Crude, indeed
Re Ottawa's 'Ethical' Oil Sands Campaign Heats Up (front page, Sept. 27): And the first prize for oxymoron of the year goes to … ethical oil sands.
Nancy Murphy, Ottawa
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Re Canada-Libya Relations Cordial As Little As Two Years Ago (Sept. 27): The Harper government sent then-foreign affairs minister Lawrence Cannon to Libya two years ago to protect Canada's "huge commercial interests" in Libyan oil and gas. Obviously, the Conservatives can't spin this as supporting "ethical" oil and may be struggling to find a different politically correct term. May I suggest "morally relativistic" oil?
Doug Paul, Toronto
The new Winnipeg
There's an element of cynicism in Roy MacGregor's description of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights (A Building That Gives Human Rights Their Due – Sept. 27). References to "a giant beaver lodge" and "some giant child" running "amok with a Meccano set" reminded me of the kinds of comments appearing in the Sydney press during the construction of the Sydney Opera House.
In 1957, one writer described the design as "an insect with a shell on its back which has crawled out from under a log." During the 16 years of construction, it was referred to variously as "a concrete camel," "copulating turtles" and "a pack of French nuns playing football."
In 2007, the Sydney Opera House was designated a World Heritage Site. So who knows? Maybe a similar honour might be awarded one day to a visionary museum in Winnipeg.
Alan Bowd, Winnipeg
Banking on Carney
I wish to express my firm support for Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney's financial regulation speech in Washington (Banks, Regulators Square Off Amid Turmoil – Report on Business, Sept. 27). Despite the reported criticism of Mr. Carney's remarks by JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, the fact remains we would not be in the current situation were it not for the excessive overleverage and flagrant misappropriation of capital undertaken by the world's largest banking corporations.
It has been our view that the world's largest banks are operating with leverage ratios of more than 20 to 1. We are now in an environment where all financial assets, including currencies, can change 5 per cent to 10 per cent in a single week (many change by that percentage in a single day). With volatility of that magnitude, the practice of maintaining such leverage is irresponsible.
All banks should make stronger efforts to bolster their capital reserves. It should not be the responsibility of government to rescue these corporations if they continue to make the same mistakes. We must also question why banks were allowed to reinstate their dividends so quickly after the 2008 crisis.
The current economic crisis is still, at its heart, a banking crisis. Mr. Dimon's reported criticism reflects his inability to acknowledge this.
Eric Sprott, CEO, Sprott Asset Management LP, Toronto
Arts and the dead
I always find it so sad when people claiming to speak for our fallen heroes pin the memorial on bricks and mortar (Plan To Raze War Memorial Causes Uproar – Sept. 27). Surely those who made the ultimate sacrifice did so for a much greater good than to be remembered in a perishable building. Their true memorial is in the souls and minds of the young generation who are creating an ever-changing culture.
Memorialization of sacrifice is fundamentally important; how we choose to recognize that memorial can change. Stone and brick fade, no matter what we do.
I like to believe that the fallen soldiers from Mount Allison would be proud to know their sacrifice has made it possible for the world, and their alma mater, to move on, that their memory is bigger than a building. That's how I want to remember them.
Glen Nichols, director of drama, Mount Allison University, Sackville, N.B.
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It seems human sacrifice in these "moving forward" days now has a "best before" date.
Graham Watt, Sackville, N.B.
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As an alumnus of Mount Allison, I'd like to congratulate the university for its commitment to the cultural advancement of our province. This will be a bold investment in the arts at a time when this kind of venture is often viewed in a doubtful perspective. As much as the past is a source of inspiration, it should never be an obstacle for the future of those who will benefit from these new facilities.
Herménégilde Chiasson, Grand-Barachois, N.B.
Eye to eye
Re How Is A $1,575 Drug Better Than A $7 One (Sept. 27): The Canadian Council of the Blind believes Canadians with wet age-related macular degeneration should be treated with Lucentis, the drug that has been developed, tested and approved by Health Canada for that purpose, rather than the cancer drug Avastin, which has not been approved for treating wet AMD.
It's unfortunate that André Picard chose not to mention several recent studies that indicated potentially serious systemic safety issues with using Avastin to treat AMD. One such study evaluated the records of more than 77,000 U.S. Medicare patients treated for AMD with both Avastin and Lucentis and found that those treated with Avastin had an 11 per cent increased risk of death and a 57 per cent increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
As well, due to recent safety issues, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has suspended the use of Avastin in the eye while it conducts further studies.
If we decide we should throw out safety rules and our health regulatory system whenever it would save us money to do so, we will soon have no safety at all.
Louise Gillis, president, Canadian Council of the Blind, Sydney, N.S.
Asbestos reflection
Whatever one's opinion of the asbestos industry, perhaps The Globe and Mail would like to reconsider the use of "breathe new life into" to describe Montreal businessman Baljit Chadha's investors' backing in any future articles ('Yes, We Have The $25-Million,' Firm Says Of Controversial Asbestos Plan – Sept. 27). Seems a trifle cruel.
Steven Hewins, Vancouver
Sluggish reflection
In More Wanted, Less Needed (Sept. 27), Margaret Wente observes: "Not a single woman was involved with the reckless speculation that led to the debacle of 2008." This may have had less to do with women's lack of testosterone and more to do with the absence of women in the lofty executive positions that made the debacle possible.
Frederick Sweet, Toronto
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Historically, female aggression is well-documented. Household names include Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, Imelda Marcos, Margaret Thatcher and Leona Helmsley. We should also remember that some of the most risk-averse and cautious professionals (accountants and underwriters) are mostly men.
Peter Reinecke, Ottawa