Denial not always way to survive

Denial and delusion are reported in New Scientist magazine to be normal human character traits, and actually generally useful for survival. But not always.

The raft of media commentators who are deploring Greta Thunberg’s rawness could take a good, hard, long, close-up look in a very clean full-length mirror. To be fair, their survival perhaps depends on getting published, but they are only aiding global heating, the new term replacing the obsolete expression global warming.

Jim Carlyle, Te Atatu Peninsula.

Step forward

Eve McCallum’s article says we must take a step back on climate change. I can understand her worry as she comes from a farming background but now is the time to put our best foot forward.

We have used and abused our planet for too long already and the time for decisive action has arrived.

If we fail to address the ever-more obvious signs that Earth is in dire peril now of overheating, many thousands, maybe millions, of people will die.

We must listen to people like David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg. Greta’s heartfelt message to make the world leaders accept the challenge to safeguard our planet for the future of our children must not fail.

Gloria McAneny, Mt Eden.

Balanced opinion

All New Zealanders, including children — pre-school to school leavers — should be made to read Eve McCallum’s balanced opinion piece. After all the dangerous rubbish a lot of teachers have been telling children about warming causing many residential areas to be under water in 30 years and the latest vitriolic speech in the US, it may help to relieve their anxiety.

What a sensible, thoughtful young woman and what a pity there aren’t more like her. It is also hoped that farmers and people of the land will once again be respected for making New Zealand the food basket of the world.

Otago University should be proud to have such a talented young law student.

B. Lichtenstein, Parnell.

Rock-star economy?

It is not often that I read Mike Hosking’s columns but one last week (Herald, September 26) caught my attention: How Labour tanked a rock-star economy.

We never had a “rock-star economy” during the John Key Government. Instead Christchurch had an earthquake resulting in nearly $50 billion in insurance payments from overseas allowing the building of thousands of new homes, business buildings and new or repaired council infrastructure. The tax take for the Government from GST and income tax received from the rebuild far exceeded their share of the rebuild costs.

That is where the “rock star economy” myth came from. It was the Christchurch earthquake and subsequent rebuild.

Lindsay Carswell, Christchurch.

National anthem

I wholeheartedly agree with Matt Heath’s comments (Herald, September 30). Let’s chop the national anthem in half.

The Ma¯ ori version is beautiful and expressive. That’s all we need. Keep it short and let’s get on with the game.

Valerie Langstone, Bucklands Beach.

Dropped ball

Congratulations to Spark Sport in managing to disenfranchise vast swathes of the country from the Rugby World Cup.

In past RWCs, the tournament would be the subject du jour over the coffee machine and at lunch breaks and the country was abuzz. Not this time.

This time, it is as if the tournament doesn’t even exist. Having purchased the rights to the RWC, Spark is streaming it on a format the vast majority of us either have no access to, own an antiquated three-year-old TV that won’t livestream the coverage or simply have no fibre and thus find it pointless to buy the package.

The only coverage most of us get is a few snippets on the TVNZ news or writeups in the paper. Save from those two outlets, the RWC would barely exist for most of us.

So Spark Sport, the NZRFU and World Rugby, give yourselves an upper-cut for ensuring the “best ever” Rugby World Cup remains a non-event in the most rugbymad nation on earth.

Kent Millar, Blockhouse Bay.

Spark misfire

Being a customer of both Spark and of Sky Sport, I deliciously waited for this, probably my last Rugby World Cup (due to health). I blame rugby administrators and the Government for not recognising our national game could become a farcical non-event for many thousands of Kiwis.

At age 78, I had all bases covered. Not living in some far rural area and having 4G wireless, my hopes were shattered because my Wi-Fi speed was inadequate.

Now I read that even in countries where rugby is a minor sport, it’s free to air. All I can do is read about the brave Blossoms and view games of the past.

What a farce. Sadly the viewing figures alone show the albatross the ill-advised directors of Spark have round their necks?

John Clapham, Beachlands. The Herald notes: Coverage of RWC matches, some live and some delayed, is also provided on TVNZ 1.

Muldoon’s legacy

The recent description of Sir Robert Muldoon as a dictator in all but name by Dr John Hawkes (Herald, September 25) called for a response.

To conflate a Prime Minister with a forceful, decisive personality in a liberal democracy with an autocrat in a totalitarian context is patently absurd.

Muldoon remains the most gifted Finance Minister we have ever had. He knew our situation like no other. His achievements are unequalled. Space allows just two examples.

Slammed as hopelessly uneconomic, his Motunui synthetic fuel plant is now the most profitable division of Canadianbased Methanex Corporation’s global operations.

Slammed as unsustainable beyond 2010, his National Superannuation Scheme is a world leader.

The result of his successors’ 30 years waterboarding with neoliberalism is our low national income, low wages, inequality and horrendous debt. Happy with that ?

John Gascoigne, Cambridge.

Raise GST

Contrary to recently published views I would like to propose a lift in the GST rate to 20 per cent with all benefits, income tax and other taxes adjusted to compensate.

This is in line with European Union countries where base VAT rates range from 19 per cent to 27 per cent.

The Government has to get the money to fund education, healthcare, infrastructure etc from somewhere so if you reduce GST then there has to be a commensurate increase in other taxation somewhere to make up the shortfall.

It is naive to think that a significant form of government revenue can simply be reduced in isolation just to add a feelgood factor and boost spending.

The first benefit of this change would be to capture more money from our growing tourist markets, particularly where vertical integration back to the tourists’ countries of origin severely impacts the economic benefits of tourism here, particularly when increasing infrastructure to support tourist activities must be funded from the public purse.

The second benefit would be to capture more revenue from the black-market economy so when your local meth dealer buys his (or her) new Harley Davidson a bigger slice of the cake comes back to the Government. John Christiansen, Mt Albert.

Nature’s memorial

What use is it to individually identify those who tragically lost their lives in the Erebus Disaster for future generations, if through our continual disregard for Mother Nature our planet becomes uninhabitable? To pump the amount of concrete and steel into this small, peaceful park, along with lights and sounds of the Antarctic required for the proposed design, continues this arrogance.

Mother Nature is speaking to us, what better memorial for future generations is green open space with the sounds of tui and sight of the twinkling stars?

Gerry Hetet, Parnell.

Attack ads

In reply to a letter from Richard Alspach ( Herald, September 30), accusing National Party leader Simon Bridges of all manner of underhand tactics.

I would just like to point out that all of the political parties have been using these “attack ads” on social media.

It was only when National’s ads started making an impact that the Speaker of the House took offence and is ruling to ban them, or National’s anyway.

This is a typical example of how Trevor Mallard rules in Parliament.

Ian Hancock, Ohaupo.