As the political turmoil continues, columnists keep bombarding their readers with boring opinions. I have read a hundred times that the House dissolution can't solve the problems, that political reform is needed, that Thaksin is meddling with the Constitution Court and that he has lost the legitimacy to rule.

Subhatra Bhumiprabhas has changed all that. Her article shows a new facet of politics, with clear supporting evidence - and it was pleasant to read. Unlike most writers who follow the conventional thinking, Subhatra has her own way of analysing political events. I would love to hear more from her.

SP

Samut Prakan

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History will not be kind to undemocratic leaders

When historians get down to writing about PM Thaksin, they are likely to find that through his wealth, he was able to become prime minister and that in only a few years, he more than quadrupled his net worth. They will surely note that Thaksin did not have a democratic bone in his body.

In fact, if he even understands democracy, he has never seen its value. From his training and life experience, authoritarianism runs in his veins. This is a man who has had every opportunity to transform Thailand into a great society and destroyed every one of them through delusions of self-aggrandisement.

Historians will also be stricken by the fact that Thaksin has had a lot of important "former friends" like Purachai Piumsombun, Sondhi Limthongkul and Chamlong Srimuang. More than likely, he will end up alone with his money stashed away, living a shallow life, probably outside of Thailand.

Veharachan

Bangkok

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Lengthy list of failures seemingly runs on endlessly

First of all, I would like to extend my respects to The Nation for unbiased but courageous reporting of the facts. It has been and is refreshing. At least one news media outlet hasn't been "gagged" by our prime minister.

The good things our prime minister has claimed to have achieved:

He has put our nation more and more into the international spotlight, although very often for the wrong reasons; we have hosted a lot of important international events.

Our new airport, which hasn't been finalised, is already internationally known as the most corrupt project ever undertaken in Southeast Asia.

The promises he hasn't kept:

No improvement in poverty levels, as actually the poverty crisis has worsened.

No traffic improvement, as more cars are on the road causing more congestion without any attempt having been made to ease the traffic flow. But we have some plastic animals beautifying the scene.

Whether we like it or not, we have a shocking environmental problem on our hands. The crisis in the South has been totally mishandled and become worse. The educational system has not improved, except for a minority with money. Our reputation as a sex-tourist destination has increased, caused mainly by our nation's poverty and corrupt police involvement. We have a totally corrupt and mismanaged agricultural sector. There has been no visible improvement in traffic-police or other police training regarding questionable practices that are very often openly visible. There has been no improvement in basic planning/organisation of any kind, as we permanently live in a proverbial state of chaos.

We are, however, lucky in some ways, as we always have had a beautiful nation with the potential to improve - if we could find a group of sincere and strong political leaders who have the nation's interests at heart instead of enriching themselves. Why is this so difficult to find among us Thai?

I still have a flicker of hope that just maybe we will find some individuals who will give our ship a strong rudder to steer us in the right direction.

Noppadon

Bangkok

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Forget about corruption, the man is just plain crazy!

He proposed a joint session of the bicameral Parliament, but a couple of days later he dissolved the House.

He proposed a referendum on constitutional amendments, then he discarded the proposal. Now he promises on behalf of the next Parliament to amend the Constitution, presuming that his party would be back in control after the snap election. How else could he make that pledge?

He scheduled the election to take place very soon, hoping to gain an advantage over the opposition parties. He now looks for a way to change the election date after a united boycott by the opposition.

He told his supporters not to rally on his behalf to prevent a clash between opposing crowds. Now he wants to stage a rally in close proximity to his opponents, to fight being evicted from the premiership.

This is the man who wants to enter into a social contract with the Thai people. Forget about allegations of corruption or dictatorial usurpation of power; in his final attempts to cling to his position, evidently Thaksin has lost his mind.

Netirat Intira

Bangkok

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Anonymous comparisons with Hitler are out of line

Re: "Premier and Hitler could actually have been best mates", Letters, March 2.

If we are to make comparisons, how about this one? I would say someone who compares a public figure with Hitler without having the courage to submit their real name is comparable to terrorists who wear ski masks.

What is happening in Thailand right now is pathetic, with a public figure being tried in the press and public parks, even though no one has submitted any specific charges with any tangible proof.

And of course it has to follow that whenever a wounded animal is cornered, a pack of jackals will appear on the scene. In this case, however, the jackals are using pseudonyms.

John Arnone

Yasothon

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German reality check on American hyperbole

As a foreigner living in Thailand, I usually keep my mouth shut about Thai politics, but in the March 2 edition, there were two letters from the US that I won't let pass without commenting.

First, the letter from Disgusted ("Premier and Hitler could actually have been best mates"). Well, particularly as a German, I am disgusted by the unbelievably foolish equation of Thaksin and Hitler. Comparing the democratically elected PM with the meanest monster history ever has created - who left a trail of blood composed of about 50 million corpses all over the world before he committed suicide at least 12 years too late - is absolutely preposterous. And the posters depicting Thaksin with the infamous moustache and the swastika on his forehead reveal the real intentions of the protesters: set emotions to boil, create hatred, defame and destroy.

And Janet Brown ("Kingdom serves as an example of democracy in action"), do you really believe this is "democracy in action"? There is a strange ban(d)ana mixture of rather obscure propagandists like Sondhi Limthongkul, very obscure religious sectarians - experienced in provoking violence - like Chamlong Srimuang and a bunch of elite intellectuals - hardly disguising their hatred for the 19 million "stupid peasants" - united not under any intelligible political alternative programme, but by mere hostility and hatred. Where will this "democracy in action" lead?

I can propose a very elegant solution. At the end of the 19th century, the right to vote in Germany was related to the sum of the annual taxes paid by the voter. The more income, the more taxes and therefore the more votes. Why not install that system, leaving the "lo-so" masses to struggle for their daily survival, while the elites take care of themselves?

Kurt Peter Gottwald

Bangkok

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Less rhetoric and more explanations called for

I've been following the developments in the "crisis" with the Thaksin government in your paper for the past several days, and I see frequent reference to certain "constitutional amendments" that Thaksin may or may not agree to.

These amendments are never identified or explained. I tried looking in the Bangkok Post, but they do not mention any "constitutional amendments" at all. For those of us with a poor understanding of the details of Thai politics, do you think you could lift the veil of secrecy and explain what these mysterious "amendments" might be? Or perhaps explain why you can't say?

Don Burrell

Bangkok

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A blast of hot air could just clear things up

The storm centre I/aye/eye of impending Thaiphoon Thaksin connotes an unstable, egomaniacal, vainglorious preoccupation with self-preservation.

The violent uproar precipitated by the tempestuous blowhard forecasts an unpredictable meteorological aftermath for the soaked-through citizenry and the collapsible-umbrella economy.

Exerting negative atmospheric pressure, the autocratic drenching reign remains overcast with all-wet influences ranging from imperviousness to insinuation to intimidation, all aimed at squelching peaceful "We the People", anti-climactic pro-active dissent.

Dr Charles Frederickson

Bangkok