Trump guilty verdict will test justice system (2024)

While justice for rich white men of power moves at a snail’s pace in the US, with the backing of US oligarchs, the Murdoch and right-wing media, Putin’s online hackers, Elon Musk’s X, the religious hard right, and the conservative appointees on the Supreme Court, it will be interesting to see if nobody truly is above the law (“Trump found guilty” May 31). Alan Marel, North Curl Curl

Most Americans who voted for Trump in 2016 knew that he was a shady businessman and that he had the morals of an alley cat. His moral baseness, broadcast for all to hear on the Access Hollywood tape, was to his followers just a sexual peccadillo. The guilty verdict has only confirmed what his base already knew and more pointedly either excused or ignored. Such is his messianic-like following that the guilty verdict will only add martyrdom to his already “chosen one” status. Expect hagiography, not condemnation. Trevor Somerville, Illawong

Trump would be well advised to keep his mouth shut right now. His arrogant and derisive comments must be sailing dangerously close to contempt of court. Meredith Williams, Baulkham Hills

Still in denial, still playing the victim and still lashing out at anyone who doesn’t buy his coercion, his manipulation and his selfishness. A foot-stamping narcissist who can’t handle rejection and who has no capacity to admit human frailty or have regard to the rights and feelings of anyone else. But we shouldn’t be surprised. We see it all so often from the bullies and cowards who engage in domestic violence. Trump is just another blathering, bombastic version of it. Adrian Connelly, Springwood

The racketeer Al Capone was in the end convicted of tax evasion. And now the insurrectionist Donald Trump is nailed for financial finagling to protect his dubious reputation. We take what we can get – what the justice system can deliver. Clive Kessler, Randwick

The most astonishing aspect of the verdict in Donald Trump’s trial is that 12 New Yorkers could all agree on something. David Salter, Hunter’s Hill

I nominate Stormy Daniels as Time magazine’s Person of the Year! Kris Mckeon, Goonellabah

New York jury decides that Stormy Daniels has more “class” than Donald Trump. Few Australians would disagree. Ferdo Mathews, Robina

Only in America will you hear someone seriously suggest that the president can run the country from a jail cell. John Christie, Oatley

Donald, where’s yer troosers? Jim Dewar, Davistown

At least there are 12 sane Americans in New York. Rowan Godwin, Rozelle

Hallelujah – God bless America. Edward Loong, Milsons Point

No rationale for child deaths

As usual, Waleed Aly is right on the mark (“Gaza’s inevitable, foreseen “mistake”, May 31). We all know that Hamas is a despicable terrorist organisation. We can see that they consider Palestinian civilians, including children, to be entirely expendable. We can also accept that the historical situation in Israel and Palestine is far more multifaceted than any Twitter or TikTok post will allow.

But in responding to the massacre of October 7 with such unmitigated ferocity - these are children – Netanyahu and his colleagues dishonour the legacy of the dead, including those from my own family who perished in the Shoah, and provides ammunition for illiberal politics and conspiratorial racism from far left and far right to fester. There is no justification for this loss of life. Simon Tedeschi, Newtown

Once more, Waleed Aly speaks the unpalatable truth. Netanyahu seems to think that Israel has carte blanche to do whatever it wants in Rafah without accountability and let’s face it, it seems to be the case. If Netanyahu seems immune to the rulings of the International Court of Justice, then perhaps the names of leaders of countries that continue to sell arms and give economic aid to Israel should also be included on the ICJ arrest warrants for those guilty of crimes against humanity because in effect, they are equally guilty for furnishing Israel with the means of inflicting further suffering on the Palestinian civilian population. Diane Dennis, Epping

The tragic loss of innocent lives in Rafah were more than foreseeable. Those deaths are the almost inevitable consequence of military actions in a densely populated civilian area. We should not accept “tragic accident” or “technical failure” as the description of killing innocent people any more than we should have accepted the appalling “collateral damage” description in the Gulf War. At the very least, the deaths in Rafah were the result of reckless indifference to the human consequences of bombing such a densely populated area. Euphemisms can never change that, let alone excuse it.
Tony Judge, Woolgoolga

Thank you Waleed Aly for the honesty of your outrage. Although we have witnessed global “outrage” and threats to diminish the supply of arms, still the most extremist government in Israel’s history behaves exactly as it wishes, with US support and supply. Palestinians are stateless, imprisoned, even their “aid” determined by Israel. Protest against the dominance of religious and nationalist extremism is ever-stronger in Israel. This is reported daily in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, yet is largely ignored in Australia where any humanitarian call for protection of Palestinian lives is degraded into “support for Hamas”. With millions of lives at stake, truly “Whoops doesn’t cut it”.
Stephanie Dowrick, Darwin (NT)

