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Free Game Zone |
Nick Cohen condemns Hamas, but ignores the besetting sins of Israel
While agreeing with Nick Cohen on many issues, I am always baffled by his pro-Israeli stance ("Sympathise with Israel, but not the blockade" Comment). He goes on about Ba'athists or Iran or Islamists, as if their existence justifies any action of Israel's. He decries Hamas, but Israel caused Hamas's rise to power by her refusal to reach any compromise with Fatah. Now, Hamas can conveniently be used as an excuse for crimes like Operation Cast Lead, when one of the world's most heavily populated cities was mercilessly bombed. In his eyes, Muslims/Arabs are to blame for everything and Israel can do no wrong. It's time to face the truth, Nick: the total oppression of the Palestinians, appropriation of their land, ceaseless building of illegal settle-ments and intimidation or murder of its opponents make Israel a rogue state.
James Dixon
Manchester
Lend an ear to rabbit wisdom
"There is never any way to be sure if your rabbit will be tender," says Nigel Slater (Magazine). But there is, Nigel, if you start your relationship with your rabbit far enough back. May I quote from the memoir of my 1930s childhood that I am writing for my family? "Rabbits were plentiful in season and boys would sell them at the door for sixpence each. You looked at your rabbit's ears. If the fur on them was still soft and downy, the rabbit would be tender enough to roast with sage and onion stuffing but, if the fur was bristly, you had best make your rabbit into a pie or stew it with dumplings."
Betty Birch
London SW6
Play fair with sports figures
It is incorrect to suggest ("Olympic legacy in doubt as sports cash fails to attract women and minorities", News) that Sport England's investment has failed to get people playing sport. The number of youngsters taking part has risen substantially since 2005, while adult participation has increased by more than 700,000. With just over two years to go until the Games, we are focused on delivering a lasting, mass-participation sports legacy. This will be the jewel in the crown of this country's golden decade of sport.
Jennie Price
Chief executive, Sport England
Copy Canada at your peril
Nick Clegg has claimed that his government can learn from the "progressive" experience of Canada, Sweden and the US with budget cutting. ("No return to savage cuts of the Thatcher years", News). I can assure him, despite my being a long-time member of the Canadian Liberal party, that the Canadian experience is a very bad guide for Britain. In addition to damaging healthcare, the cuts imperilled higher education, increased child poverty, damaged our infrastructure and prolonged higher unemployment.
Harold Chorney, professor of political economy
Concordia University, Montreal
Making sense of Cumbria
There's been an awful lot of half-baked analysis about Derrick Bird. The articles by Euan Ferguson and Henry Porter ("A tragic old coast that will forever be haunted by the words 'what if'", Focus, and "In the midst of horror, be amazed at the goodness of the survivors", News) are the reason why the Guardian and the Observer are better equipped to deal with important events than any other news medium; good writers have been allowed space to reflect and have the talent to communicate their thoughts remarkably well. You helped me make some sort of sense of these terrible events.
Chris Lilly
London E14
Hats off to Jessica and Kate
Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson can presumably defend themselves from Barbara Ellen's attack ("Actresses should stand up against violence in films"), but let me suggest a reason for their appearances in The Killer Inside Me. When you've appeared in endless adolescent Hollywood films, any star wanting to demonstrate talent is going to leap at an intelligent film based on a well-regarded writer with a respected director and a fine cast. I am grateful that lending their names to a serious film presumably helped get the project financed and provides a welcome alternative to TV spin-offs and blockbusters. William Reiss,
London SW19
Don't swallow pro GM guff
Professor Colin Blakemore claims the Food Standards Agency is not biased in favour of GM food ("GM food deserves better than this witch-hunt", Comment). Prof Blakemore shows exactly this bias in contrasting the "scientific assessment of the risks and potential benefits of GM" with what he claims are the "unsubstantiated horror stories about GM and uncritical praise for organic farming". Only one major international scientific assessment of farming systems has been carried out and the conclusions, which supported agri-ecological farming, have been backed by 40 governments, including ours. Prof Blakemore and the FSA are the ones guilty of ideological and unsubstantiated support for GM and unscientific and unjustified opposition to organic farming.
Peter Melchett
Policy director, the Soil Association
Bristol
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