Trump has been played like a political yo-yo by Putin

As the saying goes, every picture tells a story. And so it is with the tragicomedy being conveyed in the image of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin following their joint press conference in Alaska (“Europe on edge as Trump risks his biggest Taco moment”, August 17) as Putin beams a sly grin while Trump’s face is drawn down, along with his shrunken stature. Perhaps it ould have been smarter for Trump to follow his own advice from his book The Art of the Deal: ”You can’t con people, at least not for long. You can create excitement … do a wonderful promotion and get all kinds of press … But if you don’t deliver the goods, people will eventually catch on.” It’s as if he could see that gold medallion slipping from his clutches, while all the while the world has known that it takes more than pageantry to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Mary Carde, Parrearra (Qld)

If ever there was a sign that Putin was not open to compromise in any meaningful way, it was signalled by his statement at the Alaska news conference that the next meeting “should take place in Moscow” (“Putin came in from the cold, Trump flew out empty-handed”, August 17). Clearly, if Putin had any real intention of giving in to Volodomyr Zelensky and Europe’s demands in order to accomplish peace, he would not want to do that in front of his own countrymen. Quite the opposite. He will hold firm and try to extract his key demands with a minimum of concessions. So, don’t hold your breath over the next talks, regardless of the venue. Larry Woldenberg, Forest Lodge

What a nauseating display of pseudo-affection between the self-appointed Emperor of Alaska and Vlad the Impaler. Even as they smiled and nodded at each other, bombs were being dropped on Ukraine. Actions speaking much louder than words. With no deal, no ceasefire and no path to peace, Trump was trumped and humiliatingly revealed to be an emperor with no clothes. Lyn Savage, Coogee

Trump threw the dice in Alaska and came up snake eyes. All his vaunted negotiation skills came to nothing against a Putin determined not to lose the advantage he has gained. The emperor paid court to a war criminal and lost his clothes in the process. Ian Adair, Hunters Hill

When will Trump supporters finally get it through their skulls that their presidential “dealmaker” has been played like a political yo-yo by Putin and that other troublesome leader, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu? Eric Palm, Gympie (Qld)

The meeting reminded me of the organ grinder and his monkey. It is pretty obvious who was the organ grinder and who was the monkey. Ross Hudson, Mount Martha (Vic)

Someone needs to tell Trump that brown-nosing Vladimir Putin does nothing to make America great again. Genevieve Milton, Dulwich Hill

Blackmail by F-35

Peter Hartcher says “Australia has to find a way to preserve as much of the US alliance as possible” supporting this with statements such as “Without the latest software updates … Australia’s fleet of F-35 fighter jets is useless” (“To US eyes, Australia’s blooming”, August 16). If he’s seriously suggesting that we won’t be provided with the necessary software updates unless we maintain our alliance with the US, it’s surprising that countries such as Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, who aren’t allied to the US, have also purchased F-35s. John Moratelli, Castlecrag

Peter Hartcher’s report quotes Sussan Ley as critical of the federal government’s national preparedness and resilience, asking the prime minister “do we have enough stored fuel in the event that supply lines are cut?“. That’s a bit rich, seeing as she was a cabinet member when the Morrison government made the inexplicable decision in 2020 to house the stockpile of Australian emergency crude oil in the US. Edward Grieve, Woolloomooloo

Hartcher quotes one of the Australian American Leadership Dialogue delegates as saying “What’s unspoken is the impact on our identity as Americans.” Gandhi once said: “If there is an idiot in power, it means those who elected him are well represented.” Salle-Ann Ehms, Glebe

Sick system

As a practising GP for over 40 years, I take issue with the “medical misogyny” many women have complained about when in fact it is simply the poor health outcomes of “six-minute medicine” – a direct consequence of our bulk-billed Medicare system (“Gaslit, dismissed and treated as hypochondriacs: The gender divide in iron deficiency”, August 16). A medical student would fail their exams for missing these blatant cases of severe anaemia on clinical examination alone. Simple blood tests could have provided solutions. In a longer consultation, a doctor could explore this issue with their patient (male or female), and through correlating symptoms with a thorough history and examination, come to a proper diagnosis. Nowhere in the article was there any suggestion that women (and men) should be encouraged to eat more iron-containing foods (such as red meat), which are infinitely better than supplements. Far from being benign, iron infusions (particularly in malnourished patients) can lead to low levels of phosphate, a mineral essential for energy production, which can be life-threatening. Rather than playing the gender card, I believe the health of all Australians would be better served by recognising the problem for what it is. Leanne Barron, Bowen Hills (Qld)

I had similar problems with getting bone density treatments. Despite having a series of broken bones and a bad family history, both were dismissed by the GP as irrelevant. I had to metaphorically beat them over the head to get a referral to a bone density specialist. When I got there, the first comment from the specialist was “with that family history, you should have been here years ago before you had any breaks”. GPs are clearly not on the same page as the specialists. Susan Duffy, Thornleigh

Left in the lurch

Reading the article about Munjed Al Muderis was reliving my own story (“Disgraced surgeon’s battles with patients revealed”, August 16). A different surgeon but a similar scenario. There was no informed consent obtained. A catastrophic accident occurred during hip surgery that so severely damaged the nerves to my left leg that I had no function. After a very brief bedside visit to survey the damage, the surgeon disappeared, never to be seen or heard of again. No responsibility, no aftercare, no way forward. Two years on and I still cannot walk. How many others are out there permanently disabled and abandoned by their surgeon when things went wrong? Anna Cooper, Como

