A Lebanese army soldier gestures at the scene of a reported pager device explosion in Saida in southern Lebanon on Sept. 18.MAHMOUD ZAYYAT/AFP/Getty Images
Escalation
Re “The pager attacks are a dangerous escalation” (Opinion, Sept. 19): Hussein Ibish declares that “Iran and Hezbollah definitely don’t want a major conflict.” If that is so, why has Iran supplied its proxy with thousands of missiles aimed at Israel? And why does Iran threaten Israel with annihilation on a regular basis?
Ibish further states that it’s “essential to decouple Israel-Lebanon tensions from the war in Gaza.” No, Hamas and Hezbollah are both proxies of Iran with the same declared goal: the destruction of the one Jewish state in the world.
Paul Socken, distinguished professor emeritus, University of Waterloo; Toronto
Ibish portrays Hezbollah as seeking to avoid conflict. On Oct. 7, Hamas attacked Israel, killing over 1,200 civilians. The following day, Hezbollah began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas. Over the past 11 months, more than 60,000 Israelis have been displaced due to over 6,000 rockets fired by Hezbollah. No other nation would be expected to endure such attacks.
Noam Samson Toronto
Go in peace
Re “Canada should invest in diplomacy, instead of spending more on defence” (Opinion, Sept. 17): According to the Global Peace Index, published every year by the Institute of Economics and Peace, peacefulness on the planet has deteriorated for the 12th time in the past 16 years. At the same time, militarism and its associated costs in unimaginable human suffering and catastrophic environmental destruction have gone up.
Contributors Douglas Roche and Ernie Regehr make a constructive argument for choosing diplomacy instead of war. As Canadians, we should speak out against pressure from the United States and NATO to increase military spending, and instead return to our historical and much-needed role as peacebuilders.
Helen Peacock Collingwood, Ont.
Credit is due
Re “Credit where ...” (Letters, Sept. 19): The Trudeau government’s reckless spending during COVID (and before) drove inflation. His government has still not learned anything and continues to spend in excess, thus sending more money after limited supply. He deserves no credit until he commits to change. Tiff Macklem and the Bank of Canada are the only ones who deserve credit for bringing down inflation.
Erik Loch Calgary
What was that?
Re “Justin Trudeau’s by-election take: no change” (Sept. 18): It is quite clear to me why the Liberals lost the by-election in Montreal’s LaSalle-Émard-Verdun: The Prime Minister’s appointed candidate was a poor communicator in selling the Liberal Party’s positive message, and the people of the riding obviously misunderstood that message.
Mihail Murgoci Toronto
Cool choice
Re “Price to pay” (Letters, Sept. 18): “We pay for carbon pricing. We get the equivalent rebate. No change in behaviour.” That is one option.
The one I took: I replaced my gas furnace and hot-water heater with heat pumps. I now pay no carbon price, but I still collect the rebate.
The carbon price is part of making that a sensible financial decision. It promotes freedom; it allows personal choice while providing an incentive to make the choice that is best for our environment.
Liam Morland Waterloo, Ont.
Watch list
Re “Russians at War screening at TIFF theatre draws protesters” (Sept. 18): Although I have not seen the documentary and perhaps never will, based on reviews I have read it appears to be a well-made antiwar film. TVO should not be faulted for providing funding for it.
I hope the time will come when TVO is able to show it for free to Ontario viewers. If a television screening needs to be accompanied by a discussion outlining the evil of the Russian invasion, so be it.
But my guess is that Ontario viewers are already well aware of the context of the Russian invasion and the atrocities that have been committed by Russian soldiers.
Bruce Couchman Ottawa
Re “Russians at War documentary must be seen” (Sept. 14): The righteousness of Ukraine’s cause should not justify censorship.
I recently saw All Quiet on the Western Front, an outstanding film that depicts the horrors of the First World War. I assume that Russians at War does the same thing without promoting Vladimir Putin’s vision of an expanded Russian empire.
In this era of political correctness and extreme sensitivity to perceived slights, perhaps the lesson from the reception of the two films is that one should not release this type of movie until the war is over and people are less emotional.
Columnist Marsha Lederman is to be commended for her courageous support of freedom of expression.
Stephen Auerback Toronto
How much?
Re “Quebec introduces bill to rein in excessive tipping amid cost-of-living concerns” (Sept. 13): In these rough times, when an ordinary person finds it difficult to survive gracefully, it is difficult to think of anyone tipping profusely for a paid service.
All the more, why should tipping be sort of mandatory? If I am happy with the service I am paying for, I will tip. If not, why should I be forced to do so?
Service, to be appreciated by tips, should surpass customer expectations. I am never paid tips for my job.
Ravi Sharma Edmonton
Tipping has become annoying. Little cups are turning up in places where they never were before.
It is time to adopt the European model, where service is included and full costs are presented on menus. Fair wages replace the current practice, and taxes are identified separately.
This allows the potential customer to decide if the meal is affordable before the fact. It also removes variations in tipping practices, including those who never tip, and eliminates the vulture-like dance when the cheque is presented.
Our current approach is not fair to those who generally are at the lower end of the income scale. In some circumstances, current practice should be considered to be a form of trafficking.
M.A. Ashworth Kingston
Size V, please
Re “I have lost my waist, but now I like the softness of my belly” (First Person, Sept. 19): Yes, like Kathy Moffatt, I have been inspired by Rubens’ generous renderings of female figures. I only wish the garment industry would size clothes as V for voluptuous, not XL for extra large. What woman wants to shout from the change room, “I need an extra large!” “I need a voluptuous” sounds far more inviting.
Sue Careless Toronto
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