They will once again lament the "appalling loss of life among ordinary Japanese". The mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will dust off their traditional speeches of disdain for America and victimisation of the "innocent" Japanese.

The Japanese never seem to blame the leaders of the day. Never in all these decades have they taken the opportunity this anniversary presents to apologise for Pearl Harbor or to China, Korea, Southeast Asia and Singapore, Philippines, Saipan or Guadalcanal. It was they who murdered, tortured, raped and maimed millions. It was their leaders who refused to capitulate after their air and naval forces were all but obliterated, their population on the verge of starvation. They fought on and on.

It is generally accepted that the Japanese military will not "repeat the tragedies" of China, Korea, Southeast Asia and Singapore, Philippines, Saipan, Guadalcanal or Pearl Harbor! Had the USA not used the atomic bombs on Japan, millions more, mostly Japanese, would have died the length and breadth of the islands.

Grandpa

Chon Buri

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Alcoholics choose to drink, so why should others pay?

 Hello, my name is Ken. I am not an alcoholic. Neither am I a smoker or a drug user. Through years of research, I've become aware of the damage that smoke, alcohol and drugs can do to a human body, so long ago I chose not to ingest them.

There is a popular concept that alcoholism is a disease. It is not. A disease is something that infects the body and/or is a debilitation of the body. Cirrhosis of the liver is a disease. It can be exacerbated by alcoholism, but alcoholism is not the disease. Calling alcoholism a disease has become an excuse for the dumb and harmful habit. We might excuse kids for doing something stupid, but adults, on the other hand, must take responsibility for their words and actions - regardless of whether they were drunk or stoned at the time.

An alcoholic does not have someone forcing a fermented sugar drink down his or her throat. They themselves are lifting the glass or bottle and pouring it into their gut. Their oxygen-starved bodies and minds are debilitated from the alcohol coursing through their veins and administered by their own hand. A significant portion of tax revenues is allocated to dealing with their mental and physical debilitation. Alcoholics should have their troubles dealt with by their own. In other words, alcoholics should have a fix-it fund bankrolled by fellow alcoholics. Should responsible people be required to fund the self-inflicted and harmful habits of others? Granted, our taxes do fund law enforcement, courts and penal systems - understandably so, but paying for myriad rehabilitation and fix-it costs for drunks is a stretch.

Ken Albertsen

Chiang Rai

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There are also things Thaksin can do for Thailand's image

 At celebrations of the Bangkok Post's 60th anniversary, caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra asked its editorial staff - and by extension, the editors of all Thai media - to look after the country's image in the eyes of the international community.

I suggest that our CEO misunderstands the role of the media, for as Adolph Ochs said when he became publisher of The New York Times: "It will be my earnest aim that the … Times give the news … impartially, without fear or favour, regardless of party, sect or interest involved; to make the columns of the … Times a forum for the consideration of all questions of public importance, and to that end to invite intelligent discussion from all shades of opinion."

Note that nowhere is management or shading of the news mentioned - and, for that very reason, The New York Times is still one of the most credible newspapers.

If Thaksin is as concerned about our nation's image as he says, he should act in ways that reflect favourably on us - starting with implementing the rule of law in, say, the Tak Bai or the disappeared lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit cases - and our good image will follow.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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No need to abandon Pinyin system in learning Chinese

 Re: "Chinese learners better served by a more accurate system of transliteration", Letters, August 1.

I am a Thai student studying Chinese using the Pinyin system and I think there is no need to use a different system. It's easy for learners to understand how to pronounce the different characters.

Pinyin is only confusing because of initial consonants such as "c", "q", "z". The letters "c" and "q" are equivalent to "ch" in English, while "z" is equivalent to "j" in English. However, the vowels are accurate.

The Pinyin system is well managed and indicates clearly the place and manner of articulation. If the system is changed, there will be no standard system for learners and it will have an effect on everyone.

Giftpo Qiu [chIw]

Bangkok

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Why are Israeli atrocities less repugnant than Hizbollah's?

 In what way was Hizbollah's capture of two soldiers, and rocket attacks on Israeli military posts, more atrocious than Israel's constant bombing of Palestinian civilian areas and its regular seizure of Palestinians?

Israel's jails are groaning with thousands of Palestinian and Lebanese prisoners, or "kidnap victims" as they would be called if they were Israelis.

The White House is giving Israel carte blanche for its onslaught, and Britain and the European Union also have the blood of innocents on their hands.

And can there be a greater perversion of contemporary language than the US government's statement about Israel "having a right to defend itself"? Defend itself! What it is doing is a crime under the Geneva Convention and international law.

Only international demands in the UN, protests against Israel's naked aggression and the US, UK, EU support for it, and the unconditional release of prisoners on both sides will enable a cease-fire to be brokered to end the slaughter of innocents and start peace talks along the lines of UN resolutions.

Giles Wynne

Nakhon Ratchasima

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Moderate Muslims must do their bit for Mideast peace

 What is the Middle East violence all about? "It is a jihad [holy war] for the sake of God and will last until [our] religion prevails ... from Spain to Iraq. We will attack everywhere." This is a quote from Ayman al-Zawahri, second-in-command of al Qaeda, broadcast recently on an Arab network.

Hamas and Hizbollah are doing their work at the moment, with more attacks planned to spread terrorism worldwide.

No matter how many letters well-meaning people write to newspapers, the efforts of the international community to establish peace in the Middle East will not come to fruition until we get rid of this scourge of rabid fundamentalists who think they can spread their version of Islam by the sword. It's time for peace-loving, moderate Muslims to stand up and be counted.

Tom Lloyd

Australia

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Condoleezza Rice's policies are hurting US popularity

 It is time for the totally incompetent US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to resign. America is at an all-time low in world opinion and is sinking ever lower.

Rice has managed in her tenure to anger just about every country in the world. And the remaining countries are beginning to wonder: is this what the US State Department calls diplomacy? How many women, children and others must die to prove Rice's theories of peace and war correct?

Israel has had its "first strike" on the UN headquarters in Lebanon and the children in Qana. What's next? Syria? Iran?

Richard Stampfle

Nong Khai

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Escalation of conflict could start the third world war

 If Palestine and Lebanon continue to be denied of the justice they deserve, then the time will soon come when the majority will sympathise with Hizbollah and Hamas, thanks to the Israeli (American) foreign "policy", and Israel will become the most unsafe place for Jews in the world.

If a third world war breaks out, then the cause will be the Israeli and American racist and imperialistic approach in the Middle East.

Meanwhile the colonisation of the West Bank continues, proof for many observers of Israel's hidden agenda, not so hidden anymore, to annexe the West Bank. And anybody who resists is called a "terrorist", whether "in disguise" or not.

Chiang Mai Nick

Chiang Mai

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British envoy exposes futility of occupation of Iraq

 The statement of the outgoing British Ambassador to Iraq is nothing less than a shocking indictment of the Bush administration.

Ambassador William Patey says that Iraq is more likely to descend into civil war than democracy and adds that it looks likely that the country will partitioned. What more evidence is needed to show that this war was unwarranted, unplanned and unnecessary?

A Warner

Bangkok