Donald Trump - "Casual talk of conquest, if unchallenged, can morph into policy." Photo / Getty Images
Letter of the week
“Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it.”
When the 47th US President casually talks about annexing neighbouring regions like Canada, Greenland, or even the Panama Canal — without ruling out the use of military force—he plays with fire. Such rhetoric echoes the expansionist mindset that underpinned Adolf Hitler’s concept of Lebensraum.
In the 1930s, Hitler used the idea of creating “living space” for the German people to justify annexing Austria and invading Czechoslovakia. What began as nationalist rhetoric quickly escalated into military aggression, dismissing diplomacy and plunging humanity into one of its darkest chapters.
I approached this topic cautiously, avoiding sounding overtly anti-Donald Trump or joining the “Trump is bad” bandwagon. However, it’s difficult to ignore how modern rhetoric about “taking over” certain territories parallel the build-up to the aggression of the 1930s.
Although today’s global institutions are more substantial, words still matter. Renaming regions or threatening forces signals a willingness to disregard sovereignty and nudges the world towards imperialism. Casual talk of conquest, if unchallenged, can morph into policy.
Global crises like Covid-19 or the war in Ukraine have shown how interconnected our world is. Seemingly distant events can have sudden and real impacts on our lives, even here in Aotearoa. These parallels serve as a stark warning: unchecked ambitions can reshape borders — and the world — far faster than we might expect.
As the Ode of Remembrance so poignantly reminds us: heed the lessons of history — lest we forget.
Rion Roben, Hastings.
Prioritise public safety
The dawning of 2025 and the mindless killing of a police officer undertaking routine duties tells us it is about time the New Zealand Judiciary collectively stood up and resolved to adequately address the best interests of the public they actually represent in this country.
Enough is enough of some nonsensical occurrences happening nationwide in our courtrooms and Parole Board hearings.
Rehabilitation of criminals is one thing, but it is a lesser priority than the general public’s safety as they go about their lives. It may well be that the enormous cost of building more prisons is nothing more than an essential element of public safety.
If it is, then so be it. A spin-off benefit could be the Corrections Department becoming the country’s largest employer and solving the unemployment issue at the same time.
Phil Chitty, Albany.
LA fires
Trump blames DEI for the catastrophic fires in LA, and experts are saying DEI is under siege all over America, so what is DEI, and does it have any implications here in NZ? D stands for Diversity, people of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations and particularly any people who have been discriminated against. E stands for equity or fairness and justice for all, and I stands for Inclusion, where people from all cultures are freely encouraged to express ideas from their perspective without feeling threatened and, by so doing, create a multi-culture where people from all cultural backgrounds are treated with respect and feel they belong.
It sounds like it would be a pretty good amendment to the Treaty of Waitangi, but it seems Donald Trump and many Americans would strongly disagree.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay.
Water Scooters' big scoops
Water Scooters are amphibious aircraft that skim the surface of the sea or a lake, scoop water into an onboard tank, and then drop it on wild bushfires with great effect.
Some Water Scoopers can hold up to 1600 gallons of water and take 12 seconds to fill the tank. These aircraft are used extensively in Norway and other Scandinavian countries with vast forests and accompanying fires.
They are 10 times more effective than helicopters with monsoon buckets and 1000 times more effective than a fireman holding a hose. The picture of a firefighter pulling a hose (Herald 10th Jan) suggests that the Americans don’t have these aircraft at their disposal. The fires in the upmarket Pacific Palisades are on the coast near Malibu, so the Water Scoopers would be ideally suited with the beaches nearby.
By the way, we, too, have bush and forest fires from time to time. So, I think two of these Water Scooper aircraft would be a good investment for our country, with one based in the central North Island and the other in the South Island. The old Boy Scout’s “ Be prepared” motto was good.
Glen Stanton, Mairangi Bay.
Cigarette butts in Kauri Glen
Seeing the number of people experiencing the tree-top walkway in the Kauri Glen Reserve is great. However, of great concern are the visitors who smoke and then drop their cigarette butts off the platform into the bush below. Common sense obviously isn’t prevailing at Kauri Glen, and many of the entrances to other bush areas I have walked through have no signage relating to fire risks. As a city, we can have excessive signage, but in this case, it is very necessary.
Matt Elliott, Birkdale.
Beaches are for all
Surely, we know we have no exclusive rights to the beaches and reserves. We residents are not empowered to decide how a visitor should conduct him/herself in a public place. I hope that very few will have disdain for the people whose families bring their summer celebrations to East Coast Bays' waterfronts.
If one’s home is not adjacent to safe sandy beaches and clean swimmable water, one has the right to travel to where those places are ... and to enjoy them. Families, please know that you are under no obligation to tiptoe around our suburbs, hush your children’s play, or feel like intruders. You bring exuberance and cheer, music and play and, dare I say it, colour to our mostly pale permanent population.
Elizabeth Barr, Mairangi Bay.
Climate change hope
The extended forecast and recent wildfire conflagrations have arrived well and truly. It is fondly hoped that the climate change deniers' refusal to accept the two’s connection will force their public apology. Denial has been based on political and doctrinal standpoints, taking over self-evident facts and balanced probabilities. There can now be no further credible denials.
Larry N. Mitchell, Rothesay Bay.
Trump propaganda
Are we all set for another four years of outlandish propaganda at Donald Trump’s behest? He seems determined to antagonise nations on both spectrums. He is polarising; no one can deny that. Our gain will be those who cannot stay in their homeland and see our Down Under as their new future.
John Ford, Napier.
Woke bureaucrats
The recent resignation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau adds another nail to the woke coffin.
The other nails were hammered in with the likes of Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon, France’s President Macron and our own Jacinda Ardern leading the way.
Western electorates have turned their backs on leaders who have restricted gas and oil exploration and mining. They have hampered business with a cavalcade of unproductive, bureaucratic, and ideologically driven legislation and almost driven the farmers off their lands.
They have spent money like the proverbial drunken sailor, leading to inflation. They have forgotten that “it’s the economy stupid,” which has resulted in a high cost of living and an increased level of crime.
On a local level, Auckland Transport is attempting to get everyone out of their cars. They have spent literally millions of dollars on unused cycleways while continuing to drive their empty buses through our streets, polluting the very environment they claim to be saving.
Not listening to the very people who pay the wages (and high salaries) of these woke bureaucrats will result in change, one way or another.
Chris Parker, Campbells Bay
One person is in critical condition after the two-vehicle accident.