Published on October 05, 2005
back in a big way with a PM eager for higher ratings
It seems that with his political credibility eroding every day, the PM has reverted to his old ways of “political marketing” and gimmicks. The signs are there that the PM has decided to return to the “Thaksin Show”. First, the PM has promised a quick capture of those responsible for the killing of the two marines – and has even promised that we can vote him out of office if he failed to stop the unrest in the South. Second, the PM has stage-managed the soft opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport with such pomp and pageantry, with the whole Cabinet, important people and a full allotment of yes-men in tow, even though the airport won’t be ready for many more months. Third, the PM out of nowhere has come out swinging against teenage pregnancy and young people drinking, as if to suggest that the behaviour of the young people in Thailand suddenly spiralled downwards overnight. Sadly, this is the PM responding to his dwindling popularity by reverting to his old tricks. I hope the media pays attention to the real important issues facing the Kingdom and does not allow the PM to divert attention away from the real issues.
Sam Chai Bangkok ---------------------------------------- Letter-writer should write about what he knows best Since Burin Kantabutra is an adviser to the SET, perhaps the gentleman could make some occasional constructive comments on the progress and proper development of Thailand’s security markets? It would make an interesting change from his regular criticism of Thaksin or the government. Paul A Renaud Zurich, Switzerland ---------------------------------------- Anti-beer brigade would do well to target smoking too Maj-General Chamlong Srimuang and his supporters are taking out full-page ads to protest the proposed listing of Beer Chang’s producer. I defend their legal right to do so – but, likewise, they should respect the rights of those who wish to invest in legal activities. I am a non-drinker but suggest that as brewing is legal, investors should be allowed to put their money where they desire. Opponents of the listing correctly point to the many evils of drinking. Thus, they should support campaigns targeted against those social ills; eg, volunteering to help check IDs at bars or man road checks against driving under the influence, which would be more targeted (and hence more effective) than a blanket anti-drinking campaign. The opponents hold that brewing benefits neither the economy nor society. Then, to be consistent, they should march against the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly and the Government Lottery Office as well – or are they applying double standards? Burin Kantabutra Bangkok ---------------------------------------- Aceh deal shows that peace is possible in the South The present attitudes of the governments of Thailand, Malaysia and for that matter the United States are not very conducive to resolving the Thai-Muslim question. What is needed at the moment is to defuse the thorny situation by obtaining the assistance of some international non-governmental organisations. A low-key, committed approach would contribute much to the resolution of this issue. Following the tsunami, this approach resulted in the famous peace deal between Indonesia and rebels in Aceh. While the southern case has not been as well publicised as the Acehnese one, it is nonetheless important for Thailand to consider a real way out of this messy situation. P Ramasamy Bangkok ---------------------------------------- Price of electing Bush may prove too high for America It seems that the anti-war efforts of pro-peace mother Cindy Sheehan in the US get very little attention in Thailand. Look around and you will easily see that the world is encircled by a vast ring of US military bases. Masking over military and corporate interests with humanitarian ones has become a standard American-media procedure. Even The New York Times once lauded the Iraqi War as “one of the noblest things this country [the US] has ever attempted abroad”. On September 15, 2002, Ahmad Chalabi, an exiled Iraqi politician, said in a Washington Post article that he favoured the creation of a US-led consortium to develop oilfields in a post-Saddam Iraq. Bush himself answered growing anti-war protests with a strange reason: protection of oilfields, which he said would otherwise fall under the control of “extremists”. Would this one-time oilman ever deploy the US troops to Iraq if that country didn’t have so large a portion of the world’s estimated oil reserves under its sand? The poor Japanese souls who died in Hiroshima 60 years ago had to pay the price of their emperor’s choice in starting a war. A precipitous shortage of oil was one of Japan’s motivations in making a pre-emptive attack on Pearl Harbour, a strategy designed to control vital sea lanes. Sixty-four years later, oil is the Achilles’ heel of Imperial America. To see America engaging in pre-emptive strikes makes me wonder what price the Americans will have to pay for their democratically elected president’s decision to start a war for the control of Iraqi oil. Julian Wang Chiang Mai ---------------------------------------- Differentiate between patronage and cronyism Re: “Cronyism is a most pathetic way to govern a country”, Letters, October 4. The United States being John Francis Lee’s native country, one would expect that he would understand the difference between “cronyism” and “patronage”, as well as something of the principles of US justice. “Cronyism” is the appointment by an executive of a follower regardless of competence. “Patronage” is a more general term for appointing persons personally known or politically connected to the executive branch. The difference is one of competence. Patronage is generally held to be a legitimate perquisite of the executive. No one can be pleased with the facts known so far in New Orleans, a small part of the affected area. The fantasy disaster portrayed in the media, though, is beneath consideration. It is arguable – no matter who it is responsible for the bad outcomes – that many misunderstand the role that the US system of federalism may have played in the disaster. Based on my experience in disaster response, most of the relief effort seems to me to have gone as well as one can expect of any human plan, none of which survive contact with the enemy. The enemy in this case was a disaster of unprecedented scale. More importantly, reflexive critics of the Bush administration should return to American principles. We should wait for the inevitable investigation to determine who might have reacted better, so that outcomes will be better next time. The principle of “innocent until proven guilty” should apply equally to the mayor of New Orleans and governor of Louisiana. Ted in Texas Texas ---------------------------------------- More than just nature to blame for northern flooding It is with great regret that I have been reading about the flooding that is now happening in Chiang Mai. Although there is an element of global weather change that is causing the current situation, far more blame can be laid at the door of corrupt politicians who for years have profited from illegal logging around Chiang Mai. The destruction of this natural protection from flooding must be urgently investigated and both the perpetrators and those corrupt officials who shielded them brought to justice. A Hoffman ---------------------------------------- The Hague, the Netherlands Fight bird flu and enjoy chicken at the same time Re: “Eliminating fowl industry would mitigate bird-flu risks”, Letters, October 3. In view of Eric Bahrt’s stunningly naive “solution” to bird flu being vegetarianism, perhaps he considers that the way to reduce traffic accidents is to stop people from crossing roads, or even driving. Avian flu can be avoided and eradicated by simple methodical treatment. Eric can be a vegan for all I care, but to suggest that I should be somehow forced into that lifestyle is ludicrous. William Becket London ---------------------------------------- More exposure to spoken English would help learners Major reform of the existing system of English teaching and learning is necessary if we are to raise Thai students’ competency in the language. It’s difficult for people to understand each other well if they speak a same language quite differently – with a marked native accent, with a syllable wrongly stressed, vowels or consonants wrongly pronounced, etc. This explains why our Thai students have done a poor job on standardised English–language tests, particularly in audio comprehension. I was so surprised to find out recently that none of my nephews and nieces or the children of my friends were learning to pronounce/speak English with the help of tape recordings made by professionals who are native speakers. Using such material should be more widespread, especially in schools. It would help a great deal. Abee Bangkok
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