We have given war a good go, we should give peace a chance

It helps no one to be in the dark and not be talking.

We should establish an expansive refugee program and seek to negotiate an orderly resettlement of people wishing to leave.

We should contribute to humanitarian aid and programs to relieve poverty and help rebuild a country torn by 40 years of war.

We should advocate for tolerance, inclusiveness and human rights of ethnic minorities, women and political groups.

We should promote proper legal processes to address alleged war crimes on all sides, denouncing torture and unlawful killing.

We should treat terrorism as a vile crime not a justification for war.

Finally, we should adopt an independent and peaceful foreign policy and eschew war except in defence of our homeland.

What callous and shallow men we have in high political office. I can't call them leaders.

As we witness the humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan, PM Morrison and Minister Dutton just can't resist the opportunity to conflate refugees with terrorists, and to try to stoke fears about boats.

People who risk their lives to leave Afghanistan are not friends of the Taliban. They are fleeing the Taliban's regime of terror.

The call for Australia to respond more generously with a special humanitarian intake of people from Afghanistan is in no way a threat to our orderly immigration system.

It is an endorsement of its strength and capacity to respond appropriately in a time of great need.

It is reported we have 400 front-line health people in quarantine. The call is out for those with appropriate training to come to the aid of the government.

Yes, we can spend $25 million on a "surge centre" but we do not have the frontline people to keep our citizens safe.

Suspend all activity on the light rail now. Our society needs government to admit that there are greater needs than a 19th century mode of transport.

While I sympathise with Greg Cornwall's inability to hear the "masked mumblers" on television (Letters, August 18) there is a much more infuriating problem that has spread through practically every television program from news and documentaries and even to many movies.

That is intrusive music continually playing, not only in the background, but over conversation and speech. For the many of us who are somewhat hard of hearing this is a dreadful infliction that should be abandoned as soon as possible.

Please stop playing music when it is not required.

The wait time for COVID-19 testing clinics is pathetic and stressful. On Monday for the whole day we stayed in car to get testing done. Our son goes to Lyneham High and we wanted to get him checked.

We drove past all the clinics in Canberra before staying in line at Exhibition Park for four hours. Then we had to leave our place as our other son got sick from sitting in the car for more than five hours.

On our second attempt we went to Brindabella Park where we stayed in line for two hours before being told testing for Lyneham High couldn't happen that day. It's unfortunate, frustrating and annoying.

Our family friend stayed at exhibitions park from 12.15pm and got tested at 7.30pm. Their son also attends the same school.

I am so angry and frustrated with this government. They knew it was coming and that this would happen. Why didn't they prepare for this unfortunate event?

Given the increased potential risk of infection and transmission of Delta by younger people, and with vaccine eligibility starting at age 16, 14 and 15 years who work in high risk/high transaction settings (fast food outlets, supermarkets, cafes and takeaways) are ignored under the current strategy.

We are asking them to work to keep our city going through lockdown with no immediate option to protect themselves, their co-workers, family or community.

Let's acknowledge the risks they are taking by continuing to work un-vaccinated in these settings.

Like Phil Champassak (Letters, August 19) I have an adult child who has to go to work but is ineligible for vaccination.

I question whether his work is essential, at least in the short term. It doesn't put food on the table or support any health outcomes.

Please, can the government give better guidelines about what is essential.

On Tuesday, as I was out in the fresh air returning from my one hour of exercise, someone shouted at me from a bicycle.

I had a mask dangling from one ear, ready to put on if I approached another on the footpath.

I am one of the unfortunate people who suffer from breathlessness when walking.

Did this rude young man, in all the glory of his youth, strength and health stop to think about all the conditions which can compromise a person's breathing?

Emphysema, asthma, some heart conditions; do these people not deserve the opportunity to exercise in the fresh air and sunshine?

Most people with these conditions carry a mask with them which they can use to cover their nose and mouth when approaching others.

