Putin a terrorist time-bomb
Vladimir Putin may think he has legitimate grievances against Nato and the West encroaching on his borders, but he is nothing but an evil, psychopathic tyrant, a nasty bully and a dangerous lunatic, and the sooner that he, like Slobodan Milosevic from the old Yugoslavia, is arrested as a war criminal and sent to face justice in The Hague, the better. While they’re at it, let them add in that thuggish, clown side-kick of his, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, who is determined to play Mussolini to Putin’s Hitler as European history circa 1938-45 repeats itself.
The fact that the other clown on the world stage, former president Donald Trump, has described Putin as a ‘‘genius’’ makes stopping this man before he triggers World War III all the more urgent. Putin is a ticking, terrorist time-bomb.
John Watkins, Auckland
Kay Weir (Letters, February 20) expresses deep concern for Russia’s security. It seems that Nato is encircling Russia with nuclear bases and wants Georgia and Ukraine to become members. America threatens Russia with nuclear annihilation and Victoria Nuland orchestrated a coup in Kiev in 2014.
In fact:
1. Nato borders with Russia represent only 1 per cent of her circumference, and none of the three countries involved (Norway, Estonia and Latvia) host nuclear bases.
2. In 14 and 8 years of trying respectively, neither Georgia nor Ukraine have been given the green light to join Nato.
3. Russia is the world’s largest nuclear power, possessing an estimated 6800 nuclear weapons (compared with 6185 for the US).
4. In 2014 President Victor Yanukovych wasn’t ousted by a coup; instead he fled to Russia in disgrace as his malfeasance was exposed.
As a great power, Russia has few legitimate security concerns. None of these will be resolved by the invasion and occupation of Ukraine.
Adrian Allott, Porirua
Ignorance of fascism
I wish to express my sadness that so many fellow Kiwis have so little knowledge of what fascism, dictatorship and Nazism were and are, all about. In a word they are plain ignorant.
Denouncing the Government with these labels is both pathetic and embarrassing.
As a schoolboy, I was prevented from going on a school language trip to Paris because at the time the French police were killing around 200 (peaceful) Algerian protesters. Many years later, working in a London borough, I was pleased to be able to help support day centres for Jewish survivors of the Nazi concentration camps. I heard their terrible stories first-hand and saw the numbers stamped on their arms.
What actions of a democratically elected New Zealand Government could possibly bear any resemblance to either?
David Townsend, Wellington
It is disappointing to see political unity crumbling over dealing with the lawless rabble at Parliament grounds. We have a reversion to point-scoring opportunism. National needs to hold its leadership line and provide credible opposition; and to keep at bay the opportunism of ACT with their Alfred E. Neuman-type leadership.
Now that the police commissioner has taken action that should have occurred on day one, let us hope that criminal actions are met with custodial sentences. Home detention would not work with these people. Nor do they deserve such leniency.
The moment the peaceful protest was hijacked by criminal elements (anarchists and fascists) the peaceful group should have withdrawn and found an independent way to protest. This could be achieved by sending hundreds of posted letters of challenge. Sending emails to MPs is not particularly effective as these get filtered out by secretarial staff. Letters call for written responses.
Hugh Webb, Hamilton
The police commissioner might be afraid that action would stir up nationwide violence (News, February 20), but inaction could do the same.
If the general population decide that the police are not prepared to go to any trouble, then they may start to take matters into their own hands. That must not happen. Our society needs law and order, but the public need to see that enforced. There must not be a ‘‘too hard’’ basket of illegal activity.
Ian Miller, Lower Hutt