Look in your backyard before blaming others

Corruption: In developed countries they call it lobbying, campaign contributions, fund-raising, pork barrel, etc. The Germans have been doing it too. If you do not believe me ask the conglomerate giant Siemens, who agreed to pay $1.4 billion [Bt48.65 billion] to US and German authorities to settle a corruption scandal. Look it up on http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/germanyuscrimecorruptioncompanysiemens.

Traffic carnage: You can look at the records at the California Department of Motor Vehicles dating back to the dawn of the automobile age and see that a high percentage of the accidents were alcohol related. Alcohol is considered an acceptable social disease.

Website blocking: There was another uproar as Thailand proposed to block more than 1,300 websites, but nobody knows or complains when Australia wants to do the exact same thing with the "Great Aussie Firewall". Look it up at http://ca.news.yahoo.|com/s/capress/081226/world/australia_internet_filter_1

 The list goes on. Maybe people should look in their own backyard before blaming everything on Thailand.

MAX DEADHEAD

BANGKOK

Heads need to roll before changes can be made

This is absolutely abhorrent, a two-storey entertainment place with only one access point? Dear Khun Abhisit (Vejjajiva), the question is not "why fireworks were lit inside the club", that was just the catalyst.

The real question is how is it possible that this place and many other places with similar shortcomings are allowed to operate?

There are proper building laws and regulations in place. The ones responsible have to go to jail, and this should include the owners and operators.

What about the insurers, didn't they demand proper procedures to be in place?

This is the test for our new premier. Many started off with criticising him, though many want to give him a chance first.

But only when heads roll, and not just those of the junior staff, people in charge will pay attention and we can hope for change and improvement which is so badly needed.

ANDRE M BANGLAMUNG

BANGKOK

Tone down the demands, give him a chance first

Re: Editorial: A New Year, a new chance to reconcile, January 1

Judging from the size of the country's economic problems, the situation demands that PM Abhisit Vejjajiva devote most of his effort in addressing and solving them. In real life, the PM must give equal attention to the coalition parties' unending demands; potential squabbling within his own party; the ineffectiveness of some of his Cabinet members; and the potholes the opposition is scheming up to entrap him with.

One can only hope that everyone will step back a little, water down their demands, and let the government tackle the gargantuan economic problems. Maybe Abhisit should keep in mind former US president Franklin Roosevelt's wise words: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself".

CHAVALIT VAN

CHIANG MAI