In regards to the article by Alison Broinowski. "Who makes the call to send us to war should Australia be engaged in conflict with China." (Mercury, April 16).
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Comparing the invasion of Iraq and a potential conflict over Taiwan is a false equivalency.
The position that Australia should not come to the aid of a fellow progressive, liberal democracy of 24 million people against a revanchist, authoritarian regime is incompatible with the values of a nation dedicated to democracy and the international rules based order such as Australia.
Not to mention a strategic fallacy, as China's actions in the South China Sea and Kashmir have demonstrated, Xi Jinping's and the CCP's expansionist appetite won't be satiated by Taiwan.
Just as ceding the Sudetenland to Hitler in 1938 and allowing Putin to take Crimea in 2014 did not stop a wider war, nether will allowing the PRC to take Taiwan.
A successful PRC invasion of Taiwan would give enabling China control of TSMC and 60 per cent of the world's semiconductor market, allowing it to embark on a campaign of economic coercion the likes of which will make its recent campaign against Australia seem mild in comparison and with access to its deep water ports, Taiwan will be a launch pad for China into the wider Pacific. Isolationism and inaction, such as that proposed by Ms Broinowski and groups like IPAN and The Greens will not save us, or must we learn the lessons of WWII all over again?
Adam Lane, Tarrawanna
Harris should hang her head in shame
Response to the article, "Harris calls for defence of US Abortion rights" (Mercury, April 17) the Vice President should hang her head in shame. Kamala Harris claims "When you attack the rights of women in America, you are attacking America."
Yet, Harris fails to mention the brutal act that ends the life of an innocent unborn child? Harris fails to mention the women suffering post-abortion trauma? And Harris fails to mention the millions of dollars made by International Planned Parenthood Federation for murdering innocent children?
Adrian Devlin, Fairy Meadow
Vote 1 is not enough
We are increasingly being urged by vested interests to 'just vote 1' in elections. In the case of Ryde, 3,000 voters - enough to change the result - did not exhaust their preferences so their votes did not count.
We may not like either of the major parties, but it is best if we choose the one we least dislike and include it on our ballot papers.
If we do that, our votes do count and Australia's very democratic preferential voting system can work as intended and ensure that most voters are somewhat satisfied.
Bronwyn Bryceson, Mangerton
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