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CULTURE WARS
Re ‴Philanthropy is not neutral’: Debate swirls at university over controversial $35m scholarship program″, 9/8.
Your correspondents (Letters, 10/8) in response make persuasive arguments for accepting scholarship money from conservative bodies like the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation. They may not be as open-minded about money from Marxist or Islamic foundations. Or those from Russia or China.
It’s easy to espouse academic liberty in the context of bodies that align with one’s own views. The very concerns about Ramsay are its processes to influence academic liberty.
It was only later in life I realised how cleverly bias was inserted into much of my university studies decades ago. Bias-free academia is a great idea but mostly just that. Ideally, our universities would only accept scholarship money with no strings attached. This rarely happens because the money is usually intended to buy influence.Mark Freeman, Macleod
Beware Trojan horses bearing money
Your correspondent (Letters, 10/8) states that rejecting $35 million in scholarships from the Ramsay Centre is a lost opportunity for Melbourne University.
So, if another “philanthropist” were to offer Melbourne University to create a course that climate change is “crap” (as Tony Abbott once declared), or that renewable power was a waste of money, then they should accept it?
Trojan horses have not fared well in history.Alan Inchley, Frankston
Risk of inculcating a partisan political agenda
Your correspondent, (Letters, 10/8), is correct in warning against the ‘ideological paradigm’ inherent in the ‘Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation’ putative scholarship program overseen by the University of Melbourne.
This tendentious proposal relates directly to the Anglosphere agenda promoted in recent years by Tony Abbott, which has seen him taking up quasi-academic roles in both the UK and Hungary.
As pointed out in Sean Kelly’s article, (″How political enemies help Hanson″, 10/8), our ex-PM has directly supported the recently defeated Hungarian PM, Viktor Orban, in stridently warning of migrants swarming Europe and perpetrating ultra-conservative populist population theories around immigration.
Interestingly here, in relation to the Ramsay Centre course proposal, Orban has long framed his arguments in the context of Western Christianity being threatened by Muslim invaders in the historic Crusader campaigns.
Universities of repute should indeed be wary of teaching cultural courses which, effectively, are inculcating a partisan political agenda.Jon McMillan, Mornington
Academic freedom without fear or favour
That the University of Melbourne Academic Board has voted against funds for student scholarships from the Liberal-linked Ramsay Centre, a centre dedicated to “western culture” is consistent with the principles of academic freedom.
Money can buy most things, including political votes and influence, as we have clearly seen in international and local politics. But it should not be used to fund the dissemination of a particular ideology in an academic setting.
As universities become more like corporate entities, they face more internal and external influences that can undermine freedom of expression.
A core value of universities is to preserve, defend and promote academic freedom. This includes engagement in critical enquiry and public discourse without fear or favour.
The University of Melbourne Academic Board is acting consistently with these principles in questioning funding linked to an organisation dedicated to “western culture”.Leigh Ackland, Deepdene
THE FORUM
Plan for people
Re ″7 million litres of diesel just 250m from homes: The data centre plan locals didn’t know about″ (10/8): Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny should know that we need to grow human intelligence over artificial intelligence.
Plan for people and their real lives rather than the massive data centre proposed in Campbellfield by Singaporean-backed developer Zerra DC. This is such a drain on a fragile environment and an imposition on the neighbourhood. Kilkenny should not let it proceed.
Quality and dignity of human life must be paramount over company profits. Otherwise, the human race will be dominated by digital, soulless technology, and the environment trashed.Julia Donnelly, Surrey Hills
FOMO foolishness
We are now told that we must allow more resource gobbling data centres to be built in Melbourne, or risk “missing out”. What we will “miss out” on is never clearly articulated – job losses, excessive water consumption, spreadsheets with pictures, the ability to hack into unprepared internet sites? And what else?
FOMO (fear of missing out) is the latest way of persuading the naive to spend their money and other scarce resources. The billionaire captains of industry have perfected the art of exploiting FOMO.
AI didn’t exist three years ago for most of us, and there’s no indication so far that there is any great benefit to general society.
