Nicholas Kristof rightly praises the UN’s aid efforts, but ignores its ultimate failure (“The UN is terrible – but right now, we need it desperately,” September 28).
asserted
we → praise → it
Formed after World War II to prevent global conflict, the UN’s core mission was crippled from the start by giving veto power to five nations.
asserted
mission → form → nations
Today, it remains toothless against modern warfare.
asserted
it → remain → warfare
Nothing illustrates this futility better than Donald Trump using the UN forum to effectively declare war on Iran.
asserted
Trump → illustrate → Iran
We still need unified humanitarian systems
asserted
We → need → systems
It’s time for a global rethink on stopping war – one shaped by humanity, not politicians.
asserted
It → ’ → humanity
In the past week, the leaders of the United States and Israel used speeches at the United Nations to do exactly what the world organisation was created to avoid; they glorified the destruction of their enemies and threatened to go even further if their demands weren’t met.
asserted
demands → use → enemies
President Donald Trump’s contempt for the UN is well known.
asserted
contempt → know → UN
Under his leadership, the wealthiest country in the world refuses to pay its dues and he intends to replace it with his own “Peace Board”, which would be a puppet of his twisted view of world government.
asserted
which → refuse → government
When Trump’s presidency thankfully comes to an end, we must wonder whether sanity will return to US foreign policy, or if he will be replaced by one of his disciples.
asserted
he → come → disciples
Nicholas Kristof reminds us that despite the United Nations being reduced to a crumbling pillar of the geopolitical order that was created after World War II, it is needed now more than ever before.
asserted
it → remind → II
On January 24, 1946, just five months after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the first resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly was dedicated to the peaceful use of atomic energy and the elimination of weapons of mass destruction.
asserted
resolution → adopt → destruction
With the temperature of the fireball created at Hiroshima reaching 7700C, this resolution was meant to shine a light on humanity’s darkest hour.
asserted
resolution → create → hour
But today’s nuclear arms race between the US, China and Russia places us all equally at the mercy of this newfound means of mass incineration.
asserted
race → place → incineration
So if the UN is to have any relevance, it too must again remind us that such enslavement to the power of the atom is no match to the moral power inherent in human dignity.
asserted
enslavement → have → dignity
Whatever your view on Australia’s energy policy and the way our electricity grid is changing, you have to admire what was achieved at Hornsdale (“Two billionaires, one online bet and a turning point for Australian energy”, September 27).
asserted
what → change → energy
A world-first grid-scale battery was built and operational in just 63 days.
asserted
battery → build → days
This goes well beyond energy.
asserted
This → go → energy
Australia has become used to major infrastructure projects taking years because of planning rules, environmental approvals and procurement processes.
asserted
projects → become → rules
Hornsdale showed that when there is a clear goal, the money is available and governments and business are prepared to move quickly, things can happen much faster.
asserted
things → show → ?
We should be asking why the same approach cannot be used in other areas such as water, transport, telecommunications and urban development.
asserted
approach → ask → water
Too often we seem to accept that big projects must be slow and expensive.
asserted
projects → seem → ?
Hornsdale showed that they don’t have to be.
asserted
they → show → ?
If governments and business can work together with a sense of urgency, Australia can get important infrastructure built much faster.
asserted
infrastructure → work → urgency
This is not about policy or ideology – it’s about a can-do attitude and getting on with the job.
asserted
it → ’ → job
It’s an impressive story, how we were the first country in the world to install a 100 megawatt big battery, back in 2017.
asserted
we → ’ → 2017
But what’s happened since is even more impressive.
asserted
happened → happen → ?
Australia now has the third-highest level of battery storage in the world, behind only China and the United States.
asserted
Australia → have → China
And we have the highest level of home battery storage – more than 12 gigawatts at last count.
asserted
we → have → count
When you consider the figure was only 3.6GW a little over a year ago, the transformation is truly impressive.
asserted
transformation → consider → ?
The challenge now is to keep this going so we transition our grid from near total dependence on fossil fuels to near 100 per cent renewable energy.
asserted
we → keep → energy
Then we really will have something to boast about.
asserted
we → have → something
Rather than blaming the 2016 storm that tore down 20 transmission towers, Josh Frydenberg and Barnaby Joyce falsely blamed over-reliance on renewables in South Australia for the statewide blackouts.
asserted
Frydenberg → blame → blackouts
With global warming we can expect many more such weather events.
asserted
we → expect → events
The Coalition and One Nation continue to aggressively fight renewables to this day, which just proves they are still unfit for office.
asserted
they → continue → office
Britain may seek to re-enter the European Union, but the people of Europe will not welcome a return of the perfidious Albion to Brussels (“As three countries move to quit UK, a Brexit reversal might be its only hope”, September 28).
uncertain
reversal → seek → UK
It may work as an “associate”, which is basically a modified free trade agreement, but many Europeans think that a re-entry of the UK should be on the same terms as the entry of recent new members, which among other requirements would include the adoption of the Euro.
uncertain
which → work → Euro
The decision, if it comes, will depend on those few European countries that will refer the matter to the people by a referendum.
asserted
that → come → referendum
I really don’t know what George Brandis expects from UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham by way of fixing the economic mess caused by Brexit.
asserted
Brandis → know → Brexit
With all the past-glory revelling and Rule Britannia types such as Nigel Farage still in abundance, healing the UK’s self-inflicted wounds will be neither simple nor quick.
asserted
healing → revel → wounds
…and 53 more, not listed.
The Aporia
