Wake-up call on hate rhetoric Process unjust

Given he hasn’t seen the film, it is tempting simply to dismiss David Townsend’s complaints about Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit (Letters, Oct 29). But his misapprehensions, based only on the trailer and an interview, need to be addressed.

The ‘‘Hitler’’ Waititi depicts is a figment of pre-adolescent Jojo’s imagination. His adulation evaporates as Jojo discovers and gradually gets to know Elsa, the Jewish girl his mother has taken into hiding.

This relationship, played out in pitchperfect performances by Roman Griffin Davis and Thomasin McKenzie, is at the heart of the film. It develops as the true nature of Germany’s occupation of Austria becomes more and more apparent to Jojo.

The film is adapted from Christine Leunens’ 2004 novel Caging Skies. (Perhaps Mr Townsend saw Desire´ e Gezentsvey’s more conventional stage adaptation at Circa Theatre in 2017.) Adolescent Johannes is now the younger and more innocent Jojo in Waititi’s version, which changes the viewpoint and tone.

Jojo Rabbit offers a salutary wake-up call to anyone susceptible to the insidious hate-based rhetoric that is all too common on social media and in populist politics. And humour plays a vital role in meeting its essential objectives.

John Smythe, Mt Victoria

Switch his focus

Russel Norman (This isn’t a deal for the climate, Oct 25) was very correct. Every effort must be made to reduce New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions. Norman is doing a grand job.

New Zealand has a very small population and if we as a country comply with all targets to reduce our emissions it will have very little effect in changing any amount of climate change.

The two countries that are the biggest polluters are India and China, with Russia third.

I feel Norman would be far better putting his efforts into pressuring these three countries to change their ways to reduce their emissions.

I realise we all have to do our bit, but Norman would be far more productive chasing the big boys rather than tiny New Zealand. Perhaps he could become Greenpeace’s Asia representative. Michael Bisset, Pukerua Bay

Fruitful investment

Thomas Coughlan’s comments about the impact of the potential closure of the Tiwai smelter on electricity company share prices show he is either being overly dramatic, or simply hasn’t done his homework (Tiwai feels the heat as closure consensus grows, Oct 30).

Yes, electricity company share prices have dipped since that news broke, but are now roughly where they were only three or four months ago.

His statement that investors in power company share floats would be ‘‘burnt’’ is far from the truth. Meridian Energy was floated to the public six years ago at $1.50 a share. At today’s price, initial investors will have more than tripled their investment. Other power company floats have seen initial investors more than double their money.

If that is being burnt, then I wonder what Thomas’ standards are for a good investment.

Glenn Seymour, Christchurch

In comparing the processes by which the Government is treating the End of Life Choice Bill and the Abortion Legislation

Bill, clearly Gavan O’Farrell (Letters, Oct 26) needed to be more direct, as Martin Hanson (Letters, Oct 29) has misunderstood his irony.

The former issue is going to a referendum, the latter (another life-anddeath issue) is being discussed by a select committee, whose members have already made up their minds that, with abortion, there is only one party who matters, and that party is not the unborn child. (And forget about that increasingly irrelevant entity, the father: there is only one man on the seven-member select committee.)

It’s like moving to legalising euthanasia having assumed the only relevant opinion is that of the victim’s oldest child (or heir). This is not a just process.

Gabby Mathias, Dunedin

The GE question

Climate change is one of the biggest threats and issues of the modern age and we are right to be really concerned. However, we shouldn’t fool ourselves about technological fixes. The current open letter about genetic engineering is an example of this (It’s time to break the stigma around GM, Oct 29).

I’m not ideologically opposed to GE and I have no doubt that through GE we could create ways of reducing emissions. However, we would also create risks which we don’t fully understand if GE organisms are further released into the biosphere.

We could create another problem in an attempt to solve climate change. If you look at ideas behind geo-engineering you will see extreme examples of what the open letter is proposing.

But the key issue is that we need economic and social change. The current economic model of capitalism is based on growth which is inherently unsustainable. Without addressing the root causes of the problem it will never be fully addressed.

James Barber, Berhampore

Fifty years ago, as a good little greenie, I believed that the emerging science of genetic engineering was bad, and that New Zealand should have nothing to do with it until it was proven to be safe.

It was also a time when I realised that in America, with an abundance of lawyers prepared to accept cases on a no win, no pay basis, people would sue for the slightest injury – real or imagined.

Since then, I have not seen any successful cases of damages awarded against a town for putting fluoride in their water – because no harm can be shown. Similarly, I have not seen any cases where a child’s dyslexia or autism was caused by the GE corn in their breakfast cereal. And in America it is impossible to avoid GE corn products.

So I think it is time to agree with the Emerging Scientists for Climate Action and accept some forms of GE into NZ. Particularly, developing plants that create less methane in cows’ stomachs, and CRISPR gene-splicing technology that can cure some cancers.

Ian Frater, Te Aro

More police fusillades

People are so often shot by the police that we are now desensitised to it.

The latest police proposal to have armed response units patrolling ‘‘hot spots’’ is simply pouring petrol on the fire.

That yet more people will die in police fusillades is guaranteed.

The beauty of it is that it enables us to quickly and cheaply rid society of ‘‘low life’’ and ‘‘nut bars’’ without recrimination. The subsequent investigations invariably justify police actions.

There are no expensive trials and lengthy appeals with contentious outcomes. No paying for ‘‘dirt bags’’ to stay in prison for years. Genius.

John Lambert, Lower Hutt

Leave council to act

Wellington mayoralty: One step forward (Oct 30) says it well. We are now taking a step in the right direction with a new council elected. I wish them well as a ratepayer. Let the new mayor and council get on with it. A recount is another handbrake on a city that suffered a backward direction for the last three terms.

Rod Page, Island Bay

Simon says

National Party leader Simon Bridges will continue to tread water, or even submerge from the political landscape, unless and until he stops positing at the start of most of his sentences: ‘‘The reality is’’, when the reality is often the political opposite!

Moreover, railing against political correctness will further erode both his popularity and the bloke that can topple our extraordinarily gifted and empathetic Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Brian Collins, Petone