Israel fights against those who would annihilate it

Israel is at war with a group that has said, in its own words and in its own charter, that religion commands it to exterminate the Jewish people from the face of the earth. These are people who have spent the last seven years working for Iran in targeting Jewish civilians through bombings, kidnappings and indiscriminate rocket attacks. The businesses, factories and schools the Israelis left behind are now used for weapons production and smuggling instead of creating jobs for the Gazan people.

When Thai Muslims claim Israel is a terrorist state for refusing to cede more of its territory it seems like more of the same hypocrisy we see all over the world, from Kashmir to Chechnya to the Philippines to southern Thailand, that free peoples must confront everywhere on the borders of expansionist Islam, which claims to be a victim even as it attacks others.

Is anyone in the Thai security services aware that followers of this dangerous brand of Islam are here openly recruiting in Thailand? Does anyone understand the implications for our own security? Does anyone care?

LAOSUWAN

KRABI

Censorship money should be spent on education

Re: "War room to block websites", News, January 5.

I have just read that Thailand will block 2,300 websites for insulting the monarchy and the government had spent Bt45 million on equipment for a round-the-clock "war room" targeting inappropriate websites.

I am not making judgements on whether websites should or should not be blocked. I am looking at the amount of money spent. In another English-language newspaper was an article about the cost of the new university admissions exams: "Many young people are upset with the new admission system, which costs at least Bt2,400 per head, saying poor students now have little chance of entering a university and gaining a good education."

By my calculations, the Bt45 million could be better spent on allowing 18,750 students take entrance exams to improve their education and thus Thai society and the Thai economy. Where are the government's priorities?

A CURIOUS

BANGKOK

Poor sports coverage by TV monopoly

Re: "An open letter from a US sports fan to True Visions", Letters, January 5.

My sympathies go to Mr Barkdull. Not being American I personally don't have the slightest interest in the NFL, but with 7 True Visions sports channels plus ESPN and Star Sports, it should be possible for the Thai commercial TV monopoly to look after their international customers in a balanced way. David is not alone with his complaints. German football fans have been robbed of all coverage of the Bundesliga, after it already had been drastically curtailed last season. True Visions didn't even have the courtesy to reply to my e-mail enquiry for the reasons of their decision. I am afraid, True Visions don't just "completely underestimate" the people they purport to serve, they just kick them in the teeth and charge them Western prices. We have to be grateful that they don't apply (yet?) dual pricing.

HORST BULLINGER

BANGKOK

Populist policies are not a new phenomenon

Re: "Policies copied from previous governments, Pheu Thai says", News, January 6.

To put the record straight, populist policies were not the invention of Thaksin Shinawatra but written as an economic theory by John Maynard Keynes in "The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money" in 1936. Keynes maintained that the solution to recession was to stimulate the economy via a reduction of interest rates and government investment in encouraging public spending. To label Abhisit Vejjajiva as a copycat is somewhat unbelievable since he is from Eton, the same school as Keynes. Furthermore, Abhisit graduated in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and holds a masters degree in economics. His economic minister is also from Oxford University and was reared in an environment of Keynesian economics in Great Britain.

SONGDEJ PRADITSMANONT

BANGKOK