THE EDITOR: Gabrielle Hosein's column, "The threat to the Arctic," takes important liberties with the facts, not least in a geopolitical sense.
The writer is taking as her source the anti-Western rantings of Vijay Prashad. I quote: "A self-described Marxist and a co-founder of the Forum of Indian Leftists (FOIL). His views on capitalism are summarised in his book Fat Cats and Running Dogs.'
That should tell you pretty much what you need to know about the reliability and impartiality of someone attacking NATO countries for their perceived expansion and as the real threat to the Arctic.
NATO is in fact a voluntary defence pact, particularly apt at this time of Russian aggression. But this is ignored as is the fact that it was Russia who first planted a flag on the Arctic seabed in 2007 in support of Vladimir Putin's United Russia party. It is Russia and China which crave the energy and minerals to feed their voracious militarism. What do you think "Vladolf Putler" and Xi Jinping talk about during their cosy fireside chats?
While extraction of minerals and fossil fuels from the Arctic is serious in respect of the effects it would have on the marine ecosystem, couching the issue with such blatant disregard of the true circumstances is lazy at best.
MARK MEREDITH
Auckland
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