Victor Diskordia (Letters, January 21) talks a good game, but history shows he is utterly wrong.
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Every government that has tried to cut its way out of the red has only dug itself deeper into a hole.
Look at the United States in the 1920s, which "cut" its way into the Great Depression of the 1930s; or, more recently, Greece and Ireland, which leapt head-first from the frying pan into the fire in a similar way.
Here in Australia, we didn't have a particularly bad economic situation until September 2013.
Since then, however, this hack-and-slash government has made our situation markedly and measurably worse: we are rapidly becoming the next "Greece". Is it not a sign of insanity to repeat an action but expect a different result?
Mark Raymond, Manton, NSW
What's next?
We are told the Abbott government's next step is to outsource the Australian Public Service ("Private eyes on public service", January 21, p1).
Is it also planning to outsource the Defence Force, possibly to Transfield, which so ably runs our offshore detention centres?
Will we wake up to find our country is being defended by the Australian Legion of Mercenaries?
If the defence function of government is deemed unsuitable for outsourcing, maybe they should take another look at all the other functions they would willingly surrender to the for-profit organisatons that would be eager to take over. Why on earth would we want to sing the national anthem on Australia Day, when global capitalism is running the show under the veneer of Team Australia?
Kathleen Calvert, Downer
Like cures like
If you give quinine to a healthy person, it causes malaria-like symptoms. Doctors give quinine to those suffering from malaria to cure the disease.
This is a good example of the principle "like cures like", which Mark Dawson disputes (Letters, January 19).
For something to be accepted as science, it must be able to be repeated independently by others. That is certainly the case with quinine.
Also, with the nature of water: we might not be able to explain why water expands as it freezes, contrary to the laws for every other element, but this has been confirmed many times. Hence it is science.
There is much we cannot explain about water. It has the remarkable capacity to retain some characteristic of things that have been dissolved in it, as Nobel laureate Luc Montagnier has shown, even at ultra-dilutions.
His experiments are able to be repeated, one of the scientific foundations of homeopathy, which uses ultra-dilute remedies.
Dawson says homeopathy seems to work because people only use it for self-limiting conditions. The evidence I have seen time and again is that people go to alternative therapies only when they have "tried everything" in conventional medicine. Their conditions are clearly not self-limiting. He seems to acknowledge that homeopathy works for these people.
As for Ebola, it would make sense to try medicine that is widely used around the world, has no side effects, has a long history of curing epidemic diseases and costs very little.
J J Heywood, Spence
Sick attitudes
Replace references to Islam with Catholicism in my home province of Northern Ireland not long ago, or even Jews in 1930s Germany (and worldwide), and the ugly prejudice of JW Farrands' letter (January 20) may be more obvious.
But it is no longer the holding of such opinions that is of concern, it is that some people think it is acceptable to hold them in public.
There's a sickness in Australian society, and its name is Islamophobia.
Peter Marshall, Captains Flat, NSW
A cheap shot
The opening salvo of Tom Switzer and Nicole Hemmer's article "Scrutiny over censorship" (January 20, Comment, p1) makes a fair point: that many public supporters of Charlie Hebdo are either "rank hypocrites" or simply confused.
Yet confusion and hypocrisy are such familiar features of public life that they hardly distinguish the "je suis Charlie" brigade from other political actors.
Unfortunately, the authors' argument in favour of free speech is undermined by their closing point: "a government that views itself as a thin line between a civil society and a virulently racist one is a government that lacks faith in the people".
This is a very cheap shot.
Have Switzer and Hemmer not noticed that governments in even the most democratic of contemporary societies have little faith in their own people – as evidenced by their obsession with secrecy and the deliberately enfeebled FOI regimes that some governments have established – just as the leaderships of established political parties do not trust the members of their own parties.
Barry Hindess, Reid
Keeping left
Here we go again (Letters, January19). If you choose to walk (or cycle) on the right-hand side of a pedestrian/cycle path, contrary to signs clearly informing you to keep to the left, and are involved in an accident, you are likely to be held accountable for any damage and injuries that occur.
In view of the recent bicycle crash litigation and pay-out, this is something you may want to consider.
Chris Morgan, Evatt
Regarding the letters about which side of the path to walk, the simple answer is: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
The Romans walked on the left side of the road, which let them shake the right hand of passers-by. That way, passers-by could not slip a dagger into them unless they were left-handed. This changed in Edwardian times, when the gentleman walked on the traffic side of the footpath so that, on a wet day, any passing vehicle would throw water onto him and not his lady.
