How excited and encouraged I felt at the students' declaration demanding that Thaksin resign from office. I, like many people, have long been worried by the sad reality that young people today are indulging themselves in pleasure-seeking, indifferent to what is happening in present-day society. But now I see a ray of hope in the bright faces of these young people.

Yes, they are young, they are wet behind the ears. Perhaps immature? But they listed 14 reasons why Thaksin had to quit, each of them hitting upon vital points. They roused a challenge to the iron man of their own accord. If they are immature, what words should be used to describe the many small boys and girls who crowded into Government House to give Thaksin their support?

And isn't it ironic that these "immature" young people have the courage to stand up in defiance of a prime minister who has the mandate of 19 million voters, while many "mature" adults are fighting a last-ditch battle to defend their ringleader and themselves, casting national interests to the wind?

Yes, these students are now in a minority. But many historical events - say, the 1973 uprising - tell us that truth is often in the hands of a minority. I truly believe that these young students will be a driving force in the anti-Thaksin movement, pushing our country onto the right track.

Abee

Bangkok

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Voters' mandate was given to TRT Party, not Thaksin

The current upheaval in Thai politics is centred on the prime minister, Thaksin, but more importantly the Thai Rak Thai Party has been forgotten in the emphasis on trying to get him to leave office. The main point to make here is that it is the party that has a parliamentary majority, a mandate to govern, not an individual. Since there is a parliamentary democracy in Thailand, the ousting of the prime minister should not mean any changes in the government. Thaksin should only dissolve Parliament before elections are due if he can prove that his government is unable to govern, and he wants to test the electorate again for a renewed mandate. Given the current political climate and shrinking support for him, Thai Rak Thai politicians should realise that he may become a political liability, causing many party members to lose their seats, and indeed the party could lose the election entirely.

Since the protest movement is likely to gather momentum, thereby causing more unrest and bad publicity for the incumbent, it would be in the interest of the Thai Rak Thai Party to bring closure to this matter now, before more damage is done. The party should act as a cohesive unit and put its and the country's interests ahead of any individual, even if he is a founder of the party.

At this juncture, survival is the name of the game.

The point is that leaders come and go, but the party and what it stands for should prevail.

As has happened in Australia, England and Canada under the Westminster system of government, the prime minister's own party can initiate a vote of no confidence in its leader and replace him with a new candidate. It's not a very pleasant thing to do, but politics is a tough game, where sentiments count less than votes.

In Thailand, where culture demands saving face, Thaksin could resign for the greater good of the party and the political system and either move to the back bench, from where he could still exert some influence, or retire from politics altogether.

It is time for Thai Rak Thai members to stand up and be counted and show the country that there is more to them than just being a one-man band.

There are many problems facing the country that have to be addressed, such as the southern violence, bird flu, tourism, etc, and all the shenanigans going on now prevent effective government.

If Thaksin is to leave a positive legacy (and there are many achievements he can be proud of), now is the time for him to show statesmanship! Or his party must unite and act decisively!

Tom Lloyd

Australia

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Sweet enticements looked down upon by neighbours

A Siamese fairy tale: once there was a family that adopted 200 children. Each child had his own room, and in each room was a cookie jar. The father had barge-loads of cookies delivered to his room every day. Most nights, the father would tiptoe into each room and fill his adopted kids' cookie jars. All the kids knew where the cookies were coming from, and they knew that their blind allegiance to the father was the only requirement of a continual supply.

Getting cookies for allegiance was frowned upon by the neighbours, but one day, one of the boys said something to the neighbours about the truth of the matter. Actually, the neighbours knew this had been happening for some time. The oldest adopted brother admitted there were cookies being handed out but told the neighbours not to worry because (A) there were no receipts, and (B) it was a traditional practice, and (C) the brothers knew more than the neighbours, so they should forget that they had heard anything.

Even though the neighbours knew that receiving cookies for allegiance was wrong, they all had such admiration for anyone who could amass so many cookies that they kept quiet. Meanwhile, the father's wife and children could often be seen shovelling truckloads of cookies out through the back door - but that's a fairy tale for another time.

Ken Albertsen

Chiang Rai

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Ethical approach would focus on fundamentals

As a foreigner living as a guest in Thailand, I feel that it is not too polite to pass judgement on political leaders publicly. However, based on international comparisons, many questions have arisen in my mind; my own country, Germany, has always been poor in natural resources but has remained, despite economic crises, a country of considerable wealth and high standards of living. When I lived in Singapore for almost 14 years, I witnessed how a small city-state with virtually no natural resources could become a tiny giant, and it now offers a standard of living comparable (and even better than) with that of most fully developed Western countries.

Thailand has the advantages of both countries: rich natural resources and a big domestic market. The question is why there are still so many poor people in Thailand, which I personally find heartbreaking. Mega-projects are not necessarily wrong, since every country needs good airports, seaports and infrastructure. But if politicians only focus on mega-deals and not on market regulation and development, then there will be few winners (business tycoons, corporations) and many losers (the common people). This "few winners, many losers" trap is one of the big arguments of anti-globalisation campaigners. The eyes are all on the sale of Shin Corp right now, but equally important questions are: what has structurally been done or achieved to diminish poverty? What are the instruments for measuring such progress? What has been done in regard to land distribution, market regulation for Thai agricultural products and the educational level and qualifications of the workforce?

The Latin root of the word "minister" originally derived from the word for "servant", and anybody holding public office should therefore be understood to be a servant to the people.

In theory, a Buddhist approach to politics would be beneficial; the moment you have real empathy for the poor and underprivileged, you can unselfishly work to change the situation for the better. It also means leading by example. Corruption is the reason why politicians in the West lost a lot of their moral legitimacy, losing contact with the people and making politics a big-business affair. Politics anywhere in the world requires an ethical foundation that takes the interests of all into consideration, not only in words, but also in actions.

John

Bangkok

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America's double standards betray its foundations

In theory, democracy is integral to the American dream. In practice, however, when free and fair election outcomes don't meet US standards, a nightmarish beef ensues.

The collision-prone Middle East road map to peace has reached yet another dead-end impasse, destined for a crashing failure.

Punishing the Palestinian people for exercising their free will in electing a government led by Hamas is thoughtlessly counterproductive and will only exacerbate vengeful distrust, outrage, tension and violence.

Isn't it high time for the occupying forces to stop imposing demands from outside?

America's mainstays of truth, liberty and justice for one and all have long been among its noblest exports. Unfortunately, the tainted images of torture, abuse and humiliation perpetrated during this misdirected war have disgraced the once-proud Old Glory.

In our ever-shrinking e-world, a democratic way of life calls for a growing appreciation of cultural diversity and awareness of individual differences, not merely as tolerable, but also as the essence of compassionate humanism and universal mutual understanding.

Dr Charles Frederickson

Bangkok

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Bursting the bubble of alternative fuel prices

The alternative-fuel puzzle is a catch-22, because as long as the economy is petroleum-based, rising oil prices cause inflation. Alternative-fuel prices rise along with oil prices; therefore, an increase in the price of oil by itself does not create a relative price advantage for alternative fuels.

This simple and inescapable relationship is often ignored. Rising oil prices tend to generate a sense of euphoria and the belief that the situation will bring about a relative cost advantage for alternatives. This feeling usually leads to rapid investment in the production of alternative fuels, until reality sets in. The reality is that the only price advantage enjoyed by alternative fuels comes at the expense of the taxpayers, in the form of subsidies. In the case of ethanol in Thailand, that amounts to about Bt4 per litre.

Cha-am Jamal

Phetchaburi