Former US President Donald Trump is running again in 2024. Photo / AP
America the great is long gone
Reading of events plaguing the US, I have to wonder why it is deemed, at least in the western world, to be the gold standard by which democracy, diplomacy, freedom and quality of life are measured. It has a megalomaniac running for President again, neo-Naziism on the rise, whispers of countrywide violence by far right “patriots” who believe only white is right, fiscal calamity, massacres of students and teachers in schools, diminution of women’s rights to do what they want with their own bodies, and a whole lot more besides. “Home of the brave, land of the free?” I think that illusion died many, many years ago. It’s no surprise many Americans want to relocate to countries such as ours. Their own is self-destructing before our eyes. Greed, hatred and unwavering belief in its own importance will ultimately be its downfall. Jeremy Coleman, Hillpark.
Separate sentencing
Your correspondent who suggests devolving the role of sentencing to a separate body, (Herald, April 10), has a point, but before doing so there is an urgent need to appoint an independent body made up of members of the public, advised by politicians, the judiciary, the police and prison management, to establish the purpose of sentencing, something of which our judiciary appears to have seriously lost sight. Whilst I would not suggest this as a solution, if I were to tell these young ram-raiders that, if they were caught by the police they would have their hands cut off, as happens in some countries, it might well make them think twice. Gerald Payman, Mt Albert.
Judicial power
I totally agree with your correspondent (Herald April 10) that sentencing should be independent from court judges and appeal judgements. The reduction of sentencing of meth dealers by 50 per cent gives no credence to their wealth gained or to the hundreds of lives, careers, families and finances destroyed by the selfish greed of these drug dealers. Rehabilitation, minimum literacy and numeracy education, and work for jail board and lodgings should be mandatory and paid forward before release. There are too many recidivist offenders thumbing their noses at our soft justice system. It is the majority of law-abiding and tax-paying citizens who bear the brunt of the minority of offenders, money that could be spent on education, health, housing. Judges have too much power and legislation should be passed to rectify this anomaly. Marie Kaire, Whangārei.
Bus under-use
How exciting. Today a bus passed me with three, yes three, people on board, all elderly so I presume on gold-card journeys. Throughout this long weekend, in fact all weekends, these huge diesel-smoke-blowing behemoths trundle around the city with often no passengers. Would it not be sensible to use these invaluable and scarce drivers to man the so many cancelled services at peak times? A subsidised ring and ride service using maxi taxis could be run far cheaper and with less pollution for off-peak journeys. Vince West, Milford.
Yes to capitalism
No to Mark Lewis-Wilson (Herald April 8). Capitalism has not yet run its course. Yes, extreme capitalism is unacceptable, just as is extreme socialism. Both extremes, if not stopped, lead to dictatorships. The problem is the vast wealth gap between the rich and the poor in all societies. It is up to all governments to reduce that. Not to make the rich poor; just less rich. Capitalism is still the pick. Capitalism has an incentive to achieve and improve one’s lot in life. The socialist system, “from them that have to them that want” leads to a growth of them that want, and a loss of enterprise from those who had. The end result is a massive reduction in enterprise and production and if allowed to continue leads to the collapse of that society. What is needed is capitalism with heart. Colin Bull, Clevedon.
Easter trading
The origins of human rights and democracy are enshrined in Judeo-Christian principles, and they are meant to apply to each and every citizen, regardless of their kind or creed. Is Easter 2023 the last hooray to this public holiday tradition? Will Christmas be next? “And the people bowed and prayed to the neon gods they made”, went the lyrics of Sounds of Silence. Is 24/7 consumerism being kind to our planet labouring under the heat of global warming? Is reducing human beings to mere machines and denying them a rest the hallmark of a civilised society? Be careful what you wish for with reformed Easter Trading laws. E. Smith, Waitākere.
Airport disgrace
I 100 per cent agree with Vince Ashworth’s comments on airport disgrace. I have had a need to visit the international terminal several times during the past month and tried to see any merit therein, sadly there is none. The walk from the short-stay carpark to the arrivals and departure area is nothing short of a third-world structure and several derogatory comments could be heard from people while walking. One elderly couple I assisted in finding their car as there are no parking references inside the parking area. We had a person leaving with disabilities and in a wheelchair. At the departure area we were told there was no one to take her to the gate and we must go back downstairs and talk to the airline we booked with and ask for their help. When we did, we received a curt response. They said the gate was now closed and no one was around to help. Is this the way to encourage visitors to NZ? People have long memories about countries they visit; will they remember NZ as a undeveloped nation? Mike McFarlane, Pakuranga.
