Reading your article (“Bougie Nights and premium flights to give Sydney the edge”, September 20) on the globetrotting adventures of NSW 24-Hour Commissioner Michael Rodrigues left me cold on where the focus is now placed with cultural expression and the priorities that deliver it.
asserted
that → read → it
Are artists of whatever persuasion saying anything any more or are we just another barnacle on the lumbering whale of the body politic?
asserted
we → say → politic
There seems to be an industry of sorts that has sprung up around the arts that makes the marketing – i.e. administration, management and economics – more important than the art itself.
asserted
marketing → seem → art
Why have we allowed this?
asserted
we → allow → this
It’s a greedy, needy world now, and artists themselves are not exempt from the lure of the world’s baubles and the artificial light of myriad distractions to take us away from making art that actually communicates with people and touches us.
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that → ’ → us
The falling of art as a medium to carry a message has relegated creativity to a “business model” and the product is all too often treated as the disposable decorative.
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product → carry → decorative
Rodrigues can take as many high-flying trips as he likes.
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he → take → trips
But what we want to see and feel is the art that is meaningful and speaks to us on the ground.
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that → want → ground
Neville Williams, Darlinghurst
Your journalist promises nights of dilatory activity in Sydney.
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journalist → promise → Sydney
No wonder people are taking premium flights to get here.
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people → take → flights
Peter Thompson, Grenfell
Catch-22 conundrum
Finally, the elephant in the room concerning the growth in One Nation support has been highlighted (“Hanson faces catch-22 on immigration”, September 20).
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Hanson → concern → immigration
Its drastic immigration policy seems to be the main reason for the “surge” in the party’s growing popularity, and “the lady” seems to have most support in rural and regional areas.
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lady → seem → areas
When will Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce be forced to explain how they will overcome this “Catch-22″ on immigration?
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they → force → immigration
Rob Phillips, North Epping
Pride of place
Can someone please explain why Nick Newling (“Coalition flags pride in West – and soldiers in our schools”, September 20) found it necessary to put the word “pride” in inverted commas when referring to the view expressed by Coalition frontbencher Julian Leeser about our flag and culture?
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it → explain → flag
I can only guess that he thinks his correct attitude should be to be ashamed of our culture and history; that is, Western culture, which is our heritage and still the mainstream in Australia.
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which → guess → Australia
If you still wonder what is driving the surge in One Nation’s popularity, being proud of our flag, history and culture is a large part of it.
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being → wonder → it
Its newly found followers are sick of being told to be ashamed of their heritage and history as it’s now taught in Australian schools.
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it → find → schools
Being proud of it, you can be thought of as some sort of weirdo in this country today.
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you → think → country
Andras Hidas, Arcadia
Housing ‘plan’ a myth
Anyone who thought the Minns housing targets were anything but a pipedream must be living in a fantasy world (“NSW failing on 112,000 ‘missing middle’ target”, September 20).
asserted
NSW → think → target
There was no policy, no plan, no program and no project to bring about the results that were promised.
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that → be → results
All we had was the same old political flummery and a pious hope that somebody somewhere would do the right thing and magic up the actual buildings required to meet the need.
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somebody → have → need
In fact, it is highly doubtful that, when every factor is taken into account, the NSW building industry even has the capacity to produce the output projected, and independent government actions, e.g., reducing skilled migration, are probably hindering housing production rather than improving it.
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actions → take → it
We’ve seen the same thing happen here, with our own female Trump-lite, Pauline Hanson, as she banned the ABC from her press conferences (“Trump moves to ban CNN”, September 20).
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Trump → see → CNN
The more they ban, the more ammunition they give those same news outlets, and even those not banned, to fire off reports lamenting the assault on the basic right to freedom of speech and fair reporting.
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they → ban → speech
Also, it raises the question of what it is they have to hide or that they do not want you to see, hear and report.
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you → raise → question
The lack of transparency and the evasive nature will always raise suspicion in the minds of a discerning electorate.
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lack → raise → electorate
What not to wear
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wear → wear → What
Thank you, Melissa Hoyer, for reminding us of dress standards when flying (“A dressing down for uggs? I’m with the airline”, September 20).
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I → thank → airline
It recalls to mind that day some time ago when I returned from Melbourne the day after the Cup.
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I → recall → Cup
The adjacent seat was occupied by a young man who had clearly lost his shirt the previous day for he was dressed in shorts and a singlet.
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he → occupy → shorts
To make matters worse, he had obviously drowned his sorrows after the race and was accompanied by the aroma of a Melbourne pub at closing time.
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he → make → time
- The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform.
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that → challenge → views
The Aporia
