Credit: Matt Golding
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Life is for studying
What an attractive photograph of the younger Kenyan Heathdale Christian College pupil Sarah Irungu celebrating her great achievement of reaching an ATAR of 96.6 (12/12). The happiness on the faces of her household exhibits their satisfaction, however this younger woman has not solely made her dad and mom proud however everybody who celebrates our youth.
Her achievement is spectacular and excellent as she takes her place among the many excessive achievers, and her household take their place amongst our multicultural society. We can all study and have fun one another.
Julie Ottobre, Brunswick East
We are all Daves
Waleed Aly (Comment, 12/12) raises some difficult questions on our relationship with expertise. The implication that we, both personally or through authorities, should not have as a lot management over expertise as we want to consider is unsettling. Put bluntly, can we management the machines or do they management us?
Technological determinism, the speculation that expertise is a robust driver of human society, tradition and historical past, is tough to disclaim. In many circumstances, this has been helpful. But within the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey the pc HAL 9000 defies an astronaut’s instruction by saying, “I’m sorry Dave. I’m afraid I can’t try this.” We can’t say we weren’t warned.
Rod Wise, Surrey Hills
The values equation
Australian values: having somebody much less effectively off paying off the mortgage on a second/funding property belonging to somebody extra effectively off who’s having fun with tax reductions on the capital positive aspects.
Damon Ross, St Kilda East
The sucker punch
Don’t be fooled that AUKUS is about submarines (“Marles silent on US evaluation of AUKUS”, 10/12) AUKUS is admittedly all concerning the stationing of American troops and tools in Australia. It’s no shock then that the federal government won’t launch the Pentagon AUKUS evaluation doc or talk about the problem in any significant method. What are the calls for contained within the US evaluation, described as “a dwelling, respiration doc”? It is disappointing that ministers Richard Marles and Pat Conroy know finest and that Australians are ignored.
Donald Trump has recognised a very good deal for the US, Australia provides billions of {dollars} to US shipyards with none assure of an consequence and all that Marles can say is, “We do get a way of how that cash was spent … and really feel very assured about the way in which it’s having an impression.” Really?
The fortunate nation has grow to be suckerville.
Roger Hannaker, Docklands
No subs secrets and techniques
AUKUS goes “full steam forward”, Australia is about handy over one other $1.5 billion “to stimulate American shipbuilding”, however we are able to’t learn about any adjustments that the American evaluation has made. Seriously?
We do know that the settlement will price us $368 billion, that rising numbers of US troops will likely be stationed in quickly increasing bases in northern Australia, that we would get some nuclear-powered submarines within the 2030s, and that we’re tying ourselves extra carefully to unclear American ambitions and methods within the Pacific.
Given the volatility of Donald Trump, his lack of respect for worldwide agreements and legal guidelines, and “friendships” that appear to rely on supporting altering US pursuits, I’d say that it’s time to at the very least demand transparency from our authorities in order that we clearly know what we’re getting ourselves into. What secrets and techniques is our authorities preserving?
Anne Sgro, Coburg North
Ban shouldn’t be excellent
I consider the social media ban for under-16s in the identical method as the supply of alcohol to minors. It shouldn’t be excellent and it may be circumvented.
Parents can nonetheless present alcohol to their youngsters and pretend IDs and many others can be utilized. The regulation is there for the safety of the minor and if a pub or bottle store is discovered to be flouting the regulation they are often prosecuted.
Also, the concept this ban is a ban on free speech is totally fallacious. Free speech existed effectively earlier than the web and can nonetheless exist for these underneath 16 after the ban.
Laurens Meyer, Richmond
Boycott the US
Privacy-minded Australians ought to severely take into account boycotting visiting the US given the announcement by the Trump administration that Australians, New Zealanders and residents of 40 other-visa exempt international locations could need to disclose 5 years of their social media historical past as a way to be granted entry into America.
Eric Palm, Gympie, Qld
PM, do extra
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese continues to frustrate commentators and dependable Labor voters by not doing extra to stage the taking part in area for society by adjusting tax charges and buildings to cut back the unfair benefits accruing to large enterprise and the rich.
He additionally presents himself and Labor because the get together of honesty and integrity. Why then does he, on the very least, not grasp the nettle in offering the National Anti-Corruption Commission with stronger powers and actual enamel, finish the imbedded tradition of jobs for mates, present higher safety (and even encouragement) for whistleblowers, curb the ability of lobbyists, restrict (with quick disclosure) political donations, outlaw contracts with corrupt organisations and governments and deal with the long-standing challenge of parliamentary entitlements.
All these actions ought to be low-hanging fruit to a authorities of integrity.
Peter Thomson, Brunswick