Hamas doesn’t fool us

There’s no need to fret over Hamas’s reaction to the decision of Australia and other countries to recognise the state of Palestine (Letters, August 16). This is pure self-serving rhetoric and media bait. We Herald correspondents, who are masters of the art of rhetorical ornamentation, should not be sucked in. Meredith Williams, Baulkham Hills

Which terrorist group considers Australia to be an ally, Diane Armstrong (Letters, August 16), Hamas or the ultra-right wing Israeli cabinet? Ian Falconer, Turramurra

The fact that many countries are supporting a separate Palestine state is not a reward for terrorist group Hamas, but a direct response to the ruthless and total war conducted by Israel against the people of Gaza. Norm Young, Cooranbong

Politics puts summit at risk

The whole point of releasing productivity proposals before the summit is to allow people time to think about the ideas (“Chalmers hits back at critics talking down economic talkfest before it has even begun”, August 16). After weighing up the merits and consequences, the ideas might well be rejected. But they shouldn’t be “ruled out” based on ideology or politics. Unfortunately, many (including the PM) want to do just that. They can’t resist it. There is concern that it will just become a “talkfest”. If people insist on playing this game, there won’t be anything left to talk about. David Rush, Lawson

Bank branches vital

It seems naive and cynical for Australian Banking Association chief executive Anna Bligh to suggest banks don’t need to keep branches open and hint that actual branches will one day be things of the past (“How bank branches can avoid the same fate as video stores” August 16). Banks exist to enable monetary functions for business, communities and individuals. Without government and community funds, they would not exist, so bending low to serve us humble folk should not be beneath them. Every business day, my nearest branch has queues waiting for teller attention and people having private appointments. While some expert might insist that I could negotiate a term deposit remotely, I would not appreciate loaning a bank my money without dealing with an actual person. Courtesy and security are involved. Banks that offer services for business and investment, especially in regional centres, will get community custom. Those that close their branches will not. Susan Webb, Valentine

Sowing division

Identity politics is divisive. It is a flawed ideology. It divides Australians (“It’s time to stop looking at identity politics as a weakness”, August 16). It focuses on our differences rather than our similarities and uses religion, race, gender, sexual orientation or ethnicity to foster conflict and discord in our society. Its function is trying to convince minority groups that they are oppressed. Black, brown and grey is good. White is bad and linked to white privilege. Female and trans is good. Male is bad and is associated with toxic masculinity. Australia is a fully functioning society where so many other nationalities want to live. We have a welfare system second to none. We should be a country where the harder you work, the better off you are. Dividing Australians into identity categories is just plain wrong. Riley Brown, Bondi Beach

Grant permanency now

The Fast Track Assessment Process was abolished by the present government because it was flawed and unfair. About 8000 asylum seekers who have lived in Australia for 12 or 13 years are still in limbo due to succeeding governments’ failure to resolve this. The Department of Home Affairs says people with new, credible claims may seek ministerial intervention in their asylum applications. This is a slow, drip-feed process, and applicants risk losing work rights during the interim. Not all Fast Track victims even have work and study rights. As Alex Hawke, a former Coalition immigration minister, recently said, these people are here to stay. They have been contributing to our society for 13 years and it is now easier to resolve this issue than in the past. It’s time to give permanent visas to 8000 people who have lived and worked in our communities for so long, all the while in trepidation that their temporary visas could be cancelled. Marilyn Lebeter, Smiths Creek

Parade unfairly targeted

It is interesting that the police and Blacktown Council want to block what is one of Sydney’s smaller, quietest and most organised of traditional celebrations (“Annual street parade blocked by police due to crowd, safety fears”, August 17). Why has the Sikh celebration suddenly become an issue after 20 years without a problem? I note that Great North Road is being closed between Queens Road and Lyons Road in Five Dock for a much larger Italian celebration. This is closing a major thoroughfare for about 15 hours. They can close the Harbour Bridge for a demonstration and major eastern suburbs roads for the City to Surf for many hours. Streets around the Lakemba Mosque are closed regularly, causing major disruption. What am I missing? Terry Cook, Ermington

“Annual street parade blocked by police due to crowd, safety fears” seems to point out that objections have been made by Blacktown Council for the annual Sikh procession, which might attract 2000 people next Sunday in Glenmore. But it’s OK to shut down major parts of the city for a march, including the Harbour Bridge, at a moment’s notice, or for the Catholic Church to shut down part of the city in June, in which an estimated 20,000 people attended a planned religious procession. Surely, this long-running community event should not be sent to the local showground. Or if this is the outcome, which I hope it is not, then street processions of all kinds should be held in parks. One rule for all, no matter who you are. Mark Leary, Woolloomooloo

Ride-shares for elderly

I feel for Jennifer McKay, who lost her mother in a car accident (Letters, August 16). I also lost my mother in similar circumstances. It’s a horrendous way to lose a loved one who had so much more living left to do. We can use “the stick” and regulate older people out of the driver’s seat, but regulation can only do so much. To be effective, we also need “a carrot” – one that works for those who can’t walk far unaided or carry their week’s shopping on the bus. Volunteer-operated community ride-share services can replace driving without people losing the sense of independence that a car offers. One, HillsCarPal, has been successfully running in the Sydney Hills District since 2013. It’s a model other communities who want to help elderly driver pensioners transition to the passenger seat could consider. John McQuarrie, Kellyville

Give gas its due

As Herald letter writers consistently point out, there are many negative environmental impacts of Western Australia’s export gas industry, but never an acknowledgement that LNG has replaced coal as a fuel and the net effect has been to materially reduce global CO2 emissions. Peter Lane, Margaret River (WA)

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