What benefits does Melbourne gain by having more data centres? To date, all the benefits have been flowing back into the AI industry and into the very large pockets of the wealthy.Bruce Bowden, Preston
Enact Murphy report
Re “Albanese, Taylor hedge their bets on gambling reform deal” (10/8): According to an Australia Institute poll in May, more than three in four Australians support a ban on gambling advertising — including 81 per cent of Labor,
78 per cent of Coalition and 66 per cent of One Nation voters.
Surely, the government has more than enough political cover to withstand the wrath of the gambling lobby and implement the Murphy report’s bipartisan recommendations for a comprehensive ban.Brian Marshall, Ashburton
Nanny status
Nannies are lovely people and care for us, so why on earth is Anthony Albanese so afraid about taking tough action on gambling reforms, fearing One Nation gibes about a ″nanny state″?Peta Colebatch, Hawthorn
Global and local
″We’d rather chuck another prawn on the barbie,″ writes your correspondent (Letters, 10/8) capturing the spirit of global inaction admirably while environmental and social disaster unfolds – pollution, climate, disease, overpopulation, migrations, crime and violence through to habitat loss and
species extinction.
And on our doorstep, as an excuse to inflict Box Hill high-rise on the eastern suburbs, we have the Suburban Rail Loop: Two 26-kilometre tunnels of seven metres diameter yielding in excess of 2 million cubic metres of excavation needing to be dumped.
The energy required to undertake such tunnelling and the diesel fuel, air pollution and disruption of transporting spoil off site is an abomination.
The Greens, teals and independents’ silence astonishes, given the SRL’s 1.6-kilometre ″exclusion zones″ have removed residents and councils from planning realms to allow a concrete heat island stretching to Cheltenham. Is the ″voice″ of last resort Pauline Hanson?Ronald Elliott, Sandringham
Ticked off
I would like to help your correspondent (Letters, 10/8) who is concerned about the misuse of the terms “uptick” and “going forward”.
We give a tick to something that is correct or good. Thus, to describe the increase in something that is undesirable as an uptick gives two faux pas for the price of one. This is not to be sniffed at.
Many speakers tack a redundant “going forward” to the end of a sentence when they have run out of anything useful to say but wish to seem both “with it” and authoritative.
To be fair, they may be concerned for the understanding of any science fiction fans, and so they are making it clear they are not expecting to be time-travelling backwards.Alister McKenzie, Lake Wendouree
Not just semantics
I sympathise with correspondents (Letters, 10/8) who complain about degradation of the English language. For much of my 60 years in journalism, I was a sub-editor – one of a long line of dedicated grumps that once comprised the ″sub-conscience″ of newspapers.
My excellent Scottish education taught me about parsing, tautology, gerunds, semantics, non-sequiturs, etc. I also learned a lot on the job.
At times, it felt as though I were the doctor in The Plague, the allegorical novel by Albert Camus. Each day, the good doctor chooses to battle an epidemic that seems unstoppable because resistance is what makes life meaningful.
These days, I just relax in my regional village, drinking coffee, listening to jazz and polishing
my musical skills.Ken Turnbull, Maldon
Melbourne so fine
I was sorry to read that your correspondent (Letters, 10/8) does not feel safe in Melbourne. I am 80, and I, too, visit Melbourne on a regular basis to go to the theatre, and I stay in hotel.
I have never felt unsafe walking around the CBD or catching trams, although I’m always vigilant and don’t go out too late at night.
He is missing so much. I wonder whether he has had a bad experience in the city or whether he is just overwhelmed by what he sees in the media? Come on in ... the water’s fine!Mary Lyon, Camperdown
Criminal behaviour
Australia’s new anti-money-laundering laws are expected to deter criminals from using their ill-gotten gains to buy real estate, “particularly in higher-value or more complex transactions” (“What happens when crime stops paying for real estate”, 10/8).
It follows then, in the absence of other alternatives, that cashed-up criminals laundering money will probably gravitate to lower-value, simpler real estate transactions. Those are transactions that are less likely to attract attention.
