LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Thunberg’s beliefs not communist

Re: Gormley: Patrick Moore, Greta and the watermelons (SP, Dec. 6)

John Gormley makes a remarkable accusation in his latest column.

If you believe, as Greta Thunberg does, that “there is a crisis of human rights, of justice, and of political will,” and that “Colonial, racist, and patriarchal systems of oppression” need to be dismantled, then you are a communist, he suggests.

How does Gormley arrive at this conclusion? Because anyone who makes such claims is necessarily anti-capitalist and pro-communist.

Consequently, Greta’s pro-environmental stance is green on the outside but red in the middle.

But the unstated presupposition in Gormley’s argument is obvious: Capitalism is an economic system that either endorses or tolerates racism, injustice, patriarchy and oppression.

Now this may not come as a surprise to Greta Thunberg, but it should serve as a wakeup call to any capitalist who never noticed the sinister logic at work in their own personal economic convictions.

W.R. Turner, Saskatoon Sasktel payment changes disappoint

It’s easier to implement service changes when you don’t have to regularly look into the eyes of your monthly customers, isn’t it?

By removing the service enabling customers to pay bills at Sasktel stores, managers have joined the ranks of other providers who are not giving consumers what is requested/required but are instead providing what they think consumers should receive.

While one might applaud Sasktel’s broadened range of payment options, they also disguise the elimination of another valued service. Standardized industry practices don’t always lead to effective applications.

Efficiency and effectiveness are not necessarily the same thing. Many businesses waste time and resources on internal procedures that ultimately have little or no direct positive impact on customers.

With Sasktel, I care about the reliability of my daily interaction with products, safety for myself and the environment, quality and financial feasibility. I appreciate paying bills in person at a location well situated downtown near the bus terminal.

I want to interact eye to eye with humans, providing a personable face as a customer.

I like the physical exercise and sociability of the transaction, and I frequent other local businesses along my journey.

If I stay with Sasktel I’ll now be paying more for phone and internet services due to bank fees associated with the payment options (including Saskenergy bills). And for citizens maintaining tight budgets, every little financial hit from myriad sources can add up quickly to despair and even isolation.

Consumers must continue to evaluate their loyalty to even long-standing businesses.

Laura Kinzel, Saskatoon