Donald Trump ordered the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. Photo / Getty Images
Troubling coverage of conflict
The world shudders once more following the United States’ strikes on Iran.
President Donald Trump has reverted to his usual level of hyperbole, stating the strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites have “obliterated” them. With an event so critical to global peace, I felt it prudent to move away from the superlatives Trump uses when describing his leadership skills, and gain further insight by watching major news sources, and against my better judgment, including Fox News.
No wonder there is such division when our information sources are so partisan. CNN has trotted out every expert from wartime generals to nuclear scientists, all playing a lethal version of “Where’s Wally” trying to discern if those three sites held enriched uranium, or was it removed beforehand. Fox News was far more entertaining, as the presenters unabashedly worshipped their MAGA cap-wearing leader. They were positively giddy over bunker-busting bombs and payloads, and declared, “Our military is bad ass.” Not illuminating during so much conflict and when the world is on the brink of devastation.
I can only hope and pray that the US, Iran, and Israel realise they can’t bomb their way to peace.
Mary Hearn, Glendowie.
The next big bang
Threat inflation due to television lenses magnifying the perceived importance of relatively constrained events can be witnessed in coverage of both Los Angeles and the Middle East.
Earlier this month, Los Angeles appeared aflame as all TV cameras were focused on, at peak, a few thousand protesters covering around two blocks of a city of 460 square miles and 9 million people. Zooming out showed that the rest of LA went about business as usual.
Things going bang in the Middle East legitimately make this a priority. However, the potential instability attributed to this most one-sided fight between Israel and the US on one side and Iran on the other by 24-hour TV news contrasts sharply with the risk perception of the financial markets.
All of the major US share indices rose. Moreover, after the US struck, the WTI and Brent Crude oil indices, the market most directly affected by trouble in that region, both dropped by over 6%, reflecting little concern over any impact on oil supply.
Despite inflammatory rhetoric, the disparity of forces makes it almost inevitable that this Middle East dispute will peter out with Iran licking its wounds. And then the media focus will move to the next bang.
Peter Jansen, Mission Bay.
Politicians’ priority
Politicians should focus on their job at hand rather than posting comments about their critics.
They should feel confident about their decisions, and they need to learn to live with any criticism because it is part of the job.
They are creating an environment where it is politically and socially okay to throw mud at those who do not agree with them.
Stand tall and have confidence in your decisions. Politicians are public figures and they need to set an example
K.S. Agar, Onehunga
A legal precedent
In response to the report (June 24) regarding an All Blacks player avoiding conviction.
A scenario: I go out at night and do some dangerous high-speed driving in a residential area and when the police spot me, I flee, but eventually they catch me.
I admit to them that it was the most stupid thing I have ever done in my life, and am very remorseful.
I am willing to surrender my car and complete a defensive driving course.
Now, I am a mild-mannered Christian guy and I do voluntary work in the community. I would not seek name suppression as I do deserve to be publicly named and shamed before my family and the community.
As I desire to travel overseas within the next 12 months, a conviction could put that in jeopardy and as a punishment, that would seem too severe.
The good news is that a precedent has been set recently, so I am confident that I would be discharged without conviction.
Warren King, Hamilton.
Blame greed, not religion
In response to Allan Walker’s suggestion in the Herald (June 24) that religion is to be blamed for the wars of this world, the answer is no.
It may seem that way, but wars have been caused by the greed stemming from the early colonisers to the “super powers”, for valuable resources such as oil, gold and minerals, and for political motives and geo-political advantages.
I am a Muslim and I know that all religions live in harmony within their countries, until there are unfair disadvantages and they are pushed onto the political scene by politicians to satisfy their own greed for power.
Don’t blame religion.
Nishi Fahmy, Avondale.