Re: "Pope issues ceasefire call", (World, Dec 12).
With all respect to the pope, we all know that his call for a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia will be ignored by both sides. And his prayers for "those dear people" will have zero effect. But his statement admirably qualifies him for the next Fifa Peace Prize.
Re: "Silent on autism", (PostBag, Dec 8).
I couldn't agree more with Michael Setter that any rise in autism spectrum disorders should be investigated, although much of the increase in diagnoses is down to better screening, broader definitions and increased testing in older age groups.
However, Mr Setter, a regular writer, should know that "facts" are proven, peer-reviewed science, not some fraudulent Andrew Wakefield paper that was thrown out in 2010, but which has since been the backbone of conspiracy theorists' incessant, unfounded bleating.
This, of course, culminated in RFK Jr -- now Secretary of Health and Human Services despite having no medical credentials -- putting these doubtful claims on the US CDC website, much to the chagrin of the medical community. Thankfully, Johns Hopkins University and the National Institute of Health both have excellent resources still available that were produced by actual medical professionals, not YouTubers with absurd theories based on nonsensical data.
PostBag space all too often brings us missives from disgruntled folk who educate us on their singular understanding of events and lecture on how the generally accepted version is false and often felonious.
High on this list is Michael Setter, who has lectured on everything from climate change to camel husbandry, international and local politics, as well as the relationship between autism and vaccines. Of note is the Samoan measles outbreak in 2019, which followed a well-documented sharp drop in vaccination rates from above 90% to an estimated 31% the previous year, amid public scepticism about vaccines.
The recent growth in autism rates is widely considered to be mostly -- but not entirely -- due to a broadening of the definition of autism and a focus on earlier diagnosis.
May I suggest that those writers who troll the depths of the internet in search of nuggets to lecture us on instead check out the abundant literature on the Dunning-Kruger effect? Like most subjects, Dunning-Kruger is complex. But in general, it holds that those who know little about a subject tend to be most certain of their knowledge, while those who are truly expert are more hesitant.
Re: "Rules without reason", (PostBag, Dec 10) and "Baffling bank rules", (PostBag, Oct 6).
The commercial bank, named after a large city, has a questionable rule. This time, they provide the reason: You are 75+ years old. This applies to persons wanting to use the bank's mobile banking.
Apparently, any person over 75 is no longer able to handle their bank account. Is it another "We do this for your own good?" Thankfully, I have two other mobile banking accounts, obviously with other banks.
12 Dec 2025
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