They would rather believe in a strong man who can make decisions for them. They are willing to set aside safeguards against tyranny in order to secure ‘stability’.  Turkey is a prime example of how so-called democracy can deliver tyranny. It shrieks of the fallacy of our Western systems - that democracy is our protector against fascism.

The election of Donald Trump is another example of where so-called democracy has failed to deliver the goods.  Here is a madman who is willing to use unprovoked aggression to secure his version of stability even though he pledged his non-interventionist stance prior to the election.

The Western press is so happy to forget these pledges because they support the use of pre-emptive strikes against nations which do not fall into line with their version of reasonable behaviour.

The old adage of live and let live is a thing of the past. A country like North Korea cannot be allowed to have the same weapons to defend itself.

 And worse still the gullible public who vote for madmen like Trump lap it up. Erdogan and Trump are peas out of the same pod. Both are petty malignant forces that deserve a bullet. But the greatest shame is that so called democracy gave them false legitimacy.

Adam Bonner, Brogo

In an exclusive interview with a Daily Telegraph journalist on the April 21, PM Malcolm Turnbull is quoted as admitting to be “learning lessons from US President Donald Trump”.

Most Australians would have already twigged this by watching “Malleable Malcolm” already copying from the Trump manifesto.

Surrounded by Australian flags and waving his arms in the air peddling a snake oil potion of affected Patriotic zeal and xenophobic rhetoric. The artificiality of “Patriotism” Malleable Malcolm style was obvious.

Changing the Trump “America First” to “Australia First” and announcing amendments to Immigration and citizenship legislation as being positive rather than discriminatory, added further insult to the intelligence of all Australians.

Where Trump promised all Americans jobs, Malleable Malcolm assured English speaking bronzed Aussies, first dibs on employment positions on Snowy Hydro mark2 and the proposed railway system crisscrossing Australia if, or whenever those “thought bubble” concepts become a reality.

It was “patriotism on steroids” a con job hopefully, not lost upon the Australian community.

Patriotism and pie in the sky promises worked for Trump and Malleable Malcolm hopes it will work for him.

But let us not forget the famous words of Samuel Johnson whom in 1775 said; “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel!”.

Barry Swan, Balgownie

Josh Frydenburg was on ABCTV Breakfast today making a fool of himself on energy policy.

CSIRO and an industry report have found Australia needs to price carbon and use more solar power and battery storage to be energy sufficient.

Pathetic Josh, more interested in political pride than what is good for the country, says his government has the right energy policy, when everyone who is not Conservative knows they haven't.

The Coalition's electoral mandate is nothing to crowe about, barely scraping into power.

The Coalition will become politically more irrelevant as they continue to make self-interested policy decisions, fail to govern responsibly and protect their globally wealthy mates.

Elsa Story, Woonona