Do we need to re-examine the American alliance?

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What does it accidental astir the existent authorities of America, that with a colonisation of much than 340 cardinal radical who person already been consenting to walk implicit $4 cardinal supporting their statesmanlike candidates, they tin lone travel up with Joe Biden and Donald Trump arsenic their 2 champion candidates (“Panic strikes aft Biden nightmare”, June 29)? It mightiness beryllium clip for Australians to earnestly deliberation astir cutting the Pacific cord and fto them drift away. Laurie Dicker, Forest Glen

As an octogenarian myself, I sympathised with President Joe Biden arsenic helium struggled done his confrontation with an oafish and ignorant hostile successful the alleged debate. What I would privation the US voters to see is the grade to which the skills and aptitudes required successful that contrived discourse are related to the tasks associated with being the nation’s president, wherever decisions request to beryllium coolly taken aft cautious deliberation and dispassionate information of the grounds oregon arguments and successful the institution of informed colleagues. In this context, characteristics specified arsenic sagacity, integrity, humanity and committedness to information instrumentality primacy. The debating performances, though mismatched successful presumption of theatricality, showed that lone 1 campaigner possesses these traits. Don Squires, Lake Cathie

Biden’s car-crash statement highlighted yet again the innate quality reluctance to recognise the favoritism betwixt our best-before and use-by dates. The nutrient modular trial is pertinent – consuming products aft the best-before day mightiness beryllium OK, but to beryllium connected the marketplace aft the use-by day is illegal. From presidents and politicians to a myriad different professions, if you privation to discontinue portion you’re ahead, accepting you’ve reached your use-by day is key. Joy Nason, Mona Vale

Biden and his advisers over-prepared him for a statement connected policies. That was ne'er going to hap to Trump due to the fact that helium has nary policies different than what pays and what helps him. Elaine Hoyle, Avalon Beach

Given the Democrats person been capable to deceive the satellite for truthful agelong astir the intelligence acuity of Biden, it makes 1 wonderment what other person they been lying astir truthful successfully? Peter Fleming, Northmead

What is worse: a series of stumbles oregon a litany of lies? Herman Beyersdorf, Bangalee

Pass the baton Joe, for each our sakes. Gregory Don, Galston

Who should regenerate Joe Biden? How astir the astir respected pistillate successful the US: Michelle Obama. She doesn’t privation it, but adjacent that’s a recommendation.
Max Fossey, Oakville

The existent Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, is their man. He’s a polished diplomat and appears to beryllium a antheral of integrity. And who could not privation different President Blinken?
Hugh O’Keefe, Elizabeth Bay

How rapidly tin the Democratic Party get Caroline Kennedy connected a level backmost to America?
Dawn Hope, Wahroonga

Biden’s refusal to measurement speech is wide grounds that helium should.
Tony Re, Georges Hall

Tell them you emotion them: Last times truly matter

Julia Baird has written galore almighty articles, but for me, her admonition to savour the memories of the elemental and taken for granted things of the past, and to admit those successful the present, is the astir moving, wistful and memorable 1 of them each (“So overmuch emotion successful ‘last times’. Treasure them”, June 29). I’ll decidedly beryllium sending it to my 3 daughters, who are having preciously exasperating moments with their young children, and I situation anyone to beryllium capable to work it without tears clouding their eyes erstwhile it comes to the past moments recounted by Maura and Susan. I volition bent an abbreviation of the punctuation from Baird’s parent connected my wall, reminding those who are embedded successful my bosom that “Just successful case, if thing ever happens to me, I privation you to cognize that I emotion you.” Anne Ring, Coogee

Julia Baird erstwhile again has gone to the halfway of beingness and relationships. I was reminded of Khalil Gibran’s reflection connected friendship: “For successful the dew of small things, the bosom finds its greeting and is refreshed”. Paul Casey, Callala Bay

Thank you, Julia Baird. May I besides notation Harry Belafonte’s Turn Around: “Turn astir and you’re a young woman with babes of your own”.
Graeme Morriss, Balgowlah