When most of us walk through a shopping centre, pedestrians entering from the front walk on the left and those coming from the other side walk on the right.
When driving, the traffic ordinance is very firm: thou must drive on the left-hand side of the road when practicable. The total clot who drives in the right lane of a dual carriageway when the left is clear and practicable is in the wrong.
Howard Carew, Isaacs
Users should pay
Sebastian Cole's letter (January 20) portrays him as a selfish person.
He seems to think that if he wants something, other people have an obligation to provide it for him.
He wants to travel between Gungahlin and Civic late on Friday and Saturday nights, to have a big night drinking with friends. That is OK.
However, he wants other people to pay most of the cost of his transport, presumably so he can afford to buy drinks. That is not OK.
He says "catching an ACTION bus, rather than an expensive taxi, is the best option". It is not. Taxis are not an expensive option.
The full cost of providing buses at that time of night would be many times the cost of providing taxis. Using taxis is cheaper by far.
If Cole is unwilling to pay the full cost of his transport, he should not travel. I applaud ACTION's decision to cut poorly patronised services. It should cut even more.
Unfortunately, Cole's attitude is very common. "I want health insurance, so someone else should pay for it." "I want a university education, so someone else should pay for it." "I want to work, so someone else should pay for minding my children." "I want to not work after having a baby, so somebody else should pay my wages while I take leave."
I am a very strong supporter of social security, but the current age of entitlement has gone too far.
Bob Salmond, Melba
I agree with Sebastian Cole's point.
Still, as an older person, I'm OK about being tucked up in bed by 10pm Friday or 11pm Saturday.
An even bigger disgrace is the last bus to Gunghalin (or probably anywhere else for that matter) leaving the city at 6.54pm. It is time for ACTION to survey potential passengers' needs, rather than rely on data from current or recent bus use (which in any case doesn't cover Sunday evenings, as there is no service!).
Iven Spicer, Ngunnawal
Let's go cashless
The elimination of cash (notes and coins) is long overdue in our electronic world.
When Australia withdraws notes and coins as a payment system, we will see a significant reduction in most areas of crime.
Australia is one of the most advanced electronic banking countries, with a great opportunity to be the world leader in the demise of all cash-based transactions.
Mike McGettrick, Isaacs
Generous act
On a recent visit to the nation's capital, I had lunch at an Irish pub in Civic. After a few failed attempts to pay with my card, the lady behind me reached over my shoulder and paid the $84.50 bill, using PayPass.
She said: "I'll pay for it, enjoy."
I was shocked by her generous act to a complete stranger.
After visiting the ATM up the street, I returned to the pub to pay the lovely couple and was told not to worry: next time I saw someone in need, do the same for them.
I insisted I repaid the couple and went on to eat my lunch with my young family.
There are still many beautiful people out there who genuinely care about others.
If you are the amazing girl wearing the cream dress, or her other half, who wore the high-vis vest, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and truly appreciate your extreme thoughtfulness when I was in a spot of bother.
Jenny Clements, Bigga, NSW
CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION
Now that the Pope has backed action against climate change ("Pope calls on leaders to end inequality", January 17, p11), will Tony Abbott recant?
Colin Robertson, Deakin
SEVERE CONSEQUENCES
Should the two Australians be executed in Indonesia, the Australian Federal Police must shoulder the responsibility ("Pastors plead for pair on death row in Bali", January 21, p5). The AFP alerted the Indonesian authorities to the drug trafficking, rather than deal with the problem in Australia. It would have been aware of the consequences.
Murray Upton, Belconnen
AUSTRALIA DAY DRIVEL
Another Australia Day and another round of sanctimonious drivel from the usual suspects. Once again, a vanishingly small minority of permanently aggrieved will fail to convince the vast majority that the anniversary of the First Fleet's arrival, which heralded the birth of Australia as we know it today, is inappropriate, as it may offend some. Perhaps these champions of unity might suggest an alternative that would not cause widespread outrage.
H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra, NSW
VIOLATING THE ACT
We are told (Letters, January 22) that indigenous Australians are offended by the status given to Australia Day. Therefore, those who celebrate Australia Day are violating section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act.
Bruce A. Peterson, Kambah
SIMPLE ECONOMICS
John Richardson (Letters, January 21) might like to know there is a very simple reason why employment can increase by 37,400, while unemployment decreases by only 16,200. Ask any half-awake economics student.
Gordon Dickens, Gowrie
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