Unfiltered Tingle to be congratulated

Last Friday I attended a talk at the Sydney Writers’ Festival entitled “The War on Journalists”. It seems to me that Laura Tingle is a victim of this war (Letters, May 31). She was not representing the ABC; she was involved in giving her personal opinion. The audiences at such festivals do not want to listen to self-censored platitudes, they want to hear honest, thoughtful ideas from our commentators. Laura Tingle should be congratulated for her courage and her crystal-clear thoughts. Molly King, Freshwater

Right-wing politicians and the right wing media hate the ABC for not being entirely an echo chamber for their propaganda. It is not enough for the ABC to be balanced, they want only right-wing opinions to be heard and will use any excuse to attack the ABC. These culture wars are so regular and predictable as to render their complaints on the level of vexatious litigants, and it is time we ignored their attempts at cancel culture. If the ABC is guilty of anything it is false balance, where they report the facts then balance it with some divisive nonsense or misinformation spouted by the Coalition. Graeme Finn, Earlwood

Laura Tingle can say to her cronies (in private, and not as an ABC spokesperson) “we’re all a racist lot”, but she has not sought, had verified, or received, the right to declare, “you’re all a racist lot”. Rosemary O’Brien, Ashfield

Building new house should trump knockdown-rebuilds

Kerri Sackville ponders Chris Minns’ housing targets and asks - do we need the “constant redevelopment of existing homes to make them bigger, better and shinier” (“Is Chris Minns leading us into a Portaloo apocalypse?”, May 30). The answer to the question gets at the heart of key aspects of our housing crisis, with good quality homes lying vacant for 12 to 18 months as development approval processes get drawn out, while resources that should be building new housing stock are employed instead in continuous rebuilds for status and economic gain in the property market sweepstakes. Rod Leonarder, Roseville

Anyone in the eastern suburbs knows that traffic is often gridlocked and finding a parking spot on most streets is a constant struggle. With traffic density already beyond what must be considered a tipping point, even a small 2 per cent increase in the number of homes will worsen an already unacceptable situation. Tradespeople heading to jobs and parents ferrying children to school will face the most inconvenience. The time wasted in traffic leads to significant productivity losses. While it may be too late to untangle the sprawling mess of some of Sydney’s older suburbs with their narrow, generations-old roads, improving public transport and encouraging e-bike use are essential if we choose to follow the misguided path of promoting further population growth in the east.
John Kempler, Rose Bay

It cuts both ways

Within this political brouhaha on Direction 99 and priorities, I pose a question (“Four reasons PM won’t sack Giles”, May 31). The no-name creature guilty of the massacre of 51 people in Christchurch has been sentenced to life imprisonment, without the possibility of parole. How happy would we be if NZ decided to change its mind and released him to deport him back to Australia? It would save them a lot of money. Chris Wilkinson, Turramurra

Eatery exploiters

It seems that the hospitality industry “heavyweights” are finally getting a dose of their own medicine (“Neil Perry and hospo heavyweights say ‘enough is enough’ as they launch lobby group to save embattled $64b industry”, smh.com.au, May 31). For many years that industry has been characterised by undeserved profits for the owners derived from rampant exploitation of their employees. Many employees are expected to work up to 60 hours per week while being paid for only 38 of them, and not paying superannuation levies is commonplace. The only solution is for restaurant owners to significantly reduce their profit expectations. Charles Kent, Hunters Hill

Behind on renewables

The clock is ticking on our coal-fired power stations in NSW, with all set to close within the next nine years (“Red tape ties green energy up in knots”, May 31). So why are renewable energy projects taking so long to be approved? Surely the urgent need for replacement power is evident to all, and companies are lining up to invest in wind, solar and battery storage. What’s the holdup? The electricity grid in South Australia is already 75 per cent renewable, and is set reach 100 per cent by 2027. If the “crow-eaters” can do it, why can’t we? Ken Enderby, Concord

Mona too popular

Imagine lining up for ages to spend a few seconds in front of a portrait of dubious quality before being pushed on by a crowd of tourists who otherwise show little interest in the visual arts. But enough about the Archibald Prize, what’s this about the Mona Lisa? (“$800m plan to save the Mona Lisa from herself”, May 31). Colin Stokes, Camperdown

Ironically on the wall opposite the hordes of visitors jostling for their glimpse of the Mona Lisa, is another portrait of a beautiful woman painted by Leonardo da Vinci which is virtually ignored. I was very happy to examine and admire this painting without pressure to move on or stand aside. My gain, their loss. Jennifer McKay, Ashbury