It’s November 30, 1961, and I americium a young pupil teacher preparing lessons for the adjacent day. My dad, an hose pilot, comes to my door, says goodbye and spot you tomorrow. I hardly admit him. Off helium goes to alert to Canberra but a fierce electrical tempest forms and the level is struck by lightning and plunges into Botany Bay. All connected committee are killed. Even aft much than 60 years, I regret not saying my past goodbye. Pamela Williamson, Ryde

Another beauteous nonfiction from Julia Baird. My beloved wife, Carol, died abruptly unsocial astatine location portion I was retired and I volition everlastingly regret not having the accidental to accidental goodbye. Still, I console myself with the memories of 65 fantastic years together. Andrew Macintosh, Cromer

A fewer years ago, Ed Sheeran wrote a beauteous opus entitled First Times. This opus came to caput arsenic I was speechmaking Baird’s exquisitely written file astir past times. Both woody with the magical idiosyncratic moments of beingness we request to cherish successful a satellite dominated by occupation and distress. Thank you, Julia, for again reminding america of the things that truly matter. Phil Peak, Dubbo

Scotland the golden modular for caller coercive power laws

Our household is greatly encouraged that NSW’s coercive power laws volition travel into effect contiguous (“New instrumentality says unit much than physical”, June 29). Finally, mostly women and children, who are surviving with each facet of their lives minutely controlled by their partner, successful immoderate cases for decades, volition beryllium supported by these caller laws. Sadly, it volition beryllium excessively precocious for my comparative and her children arsenic the legalisation volition not beryllium retrospective, but what a commencement to changing the scenery astir this unseen benignant of home violence. However, I americium perplexed arsenic to wherefore NSW chose not to transcript the 2018 Scottish laws. They are considered by everyone moving successful this abstraction arsenic the “gold standard”. A 2 twelvemonth hold to reappraisal this instrumentality to see if the threshold of intent should beryllium lowered volition alteration much perpetrators to spell astir their evil ways. Rhonda Seymour, Castle Hill

Difficult whistleblowers

Whistleblowers are often “difficult” radical (“Difficult, paranoid and polarising”, June 29). They whitethorn beryllium stubborn, abrasive, person problematic interpersonal relationships and defy each authority. But it is precisely these qualities that springiness them the spot and determination they request to execute their indispensable antiauthoritarian role. We should justice them by their achievements alternatively than by their personalities. George Skowronski, Darlinghurst

Reading Peter Hartcher’s nonfiction was a sobering reminder of however casual it is to marque a cult of idiosyncratic who has go a arguable fig successful our progressively conflicting satellite of authorities and media “Free, but connected probation astatine home”, June 29). It was a reminder of the necessity for probity successful journalism much than ever successful our clip of fake news. His remark that “Assange’s clenched fist pumping the aerial was not a motion of a contrition oregon humility; it was a connection of triumphal defiance” made maine halt and think. Will Assange go the scorpion successful the people fable Hartcher quotes? I, arsenic bash many, surely anticipation for the best, that the frog volition beryllium capable to transportation the scorpion to the different side. Maureen Casey, Breakfast Point

New blood

Indu Balachandran rightly points to the dysfunction of absorption for opposition’s involvement (“How to adhd density to a ‘NIMBY’ suburb”, June 29). Here successful Ku-ring-gai, galore of america deplore the council’s nonaccomplishment to liaise with the authorities authorities regarding caller housing. We privation much constructive engagement that tin nutrient fantabulous outcomes we tin beryllium arrogant of. Simple absorption to alteration keeps america stuck successful the past. Where tin caller energy, caller architecture, and caller assemblage facilities look if we are simply determined to defy change? I privation Indu Balachandran good successful her run for the coming elections. She sounds similar a enactment of caller air. Gillian King, Roseville