Crime-based price distortion will thereby shift from the upper, to the lower end of the property market. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
Doctors’ time
Your article on more doctors bulk-billing their patients is inspiring; however, my doctor still charges an exorbitant fee. While I have been seeing my GP for many years and have been very well cared for, lately I have been advised that I am due for a health check with a nurse before I see my doctor.
This process covers things like mobility, vaccinations and general health. The health checks occur twice a year and are covered by the government.
I then go into the doctor who has a 15-minute window to discuss the health check.
Last time I visited, I had a specific problem that needed to be addressed by the doctor and was told that I needed to make another appointment for that, which would incur a cost.
I am over 70 and healthy, but I am concerned that my doctor’s visits will start to be needed more often as I age. The health checks sound wonderful, but I am confused with how the medical system works, and am wondering if I need to change my doctor.Julie Ottobre, Brunswick East
Fertility also men’s issue
I was surprised The Age named only women in the title of its article on recent IVF success rates (“IVF success rates are rising, but women still face a high-stakes numbers game”, 9/10).
As the article itself made clear, infertility affects men as well. And men (alongside people of all genders) also participate in IVF.
I understand that the title pointed to the decreased success rates for IVF as women’s age increases reported in the new research, but much research and reporting alike in the past decade have thankfully shifted from framing infertility as a “women’s issue” – and women as falling off a fertility cliff – to one faced by anyone who hopes they or a partner will become pregnant, including men.Sarah Teasley, Thornbury
Deduct club’s points
Fines for Geelong Football Club would not deter them with their wealthy backers.
What would really hurt is the English Football League sanctions of deducting match points.
Ask Southampton, who start the upcoming season on minus points following their spying on their opponents training, and also being disqualified from the Championship play-off for entry into the Premier League.
Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City have also suffered from these point deductions.
Such punishments would act as great future deterrents for any football club.Roger Revens, Shepparton
Clubs’ hard lessons ahead
Peter Ryan (″Kolodjashnij told me about his ‘tough conversations’. His case reveals much bigger issues″, 10/8) has written a must-read article on the concussion protocols that AFL players and clubs go through.
Rather than trying to pick Geelong off as a serial offender who is cheating their way to success, Ryan has done some work to reveal what clubs go through when a player with a history of concussion, but passed medically fit to play, wants to go on and see out his contract.
Geelong will most likely pay a fine and learn a hard lesson. They will not be the last club to face this difficult position. The next club will most likely just re-negotiate the player’s contract and retire
the player.Murray Horne, Cressy
AND ANOTHER THING
Politicians
There’s no greater example of the addictiveness of having “a punt” than Anthony Albanese and Angus Taylor “hedging their bets” (10/8).Jenny Bone, Surrey Hills
“As politicians, we don’t look at them much” was Mark Butler’s comment on Labor tanking in the polls. Really?James Ogilvie, Kew
Well said to your two correspondents (Letters, 10/8). I don’t recall Jess Wilson saying anything sensible about the climate crisis either.Greg Curtin, Nunawading
I hope we have a refund policy on our AUKUS venture, but I expect not.John Rome, Mt Lawley, WA
Furthermore
I reported a pothole, and Moonee Valley Council fixed it within a week.Susan Scalise, Ascot Vale
Although Dorothea Mackellar wrote, ″I love a sunburnt country″, we might not love it for too much longer, while news footage of London’s sunburnt Hyde Park would have William Blake mourning his ″green and pleasant land″.David Johnston, Healesville
Another mystery: Why does no one ″die″ these days? They all “pass” or “pass on”.Jacki Burgess, Port Melbourne
The US State Department sees Cuba as an existential threat to democracy because of its links to Russia and China (10/8)? The United States has had its knee on the throat of Cuba for more than
70 years. It is no surprise Cuba looks elsewhere for support.Peter McGill, Lancefield
Air Services Australia attributes the two aircraft near misses within a very short time at Sydney Airport to ″operational challenges″. What does that even mean, if anything at all?Mick Hussey, Beaconsfield
Finally
The Saints should negotiate a final-year payout for Ross Lyon and appoint Corey Enright now.Peter Walker, Black Rock
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