Heed HM's sufficiency economy theory

The world needs to study HM the King's sufficiency theory as a role model. It may be the only way the world can recover financially. More importantly, the end result will be an overall environmental benefit to the Earth itself. For future generations, to have fertile land filled with rice, fruit and fish and the availability of clean water will be the most luxurious necessity of all.

TAYLOR JENNINGS

BANGKOK

Capitalism's relentless |path to self-destruction

I recently received an e-mail from an American friend who said it would not make any difference whether Barack Obama or John McCain were elected president. In the end, Americans will just mind their own business, and it will be business as usual. Nothing will change. There are millions of independent voters like him.

But the slight differences between the two main party's policies can mean all the difference in the world for the lives of millions of people around the world.

To the outside world, the US is certainly not benign. It may promote democracy but only on the surface. It does not really care if any country is democratic or fascist as long as it is stable and friendly to US interests.

Americans have long trusted their big corporations and highly paid captains of industry to drive their economy, and the US has become a bossy rich kid who shoots first and asks questions later. With George W Bush thankfully coming to the end of his term, it is obvious the guy did not deserve to be there in the first place. And now McCain? A lot of things he has said are even scarier than George W.

What has happened on Wall Street is too complicated for even the so-called experts to understand, much less regulate. Nothing short of a world disaster can change the minds of people on Wall Street and in Washington. It will always be business as usual, because to them free trade is the only way to go. Until it's too late.

CHOOPONG ASAVASANGSIDHI

BANGKOK

Participation is the hallmark of a true democracy

Thaksin Shinawatra's brother-in-law calls for reform to advance democracy and bring about effective participation by the people. Bravo! But, to me, it sounds as credible as Ali Baba calling for the rule of law.

That's why I agree with the concerns of Democrat Party spokesman Buranat Samutharak about the government trying to rig nominations to the Constitutional Drafting Assembly in its favour - and maybe change the Constitution so that the People Power Party is not dissolved - using its vast parliamentary majority to do so.

I would recommend the new CDA follow the pattern of that chaired by Anand Panyarachun, which gave us a charter with the greatest participation to date. Learn from the recent face-off in the US Congress over the rejected US$700-billion [Bt23.79 trillion] bail-out proposal on how a strong, stable political system heeds its constituents, not necessarily party leadership; how parties belong to their members, not to their leaders and financiers. And least of all to a fugitive in a far-off land.

Seek to implement Aristotle's advice: "If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost."

Parliament should first debate the specific, measurable, relevant criteria through which CDA nominees will be chosen, and each nominee must show how he/she meets those criteria.

BURIN KANTABUTRA

BANGKOK