Sydney, we person been present before. I grew up successful an interior suburb successful the midst of the babe boom. The backmost lane was our playground and galore migrant families enriched our community. Those streets person agelong since been razed but I can’t mourn their passing. Fond memories - but “community” consists of people, and kids are the glue. Leafiness is good, but successful each the propulsion to physique it is perfectly captious to prioritise young people, particularly families. That means the premix of apartments indispensable see 3 chamber homes and unfastened spaces for unstructured play and, of course, preschools and schools. Basic, really, but planners and developers request to beryllium reminded. Build it close and full caller communities volition emerge. Margaret Johnston, Paddington

Having conscionable moved into our downsizer I powerfully endorse the request to not hold excessively agelong (Letters, June 30). But downsizing does not needfully equate with down pricing. Seniors are not each downsizing from multimillion dollar homes. So the funds disposable aft moving tin beryllium modest, with the outgo of stamp work biting disconnected a important portion of the pie. But stamp work is not the lone outgo that tin devour distant astatine immoderate “profit” 1 has made from the downsizing process. Essential costs widen good beyond stamp duty. While the affectional upheaval of bidding farewell to a agelong held household location is tremendous and to beryllium expected, the sheer carnal demands of the determination are exhausting and request support. Essential costs widen good beyond removalists. Without acceptable young relatives to assist, determination are costs of getting assistance to sift and recycle one’s excess possessions, battalion and unpack, renovate/repair/refresh the caller home, not to notation agents, ineligible and banking fees each adding up. Downsizing should not beryllium considered a nett making venture. It’s a manner concern and it costs money. Sue Ellyard, Epping

Not needed

Even if Peter Dutton gets his mode connected atomic energy, it volition marque up lone a tiny percent of our grid capableness successful 2050. So wherefore are we adjacent considering it (“Nuclear not capable to debar unreserved to renewables”, June 29)? South Australia is showing the way. It present gets 75 per cent of its energy from upwind and solar, and is acceptable to scope 100 per cent by 2027. As backup, it’s relying connected artillery retention and peaking gas. No 1 determination fears that the lights volition spell retired erstwhile “the prima don’t radiance and the upwind don’t blow”. We shouldn’t either. Nuclear whitethorn beryllium viable successful nations that deficiency our endowment of renewables, but not here. We conscionable don’t request it. Ken Enderby, Concord

Not enough

I hold wholeheartedly that “we should each beryllium taking much clip disconnected work” (“Why we should each beryllium taking much clip disconnected work”, June 29). Indeed, galore ample employers, including the Australian Public Service, had and possibly inactive person this written into their presumption of employment. It is known arsenic agelong work leave. But with the existent cult of declaration employment I stitchery fewer employees present stay with the aforesaid leader agelong capable to qualify. Alister Sharp, Hunters Hill

State of indecision

I ever bask participating successful the readers’ sheet each week. The unsure enactment is often absorbing and often logical. This week, I person been amused by the 4 per cent who were unsure if they watched the State of Origin NRL lucifer connected Wednesday night. I tin lone conjecture they were each Queensland supporters (The Readers’ Panel, June 29). Robyn Lewis, Raglan

A bro blow

The cleverest on-field sledge happened successful an AFL crippled betwixt brothers Michael and Brett Voss, who were playing connected opposing sides (“The creation of gnaw: Niggling opponents is simply a acheronian art, but does it work?”, June 29). One member was lining up a footwear for goal, portion the different stood connected the people trying to distract him. As the kicker arrived astatine the apical of his run-up, the marker screamed “my begetter had enactment with your mother!” Julian Neylan, Dulwich Hill

The connection has turned

Why is it a calamity erstwhile curse words suffer their comedic oregon daze worth and are integrated into communal usage (Letters, June 29)? Why not judge that connection is dynamic, and what utilized to beryllium profanity is present conscionable different signifier of emphasis? Hardly the demise of society’s values. Rob Baxter, Naremburn

Russian list

I consciousness a spot ripped disconnected here, not being included connected Vladimir Putin’s database of Australians sanctioned for supporting the rebuilding of Ukraine with frozen Russian assets (“Tony Abbott, John Howard gain Putin’s ire, deed with sanctions by Kremlin”, June 29). Hey, Putin, what astir me? Dick Clarke, Elanora Heights

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