Reading your article (“Bougie Nights and premium flights to give Sydney the edge”, September 20) on the globetrotting adventures of NSW 24-Hour Commissioner Michael Rodrigues left me cold on where the focus is now placed with cultural expression and the priorities that deliver it. Are artists of whatever persuasion saying anything any more or are we just another barnacle on the lumbering whale of the body politic? There seems to be an industry of sorts that has sprung up around the arts that makes the marketing – i.e. administration, management and economics – more important than the art itself. Why have we allowed this? It’s a greedy, needy world now, and artists themselves are not exempt from the lure of the world’s baubles and the artificial light of myriad distractions to take us away from making art that actually communicates with people and touches us. The falling of art as a medium to carry a message has relegated creativity to a “business model” and the product is all too often treated as the disposable decorative. Rodrigues can take as many high-flying trips as he likes. But what we want to see and feel is the art that is meaningful and speaks to us on the ground. Neville Williams, Darlinghurst
Your journalist promises nights of dilatory activity in Sydney. No wonder people are taking premium flights to get here. Much more enticing than “Boogie nights”. Peter Thompson, Grenfell
Catch-22 conundrum
Finally, the elephant in the room concerning the growth in One Nation support has been highlighted (“Hanson faces catch-22 on immigration”, September 20). Its drastic immigration policy seems to be the main reason for the “surge” in the party’s growing popularity, and “the lady” seems to have most support in rural and regional areas. But these same rural and regional areas are in most need of migrant workers and settlers. When will Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce be forced to explain how they will overcome this “Catch-22″ on immigration? Rob Phillips, North Epping
Pride of place
Can someone please explain why Nick Newling (“Coalition flags pride in West – and soldiers in our schools”, September 20) found it necessary to put the word “pride” in inverted commas when referring to the view expressed by Coalition frontbencher Julian Leeser about our flag and culture? I can only guess that he thinks his correct attitude should be to be ashamed of our culture and history; that is, Western culture, which is our heritage and still the mainstream in Australia. If you still wonder what is driving the surge in One Nation’s popularity, being proud of our flag, history and culture is a large part of it. Its newly found followers are sick of being told to be ashamed of their heritage and history as it’s now taught in Australian schools. Being proud of it, you can be thought of as some sort of weirdo in this country today. Andras Hidas, Arcadia
Housing ‘plan’ a myth
Anyone who thought the Minns housing targets were anything but a pipedream must be living in a fantasy world (“NSW failing on 112,000 ‘missing middle’ target”, September 20). There was no policy, no plan, no program and no project to bring about the results that were promised. All we had was the same old political flummery and a pious hope that somebody somewhere would do the right thing and magic up the actual buildings required to meet the need. In fact, it is highly doubtful that, when every factor is taken into account, the NSW building industry even has the capacity to produce the output projected, and independent government actions, e.g., reducing skilled migration, are probably hindering housing production rather than improving it. Bruce Hyland, Woy Woy
Messengers under fire
We’ve seen the same thing happen here, with our own female Trump-lite, Pauline Hanson, as she banned the ABC from her press conferences (“Trump moves to ban CNN”, September 20). The stupidity of this strategy by aggrieved pseudo politicians is astonishing for its short-sightedness! The more they ban, the more ammunition they give those same news outlets, and even those not banned, to fire off reports lamenting the assault on the basic right to freedom of speech and fair reporting. Also, it raises the question of what it is they have to hide or that they do not want you to see, hear and report. The lack of transparency and the evasive nature will always raise suspicion in the minds of a discerning electorate. Frederick Jansohn, Rose Bay
What not to wear
Thank you, Melissa Hoyer, for reminding us of dress standards when flying (“A dressing down for uggs? I’m with the airline”, September 20). It recalls to mind that day some time ago when I returned from Melbourne the day after the Cup. The adjacent seat was occupied by a young man who had clearly lost his shirt the previous day for he was dressed in shorts and a singlet. To make matters worse, he had obviously drowned his sorrows after the race and was accompanied by the aroma of a Melbourne pub at closing time. John Crowe, Cherrybrook
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