After all, people with chronic breathing conditions want to protect themselves from COVID-19 as much as they want to protect others.

They use their masks to do so.

There are mumblings about cutting public servants' wages to pay for the costs associated with the pandemic.

Instead, let's not proceed with the tax cuts for the big end of town and let's stop the multinational corporations from repatriating their profits overseas.

If we do that we won't need to cut any wages and we can probably improve Centrelink payments and re-introduce "Job Keeper". It's a no-brainer.

Nobody should be surprised the Taliban moved so fast in taking Kabul. Afghanistan is smaller in area than NSW.

It has a good road system thanks to the Russians, plenty of four wheel vehicles bought with drug money and weapons supplied by sympathetic neighbours.

The country can be traversed from west to east in a day. The locals did not put up any resistance because many are Pashtun and closely aligned with the Taliban ideology (especially the older generation).

The US, Britain, Australia, Canada and other western countries did their level best. The Afghan national animal is the snow leopard and leopards never change their spots.

The Afghans were not ready to embrace democracy.

Despite having decades and decades to prepare for an inevitable pandemic, the best our governments can do is rolling lockdowns and a tepid vaccination scheme.

Perhaps now would be a good time to cast an eye over the Plague Locust Commission just to be certain its strategy contains something more than a can of fly-spray.

I hear that the South Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation Is objecting to plant-based products being called "meat" and not stored with "meat" products.

This reflects similar calls from other meat producers.

I say good on the manufacturers of plant-based "fake meat" and supermarkets for their display practices. Anything that reduces humans' massive consumption of animal protein is a great win for the planet and our future.

Rod Holesgrove (Letters, August 13) police have been called coppers or cops for as long as I can remember - and I'm getting old.

It seems there are many reasons for calling police "cops". They're mostly English in origin, not American.

One is that it started as an acronym for "constables on patrol". Another is that it's from the English colloquialism for "taking", i.e. "a fair cop". Police who arrested someone were called coppers or cops.

Morrison has admitted Australia won't be able to help all the former Afghan interpreters. The moral of the story for foreigners is that if the Australian government asks you to do anything for it flee for your life.

Those who criticise the Morrison government for its lack of concern about asylum seekers should note the Immigration Minister has said Afghan refugees already in this country will not be sent back "while the situation remains dire". We all should congratulate the government for such admirable compassion.

I imagine the 1 million Polish doses will be given a military name. "Operation Save Scotty's Butt" sounds about right.

Andrew Barr and Tara Cheyne are defending their cash-cow 40km/h city speed limits with weasel words. They should have given Canberrans one year to adjust to the change of traffic signage but their hunger for money and the second stage of light rail is stuck in their grey matter.

Further to the recent debate about who actually took the 1963 photos at the midnight meeting of the Labor Party federal conference at the Kingston Hotel (Letters, August 4) I need to mention that one of the "faceless men" was actually a woman, Phyllis Benjamin, MLC, from Tasmania. She was my aunt.

To all those misguided souls who are still not fully vaccinated, keep your distance. Otherwise we may both end up in hospital, me in isolation and you in the ICU.

I would like to give heartfelt thanks to ACT Health and LDK Greenway Views for their prompt and professional action during the COVID-19 outbreak. They worked throughout the night and day to keep us safe and up to date.

Whilst I shudder at the corruption of the English language with the new word "signalization" I must compliment ACT Roads for the traffic lights now at the traffic black spot on the intersection of Belconnen Way and Springvale Drive. No more broken glass and car pieces anymore, not to mention ambulances.

I concur with H. Bamsey (Letters, Monday 16) about potholes in the ACT getting worse since self-government. We were told self-government would not cost us anymore. They never mentioned potholes. Methinks the high taxes and the potholes are here for the long haul.

The UN IPCC's sixth assessment review on climate change runs to 3949 pages. Has anyone read it? Or even read its 150 page "summary for policy makers?"

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