The good creep

It is not quite correct to state that no one likes bracket creep (“No one likes bracket creep, but it’s helped curb inflation”, May 31). The RBA no doubt favours any mechanism to reduce inflation and both the government and Treasury will be pleased with an increased tax take. The government may have scraped together a small budget surplus this year, but due to the tax cuts and increasing expenditure, it is facing future deficits until the crack of doom. Australian taxpayers should understand that the quality of the government provided services they expect will be under threat unless taxation is increased and bracket creep is one way they can all contribute. Geoff Harding, Chatswood

No land policies

I am sure I am not the only Southern Highlands’ resident who is disappointed with the recent illegal land clearing at Canyonleigh and what appears to be insufficient punishment (Letters, May 31). However, what is more disturbing is that none of the declared candidates for the upcoming Wingecarribee Council election has outlined how they would stop this illegal activity if elected to Council. Paul Totman, Mittagong

Scale back renos

So NSW is “actively pursuing design savings to rein in the budget” (“$50m mistake in Powerhouse costing”, May 31). Here’s the solution; stop the wasteful destruction of the Powerhouse Museum Complex, do the repairs and maintenance, renew the exhibitions and get our Powerhouse Museum open for the people of NSW and beyond. It’s not hard - unless you are committed to the wiping out of our history and our heritage. Jennifer Sanders, Russell Lea

Just another day at the office (“$50m mistake in Powerhouse costing”, May 31). Graham Lum, North Rocks

More bad signs

The M8 signage is indeed well below acceptable (Letters, May 31). Heading towards the city along the M5 the directions to take the M8 to get to the CBD via the Anzac Bridge read “M8 Randwick Kensington”. Pity the poor visitor who doesn’t know this is code for “City via Anzac Bridge”. Dale Bailey, Five Dock

Schools of thought

Regarding Alan Egan’s plea to stop calling Sydney’s private schools “elite”, I’d add that as long as they keep receiving taxpayers’ money we should also stop calling them “independent” (Letters, May 31). Brett Jack, Bonnyrigg Heights

No more references to “top” schools. Being able to choose clever students and then watch them perform well in the HSC does not make a school top. Real top schools are the ones in which teachers’ skills help students to improve their results beyond expectations and despite obstacles. Bronwyn Bryceson, Mangerton

Inside days

Growing up in western NSW, we yearned for and cherished rainy days (“Forecast: Cold, wet and miserable”, May 31). They were rare and as children, they were the only days we were allowed to stay inside and read, rather than being told to “go outside and play”. I never imagined that one day I would be saying, “please turn off the tap for a while”. Heather Johnson, West Pennant Hills

Winter warmer

Too many letters are shrouded with unhappiness, dissatisfaction and seriousness. Let the first day of winter be warmed with hope, joy and contentment. Mustafa Erem, Terrigal

Bush whacked

Sorry, Peter Miniutti (Letters, May 31), but nobody’s going bush while most medical treatment requires a trip back to Sydney! John Christie, Oatley

Postscript

Not since a 2017 Anzac Day Facebook post by ABC TV and radio presenter Yassmin Abdel-Magied has a public utterance by an ABC employee generated such a blistering reaction. When ABC TV’s Laura Tingle was asked at a Sydney Writers Festival panel about attitudes to race, she reportedly replied, “We are a racist country, let’s face it. We always have been, and it’s very depressing.” After her comments were reported in The Australian, Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce lashed out at the public broadcaster, accusing it of being “mad left-wing”. Since then, our mailbag has been full of letter writers debating the issue of whether ABC journalists are allowed to express personal opinions on politics. But if the ABC charter means that they are not – as many readers have asserted – why are they allowed to go on ABC’s Insiders program?

Tim Parker from Balmain wrote, “I see Laura Tingle is being criticised for declaring Australia a racist country. The critics believe this is inappropriate for a journalist from the public broadcaster. Personally, I like my journalism to be truthful, not neutral.”

Port Macquarie’s Grant Heaton wrote, “I cannot believe Laura Tingle could be so naive as to think her comments would not be used by critics of the ABC as evidence of organisational bias. She has also broken the cardinal rule of journalism in that she has become the news instead of reporting it.”

The other issue of the week was the merits of national service, triggered by the election policy revealed by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Much of the UK reaction included references to its alternative description – a “Teenage Dad’s Army”.

“You know the policy well is dry when the conservatives start talking national service”, wrote Redbank’s Grahame Riethmuller. But Ted Hemmens from Cromer had a very sensible suggestion.
”All those supporting the introduction of a national service program should immediately sign up or shut up.” Indeed.

Margot Saville, deputy letters editor

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