Kissing goodbye to the worst president in history

Although this open display of free speech has taken almost six years, it did indeed give a good summarisation of the Bush presidency and a very accurate synopsis of the feelings and appreciation that this president has harvested around the world.

I'm sure most of the people in the US and free thinking would wish to say adieu to Bush in a similar fashion.

A WARNER

BANGKOK

Why no police action against PAD violence?

I read in The Nation of December 15 that Pol Lt Suchart Muenkaew, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, is going to take legal action against violent red shirts who demonstrated at Parliament House on Monday.

Did Pol Lt Suchart or any members of his Metropolitan Police Force take any action against any yellow-shirted demonstrators during their four months of protests? Or were they all too afraid of the armed PAD guards who seemed to be controlling not only the police force but the Army as well?

I feel so sorry for the million or so Thais in the travel industry who, thanks to the airport blockades, now have no income to survive until the next high season, if there is another high season!

Will the new government compensate them, and all the others who lost their jobs because of the PAD's actions. After all, it was the PAD and whoever supported it that got the new government into power, wasn't it?

Perhaps the PAD leaders will find room in their black hearts to feed them now and again.

DELBOY

CHIANG MAI

Airlines correct to sue |for damages and losses

International airlines are asking Thailand to pay for the cost of disruption and loss of revenue due to the PAD's seizure and shutdown of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports. I agree that Airports of Thailand, as the victim of the PAD's actions, should not bear the costs - it should be the PAD, and especially its leaders, who should be held accountable. Thai International is already suing the PAD for Bt20 billion, and other airlines should file their own suits.

Such actions will be both legally and morally right. The PAD leaders orchestrated the seizure and should not seek to evade accountability. When their arrest for taking over Government House seemed imminent, the leaders surrounded themselves with female followers, speaking volumes about their courage. I trust that they will not hide behind skirts this time but will take their medicine like the men they physically are.

Only after PAD's leaders are collectively bankrupt and jailed for the balance due, should the government use tax monies, collected from innocent Thais, to pay for damage done by law-breakers.

BURIN KANTABUTRA

BANGKOK

A man who would not listen or learn

Thaksin Shinawatra seems ready to sink into political oblivion after the defection of the Friends of Newin faction from his fold.

Thaksin should have made the greatest statesman Thailand has ever had. Yet because of his many shortcomings, he was toppled by the very people who helped put him in power: Sondhi Limthongkul and Chamlong Srimuang of the PAD - and now Newin Chidchob, his former right-hand man.

The former leader is now flanked by political vultures who are urging him to fight to the end - his end. And then they, too, will leave for the next "hero".

The know-all Thaksin should have learned by now how politics is run in the real world.

CHAVALIT VAN

CHIANG MAI

This game is all about the money

The oft-heard description of the Thai political merry-go-round or, better still, musical chairs game leads me to suggest that the toy industry should develop a new version of the Monopoly board game with Thai politics as its theme. You could end up on a square that says "Caught vote-buying - go to jail and pause for five rounds of the dice", but then, if you are lucky [or make or receive the right payment], you could land on a square saying "Join the Democrat Party and get two extra throws of the dice", or another square with "Become a member of the most recently cloned Thaksin Party, get one hotel and advance 20 squares".

Should a manufacturer pick up on my idea, would he please pay me some sort of royalty.

HORST BULLINGER

BANGKOK