Harbour crossing
Looking at the Auckland map, why do we need another harbour crossing? What we do need is an alternative route that will take the traffic away from congested Auckland and the bridge. To do this it will require an 80km/h multi-lane motorway starting from the roundabout of State Highways 16 and 32 travelling north, finally joining SH16 and SH1. This new motorway would need to be government fast tracked and involve many roading companies to achieve a 2030 completion date. A toll could be introduced if required. Once in place, our harbour bridge could be made cycle friendly by giving up a clip-on and creating access points into Northcote for cyclists. Peter Barrow, Remuera.
Apprentice poaching
It seems many trade businesses are annoyed at their apprentices being poached by other companies. Words like unethical, groomed and rife are used to highlight the issue. However, this tactic is exactly how the capitalist system works. The mighty dollar speaks to people and does influence their decisions. It happens thousands of times every day in all employment categories. The apprentice market is not shielded from this. We operate in a capitalist marketplace. It is a relationship between a business owner and a business worker. The dollar is the decider. Unfortunately, concepts like fairness, ethics and loyalty will come second to dollar power. Sad but true. Mark Lewis-Wilson, Mangonui.
Ukraine war
Kay Weir’s assertion (Herald, April 6) that the war in Ukraine is a Western responsibility must be contested. Yes, the US-led Iraq war of 2002 was not sanctioned by the UN, and G.W. Bush et al should be held accountable (by the ICC) for a war that killed 275,000 and found no weapons of mass destruction, the supposed casus belli. Certainly a bad example for other powerful nations. Blaming the fall of Yanukovych on Obama and a few European leaders is misleading. Yanukovych initially favoured an agreement with the EU but changed to favour closer Russian ties, although Ukraine’s Parliament overwhelmingly favoured an EU agreement. This was the prime reason for his demise as President. Note the opposition leader Tymoshenko was jailed whilst he was President. There has been suspicion of Russia in Ukraine ever since the Holodomor in 1932/4. And Russia has become increasingly autocratic under Putin. Yes, Russia would be threatened by the Baltic states joining Nato, although can you blame these countries for electing to join Nato? Remember Polish history with Russia. Unilateral invasions are unacceptable, dialogue is the only recourse for grievances. There needs to be a rediscovery of ethics, morality, humanity and wisdom in foreign relations by all major players and a stop to the proliferation of weapons. Steve Lincoln, Botany Downs.
On cost of living
In spite of Nicola Willis’ diatribe to the contrary, NZ’s inflation rate of 7.2 per cent is lower than Australia’s at 7.3 per cent, the US at 8.6 per cent and the UK at 10.7 per cent which would indicate Grant Robertson is bettering them. Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
On houses
This Government are hypocrites. They said they want more people owning homes but went against expert advice by printing and spending billions which caused inflation to rise to the highest levels in 30 years. The RBNZ has tried to temper inflation by raising the OCR, which has caused interest rates to rise dramatically making it harder for people to buy property. Mark Young, Ōrewa.
On police
It’s reported that the appointment of a deputy police commissioner is a two horse race. Yet it seems that the person most suited for the job, having the most and widest operational experience plus the backing of the front line, is going to be overlooked. Surely the person most suited, male or female, should get the position. Paul Beck, West Harbour.
On laws
Can someone please explain to me the rationale behind alcohol retailers being required to close for two days over Easter, other than giving bootleggers an opportunity to absolutely cream it on Facebook Marketplace? Doug Hannan, Mt Maunganui.
Paul Glass: The real size of Govt debt in NZ, stripped of accounting tricks
It is sickening. So much money just wasted. I wouldn’t mind so much if there was something to show for it such as a new hospital or two, better roads etc but there isn’t. It will take a long time to dig our economy out of this hole. This is what the election should be fought on. Christine G.
How can the Labour justify more spending on their think big projects like harbour crossing and light rail etc when we are facing such high debt level? It’s painful seeing people running this country so clueless and reckless. Albert C.
They take our money and waste it. Glen M.
As someone whose business suffered through the great lockdown of 2021, it is good to see an article which lays out the extent of the economic carnage wrought by the last two political terms (don’t forget Winston’s role in all of this). I hope all those who claim we live in paradise (but haven’t had their bank account pilfered for the supposed greater good) enjoy the fruits of their choices over the next couple of decades. John M.
Great article! If figures are correct, they are proof for extreme incompetence, negligence, arrogance and irresponsibility by this Government. But then, many knew all along, economists and on this forum, people have questioned government spending for several years. Alexander G.
The fact that government expenditure has blown it from $76 billion in 2017 to $130 billion in 2023 is staggering — it’s the wastefulness of a lot of the spending on ideology pet projects that really irritates. David G.
Great article - why isn’t National raising this as an election issue? This Government is totally out of control on everything, especially its expenditure. It reminds me of Margaret Thatcher’s great quote about Labour on the UK - it’s easy to spend someone else’s money! John R.
The 19-year-old disappeared without her wallet or mobile phone.