigned to present our country to encompass historic and recent arrivals to the land is difficult. Our forebears managed here for over 60,000 years. It is incomprehensible that anybody could agree or support the notion that we, the new inhabitants, have had a progressive impact on the country and the First Nations peoples.
An inexplicable situation for me is, how has the invasion been a sustainable asset for our country? I predict that within a few years it will become apparent the country is on an irretrievable trajectory to damnation. We have recently been notified, by the second most powerful nation in the world, that they no longer require several commodities that have sustained our economy.
Australia was obviously a golden chalice which tempted the world economies to engage in raping and pillaging the exclusive requisites of this country. It has become apparent that the misuse of this fragile environment has caused a catastrophic incident by contributing to climate change. Its citizens and visitors have been caught up in the gold rush, gorging on the flush of reaping the rewards of the sheep's back and, more recently, the coal mining boom. The wine industry could be in danger of becoming indispensable. The past is inconceivable as a viable way forward. It seems to me the genie is out of the bottle and people power has been asleep at the wheel. An acceptable process as to how to halt a human catastrophe has not yet been devised.
Pat Garnet, Wickham
M1 link may just move problem
THE proposal to bypass the Hexham Bridge intersection with a second crossing of the Hunter River ('Changes to design of long-awaited M1 link', Herald 5/11) sounds like a good solution to the traffic problems encountered travelling north, especially during holiday periods.
Unfortunately I think that it is only going to change the point of congestion. The traffic lights at the intersection of the Pacific Highway and Hank Street in Heatherbrae as well as the roundabout at the Pacific Highway and Masonite Road intersection, were major causes of delays both to locals and travellers during the recent school holidays, as I'm sure many people can attest.
Until these two bottlenecks are addressed, any perceived advantage of the bypass will be negated.
Col Tagg, Fullerton Cove
Original name no longer applies
REGARDING the State of Origin series, I question the use of the word "origin". The Macquarie Concise Dictionary defines "origin" as :- source, birth, the first stage of existence. How are the two teams "true" representatives based on that definition? Queensland has three born in New Zealand, one from Papua New Guinea and two from NSW. The NSW team has one born in New Zealand and one born in Queensland.
I am aware of the December 2012 eligibility changes, and all players are eligible, but it should just be called State versus State to truly reflect the rules. In my opinion State of Origin is not a correct, true or fair dinkum name for this rugby league series anymore.
Janelle Turner, New Lambton Heights
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Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name and suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words. Short Takes should be fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited and reproduced in any form.
SHORT TAKES
JOHN Hewson ('Good citizens sacrificed, democracy defiled', Opinion 6/11) quotes Charles M Shultz answering a child's question about what makes a good citizen. I think Mr Hewson was trying to discuss what makes a good government. This is what Winston Churchill said: "'many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time ..."
Greg Cameron, Wamboin
WE'VE been spring cleaning and found some old records, including Marcel Marceau's greatest hits. Perhaps someone living in Newcastle's entertainment district might like it ('Residents sound a warning', Herald 28/10).
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
JOHN Davies' comments in relation to Joe Biden (Short Takes, 6/11) cannot go unchallenged. To call him a psychopath without any justification or evidence defies belief. To call a justified military action against the perpetrator of the terrorist attacks on 9/11 a murder is offensive to the 3000 innocent people who died on that fateful day. Joe Biden is a proud and patriotic American who has given 47 years of his life to public service.
Peter C Jones, Rathmines
THURSDAY'S Topics page ('Memories recalled at the top of town', Topics 5/11) showed a pic of top end Hunter Street. Just in front of the double decker bus were cafes with a pool hall and poker gambling room above, not a brothel. On the opposite side of the street were upstairs flats, one being occupied by Bob of The Newcastle Song fame. Keith's Kitchen made burgers in the late 1960s for the princely sum of 19 pence, or 17 cents. Bob Hudson was a trainee at Newcastle Teachers College in 1967, as was I.
John Bradford, Beresfield
RICHARD Ryan (Short Takes,5/11) is wrong. We are Australia, a multicultural country because of the early settlement and in taking many many migrants and refugees. Keep the Union Jack on our flag which represents all that we are, and all our fallen soldiers who fought for our freedom under the Union Jack and southern cross.
