Letters, April 11

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/04/2023 (947 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Difficult line to walk

As he so often does, John R. Wiens has again given us food for thought (Quiet pacifism inadequate response to war in Ukraine, March 28). Wiens is clearly anguished by the apparent contradiction between his pacifist belief that there can be no such thing as a “just” war and the obvious moral right of the Ukrainian people to defend themselves against a ruthless foreign invader.

He should take some consolation from the fact that pacifist ideals are not confined to his religious heritage. The founders of the United Nations, too well aware in 1945 of the atrocities of two world wars, resolved in the organization’s charter to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” The fact that our leaders have not lived up to that ideal does not make it any less morally right.

Those who disagree with Wiens can rightly point to some examples where war was necessary to combat a greater evil, but throughout history the doctrine of a just war has been too often invoked to provide an excuse for petty kings, feudal aristocrats and imperialist megalomaniacs to enrich themselves while using their subjects as cannon fodder.

Since 1945, the expansion of nuclear weapons has fundamentally changed the debate between just war and pacifism. The real moral dilemma today is that, while the invasion of Ukraine is a war crime, that war crime is being committed by a nuclear power.

NATO’s support for Ukraine must walk a fine line. For NATO to intervene directly by attacking Russia would be to pit one nuclear power against another. Perhaps neither side would be insane enough to resort to nuclear weapons, but the risk is there. A nuclear war would not save Ukraine. It would spread mass slaughter across Russia, Europe and North America.

Wiens asks himself if he is “fatally naive.” Maybe he is, but what adjective is appropriate for those who would run the risk of plunging the world into a nuclear winter?

John K. Collins

Winnipeg

Letter writer Charlotte Wiens lauds the power of one (plus one, plus one, plus…) to promote world peace (“Reject warlike thinking,” Letters, April 7). That is a laudable goal, but unrealistic, and naive.

When you are dealing with “ones” like Stalin, Hitler, Putin, Xi and many others, words and reason do not work. Guns and backbone do.

Ray Hignell

Winnipeg

Consequences at Autopac

As reported in Province orders review of MPI operations (April 3), the cost estimate to complete and implement a new online services portal for MPI is now a mind-boggling $290 million.

The original estimate of $100 million was hard enough to fathom. I don’t know what MPI’s original cost/benefit analysis showed, but at triple the original cost I’m guessing the numbers are less convincing that this project should even proceed.

I, for one, would be willing to forego doing my Autopac online to save $290 million, or whatever has not already been spent on this program.

If this were happening in the private sector, heads would roll. What will be the consequences at MPI?

Cameron Laxdal

Dugald

Climate change threatens all

Peter Kaufmann is showing his political stripes by trivializing the biggest threat to humanity, that being the issue of global warming (“Safeguard our economy,” Letters, April 7).

It is too easy to simplify this problem down to the fact that Canada is only responsible for 1.5 per cent of global warming without also including the fact that Canada’s per capital contribution is among the highest in the world, along with the U.S. and Australia.

Key areas where average Canadians could make a significant difference include food, housing and personal transportation. Eating large quantities of meat, using fossil-fuel-driven large vehicles, flying and living in large houses with high energy consumption all contribute to large carbon footprints.

A good example of where to drive an EV, for instance, would favour Iceland, where electricity comes from renewables, as opposed to India, where electricity is largely coal generated.

If the will to change were there, change could happen quickly, rather be seen as a problem too big to solve.

Individuals need to change, but, more than that, policies need to be put in place and businesses need to come on board with sustainable products. Kaufmann believes this is just a bandwagon that is destroying our economy and throwing citizens under the bus.

I would venture to say he has not even seen the half of what will happen to the economy if climate change is not addressed with appropriate haste. Unfortunately it will not be our problem, but that of our children and grandchildren.

There is so much more to consider than just the economy, and I feel it would be great if people would educate themselves on important matters such as this so that intelligent decisions could be made.

Brian Dyck

Winnipeg

Cutbacks a false economy

I have had two knee replacements — in 2011 and 2014. I was the grateful recipient of outpatient physiotherapy at the Seven Oaks Hospital by physical therapists and physical therapist assistants trained and experienced with the arduous recovery this surgery requires.

This service was one of former premier Brian Pallister’s first health-care cuts, and I said at that time that there would likely be a rise in failed knee-replacement recoveries.

I am thankful that I had access to this gold-standard care. “False economy” is what comes to mind when I think of the cuts to health care and education.

Maureen Graf

Winnipeg

Olympics promote harmony

I appreciated Don Halligan’s refreshingly logical opinions on Olympic Games participation (“Ban-worthy?” Letters (April 1). I completely agree. It makes no sense to ban a selection of athletes based on their nationality in a misguided attempt to express disapproval of the foreign policy of their respective countries.

Where would you stop and start in this attempt to identify villains? And why do the Americans escape rebuke for their interference and the suffering they’ve caused throughout the world?

Part of the rationale for the modern Olympics is to promote international harmony, a respite of peace in a troubled world.

Jane Hunter

Reston

Course of action

Re: “Fore!-gone conclusion,” Letters (April 5)

I am thankful that the founders of our city were golfers. They incorporated the golf courses that we enjoy today.

As golf is very seasonal, the green space is not under-utilized. It is a small patch of nature within the city that a wide variety of wildlife survives in.

Improve the courses, but don’t repurpose them.

Howard Doerksen

Winnipeg

Carry on, curlers

We agree totally with Sandra Coutu’s letter (“Curlers should be proud,” Letters, April 4) about Kerri Einerson. We thought it was very cool to see the Métis logo on their pants.

She should be proud of her heritage. The trolls must have very sad lives to have to put down someone else’s accomplishments.

Keep on curling Kerri, and we will be watching.

Jim and Rae Vassart

Oak River

Thank you for your editorial about the inappropriate comments and abuse female athletes received as they compete (Women in sports subjected to sexist trolling, April 6). I shared that article so that others will be aware of this disturbing behaviour.

I applaud the curler who is being a positive role model for her children and representing her country at the highest level.

Chuck Jones

Dahlonega, Ga.