Zakaria white-washes U.S. motives
Re Facing up to world reality, Opinion
March 2 Fareed Zakaria’s analysis of Afghanistan is clouded by his slavish devotion to the U.S. mainstream media’s “conventional wisdom.” Similar to Canada’s, this twisted worldview refers to America’s brutal, 10-year occupation of Afghanistan as “nation-building.” Euphemisms such as this allow the American people to believe the fiction that they are doing something good for the inhabitants of the region. This allows Zakaria to get away with platitudes like, “Iraq is much, much better off than under Saddam,” without challenge, although I
Another question for Netanyahu
Re Blunt questions for a Netanyahu on the
warpath, March 3 The pot is calling the kettle black. Tony Burman offers five “blunt” questions for Benjamin Netanyahu but skillfully avoided the real question: Why should Israel get away without accounting for its nuclear stockpile and not signing the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty? It is a bizarre situation that after committing the “original sin” by introducing nuclear weapons to a nuclear-free Middle East, Israel is now pushing the U.S. to start a new war by attacking Iran. Why! Because, it suspects that Iran will acquire same nuclear capability that Israel has. Obviously Israel is not prepared to accept that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Anis Zuberi, Mississauga
Oprah’s tour aimed at the 1%
Re Oprah adds second show in Toronto,
March 4 Oprah’s Tour is structured for the upper class and not the lower. The seats at the $49 price point are few and are sold out. The majority of seats are for $229. The mid-range seats at $395 are sold out. However, some $595 seats are still available. How many of the poor women who have faithfully supported Oprah and have made her career so successful will be able to afford to see her when she comes? Oprah doesn’t care about the poor; she cares about making money on the backs of the poor who can’t afford to live a full life as they sit at home and watch her network. I guess to some it’s exciting to see someone with a net worth of $2.7 billion tell you how to live your life. Monica Babic, Coldwater
Voice recorder is no cure-all
Re Trains need voice recorders, Editorial
March 4 Your editorial recommends installing voice recorders to assist in answering the question “why?” The first priority is to install positive train controls that would “automatically” slow a train in advance of a switch where an operator has failed to do so. Had such a system been installed on that VIA Rail train (as they are on U.S. and European trains) disaster could have been averted. Voice recorders are an “investigative” tool that would not have “prevented” this catastrophe and, if silent, would not even assist in answering the question “why?” Charles Evans, Toronto doubt the victims of America’s war-machine agree. The moral basis for this invasion is never questioned: America was attacked and it responded. It is rarely remembered that the Taliban offered to produce Osama bin Laden if the Americans provided some evidence of his guilt. This proof was never offered and the colonization of Afghanistan began, followed quickly by that of Iraq. Later Libya was bombed and Iran probably will too, shortly after the 2012 U.S. election. Now Zakaria frets that on its current course America must engage in nation-building in Pakistan as well. He argues they would have to
Leaf fortunes about to change?
Re New No-fun Leafs show spunk in win
over Habs, March 4 The Leaf pieces finally fall into place; there’s an energized Randy Carlyle debut; three glorious Leaf goals are scored; it’s a hard-hitting two-way game from the opening faceoff, and there’s some respectable goal-tending from the Leaf keeper of the cage. And what is the main attraction on the front of the Star’s Sports section — a half-page picture of two guys fighting, a flash in the pan that hardly warranted a mention. Isn’t that just a little hypocritical on the Star’s part in view, and rightly so, of your newspaper’s objection to fighting and violence in hockey? Other than that, it was great coverage of a great game. Donald Cangiano, Oakville About the dumbest thing I hear regarding the Leafs is from people saying that the coach’s job is to motivate the players. The umpteen million dollar contracts for playing a simple game should be enough motivation. What motivates the average worker? Job retention. George Hare, Clear Creek At the end of the day teams generally win with elite players in goal, on defence and at the forward position. The Leafs’ inability to identify these players and acquire them — either through the draft or by trade — has been the height of incompetence for much of the last 40 years. If it weren’t for Doug Gilmour, an over-achieving Felix Potvin and Pat Burns behind the bench, we wouldn’t even have had the 19921993 season and playoff run to look back fondly on. Is it really that hard to ice a competitive team for the richest franchise in the NHL? Trevor Amon, Victoria, B.C. alter “Pakistan’s character.” But America is not at war with Pakistan despite its occasional incursions and drone strikes.
How then does Zakaria feel America can alter Pakistan’s character? His language reveals the Americans’ true, imperial approach.
The Americans will impose their will on the region until it no longer suits their interest, then they will leave Afghanistan swinging in the wind as Pakistan tries to make it a proxy-state under their Taliban allies. It’s okay because by then Zakaria will have more trite bromides with which to paper over those injustices. Mike Sampat, Toronto
Alberta’s addiction to coal
Re Oilsands must benefit everyone, Editori
al March 1 Alberta, at 70 tonnes of CO2 emissions per capita (17 tonnes on average for the rest of Canadians), is one of the top emitters of greenhouse gases in the world. James Hansen and other renowned scientists warn that the Alberta tar sands and other sources of unconventional fossil fuels, like shale gas, are a threat to humanity. But according to Mr. Hansen, the single greatest threat to life on our planet comes from burning coal.
A large part of Alberta’s GHG emissions comes from burning coal to produce electricity. It is burning half of all the coal consumed in Canada, and is the only province planning to build more coal-fired plants to produce electricity.
If Alberta wants respect (not apologies) from the rest of Canadians, it should start shutting down its coalfired plants and clean up the tar sands. Rene Ebacher, Toronto
Tax rebate changes appalling
Re Province stops lump sum payments,
March 3 The most upsetting part about the change from lump sum property tax rebates is that nobody has told us seniors about a financial change that affects many of us. Who do Dalton Mcguinty and Dwight Duncan think they are to make financial decisions about our money without even asking us? Why wasn’t the research done on “allowing people to choose” whether to receive a lump sum or monthly payments starting later before the change was implemented?
This is just another “no more taxes” gimmick by this Mcguinty Liberal government. It is truly appalling. George Stephens, Brampton
Some similarities in editorials?
Re Ecuador’s assault on free speech; and
Stop gagging scientists; March 4 Interesting. The short editorial in The New York Times Sunday supplement on the Ecuadoran president’s subversion of justice in stifling prominent journalists, and the Star’s second editorial piece on Stephen Harper’s Media Suppres . . . — sorry —Relations Office, both occupy the same position on their respective pages (the lower left).
Otherwise, they have nothing in common, do they? Ted Naismith, Bradford