Average Joe has no interest in politics

To the untrained eye, the letter from Candide seems entirely plausible. It is, however, the product of having too much Western education. This conjoined with the erroneous assumption that everyone thinks in the same way and pines for democracy dooms the letter to be wrong in its premise.

Even in the "developed" West, which has had democratic government, in some form, for hundreds of years, the drive for universal suffrage was real enough, but once achieved the novelty wore off and now most people find politics terminally boring and politicians to be selfish and in some form corrupt. All that really motivates Mr and Mrs Average in the West is their standard of living. There are, of course, some zealots who ache for social change, but these are a very small and ever declining minority.

So to suggest that Mr and Mrs Average Thai are now suddenly locked into a Herculean political struggle to see Thailand transformed is tosh, and to suggest so is very misguided. The West and the East are so very different. Indeed, it is arguable that democracy does not sit well culturally outside Europe and North America.

All we have being played out in Thailand is essentially two tribes vying for authority to run the show, and some vocal interest groups making a noise along the way. The vast majority of Thais are just seeking more disposable income and a higher standard of living. The reconstruction of society is most certainly not, nor has it ever been, or for that matter ever will be, on their agenda. Indeed, all their time and energy goes into work, and none is left over for pointless philosophical speculation.

Indeed, the writer would do well to take heed from his namesake's discovery in Voltaire's novel Candide, where the hero and his friends are impressed with a farmer's lifestyle of hard work and simple pleasures, and adopt it for themselves.

MARTIN CRAMER

BANGKOK

Two years or less is not such a long time

Dear Thaksin, the only reason "they" prohibited you from entering Thai airspace is because "they" are gentlemen. Do you realise "they" could have allowed you to enter Thai airspace and then forced your plane down? Instead "they" gave you yet another chance to redeem yourself and show your love for your motherland.

As far as I know, you have never been asked to leave your cherished motherland. You are not prohibited either from stepping on the soil of your motherland. Am I wrong?

What are you afraid of? After all, you are only a small-time criminal, and in consequence you were handed a very short prison sentence. Two years in jail, maybe less, and you would be allowed to walk as a free man in your cherished motherland. Isn't it worth it? It is time for you to prove your love for the motherland or shut up forever. As the poet Pierre Reverdy once wrote: "There is no love; there are only proofs of love."

CANDIDE

BANGKOK

Try banning pollution in cities, too

Re: "Airport smoking rooms a hazard to travellers", Letters, November 16.

E Ulysses Dorotheo, is probably one of the people responsible for converting the Taiwan airport to a smoke-free airport. So now, smokers must sit for hours on layovers without being able to smoke. You are captive in the airport. And all this while all the duty free shops are stacked to the ceilings with cigarettes. Is there no end to the hypocrisy of the do-gooders of the world?

Someone will have to explain to me how it is possible to determine that any person died from exposure to second-hand smoke when we are all walking around in air-polluted cities. The WHO and "experts" simply said it, so it became gospel. So now we have fanatics scaring people by telling them that smoke from an all-but-sealed room that has blowers sucking the air from inside is going to escape to ravage casual passers-by.

What is the motivation of people such as this? Are they being paid for these activities or are they just hooked on persecuting people? Do they justify the lies by making themselves believe they are on a mission of mercy and righteousness and therefore stretching the truth is acceptable? If that is the logic, consider that the people who flew the planes into the World Trade Centre also believed that their mission was righteous.

JOHN ARNONE

YASOTHON