A water bomber assists crews on the ground at the Paddy's Pond wildfire near St. John's, N.L., on Thursday.Paul Daly/The Canadian Press
On war
Re “Continuing the Israeli military campaign in Gaza can no longer be justified, morally or strategically” (Opinion, Aug. 9): As a Jew, I’m so proud of Israel’s accomplishments over the years since its founding.
As a Jew, I’m so ashamed of what Israel is now doing in Gaza.
Marshall Gould Toronto
As a Jewish Canadian, I do not feel the need to be silent.
I view Israel as a beleaguered lone democracy in the Middle East that has always wanted nothing more than to be left alone. Since its establishment by the United Nations, it has been the victim of repeated aggression from its neighbours, many of whom desire the tiny country’s elimination.
War is deplorable and savage, and so is the one in Gaza between Hamas and Israel. If the Israeli hostages were released, the war would end pronto.
Meanwhile, world enmity against Israel has turned this war into daily headline news. As a former journalist, I am stunned at the near-universal media bias.
While 61,000 have been killed in Gaza, the Yemeni war has killed nearly 400,000, the Syrian civil war 600,000. So what’s with the focus on Gaza?
Sadly, I believe I know the answer to that.
Barbara Yaffe Vancouver
In 1974, my wife and I hitchhiked through Turkey, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran to the Far East.
In Jordan, two men picked us up and showed us the Roman ruins of Jerash. They treated us to some snacks and beers. They were driving to Amman, and one of them kindly suggested we could stay at his parents’ house.
It was a handsome second-floor, three-bedroom apartment with a large balcony overlooking a major street. His mother graciously accepted us and served us a delicious feast.
Over dinner, she recounted that she and her family, as Palestinians, had been evicted as refugees from their homes three times. She mentioned 1948 and other years.
The West has sat idly by for a long, long time.
Emile van Nispen Toronto
Why has Israel been held up for particular criticism, when there are much worse governments and greater killing of innocent civilians elsewhere in the world? Here are three reasons:
Israel is a parliamentary democracy with Western support, so we hold it to higher standards than dictatorships. If the United States or a European country were doing what Israel is doing in Gaza, I imagine the protests in North America or Europe would be even greater.
In many cases our governments are supporting Israel, which isn’t the case for counties such as Sudan, Yemen or the former Assad regime in Syria.
Because Israel is a democracy, there is a greater likelihood that protest might lead to a change in government policy or the election of a new government, while that would not be the case for non-democratic governments.
Steven Murray Victoria
Business needs
Re “Canadian CEOs are embracing generative AI’s speed and efficiency. The impact on their employees is less certain” (Report on Business, Aug. 9): Short-term-oriented executives are thrilled that they can replace entry-level staff with artificial intelligence.
What will they do when their next-level supervisors move up or out, with little to no entry-level staff to be developed and promoted to management? They probably assume that, by then, AI will develop so that senior managers can use it to fill operating management roles. But the cycle may then repeat, so there will be a shortage of qualified senior managers to fill executive roles.
Finally, if AI can scrape and access all data and actions and produce recommendations for a company’s current and future operations, those CEOs should ask themselves why, in the long run, should their boards require their continued employment?
Jacques Konig Toronto
Re “This CEO says more corporate headquarters in Canada could fix our productivity crisis. He’s right” (Report on Business, Aug. 13): I agree that Canadians are too enamoured of foreign investment.
More head offices in Canada can drive productivity. Yet it was Brian Mulroney who dismantled the Foreign Investment Review Agency and reversed the trend of greater Canadian ownership of our economy.
We should bring back policies to better restrict foreign investment. Even if a takeover is allowed, we should ensure that Canadian operations have a proper headquarters here with the spinoff benefits.
But Canada’s economy is also too oligopolistic. Domestic takeovers not only limit competition, but also mean the destruction of the seller’s headquarters with its separate staff and capabilities that took decades to build.
Our federal government should get tough on corporate takeovers and mergers of all types. Canada cannot have a strong economy without strong corporations headquartered in Canada, particularly ones willing to compete for business beyond our own borders.
Brian Graff Toronto
Big scoop
Re “It’s not a bird! It’s a Super Scooper plane, Canada’s most powerful waterbombing tool to fight against wildfires” (Opinion, Aug. 9): Amazing, uplifting piece (pun intended).
I have always marvelled at how war can motivate economies to produce aircraft, both qualitatively and quantitatively, in short periods of time. The case to build the “Super Scooper” is strong. Not only are they needed to fight Canada’s forest fires, but there is plenty of demand for such an aircraft worldwide.
What a great opportunity: a mega-project we can all get behind, particularly our federal government. Maximum benefits to our country. Let’s go.
Robert Milan Victoria
The world is suffering from climate change and wildfires, and many countries are still using mostly 18th-century technology to fight them. As pointed out, we have everything needed to produce these aircraft, including an underproductive automotive workforce.
Forget about elbows up: Let’s get on a war footing, because that is what Canada is facing from our allies to the south.
Len Ashby Toronto
Old story
Re “What happens if you don’t have Indigenous actors for a play about Indigenous people? It doesn’t get produced” (Arts & Books, Aug. 9): I was sorry to read that a theatre company in Southern Ontario cancelled a production of Crees in the Carribbean because they couldn’t find old enough Indigenous actors. I saw this play in Saskatoon, so I know the Ontario audience missed out on a great experience just because the producers don’t seem to know about stage makeup.
When I was 14, I did my own makeup and a friend’s makeup to play seniors. If columnist Drew Hayden Taylor really doesn’t want to start acting himself, Canada has many fine makeup artists.
If they’re too busy, I’d be glad to help.
Terry Campbell Saskatoon
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