POSTBAG
An attempt to bribe a judge was made. Instead of having an independent body investigate, the judges are investigating themselves. It's like putting a fox in guard of the hen house. The initial results of their panel are an insult to every person with even a shred of common sense. It reeks of cover-up and ridiculous excuses.
Initially it was reported that a lunch box was given to clerks and they were asked to deliver it to a certain judge. Money was discovered and this particular judge ordered the money to be returned. Someone called the lawyer to come and pick up the money. No difficulty in identifying the lawyer there, huh?
Now they are telling us the lawyer actually gave the money to the clerks to keep and the judge just happened to be a passing-by Good Samaritan.
Are you kidding me? I have a few questions:
I'm sure the Supreme Court has a CCTV system. Let's see the tapes to know what really happened, or have they already been "accidentally" erased?
What are the names of the lawyer and the judge involved?
Why was the money returned and not seized?
If there was not a realistic chance of a successful bribery attempt, how would anyone in his right mind just waltz in with two million baht?
For someone to just deliver cash like that it must mean that initial negotiations to facilitate bribery have long since been held and paying the money has become common practice. There must be an immediate and thorough investigation into the finances of all the Supreme Court judges and others involved. Follow the money, that's how you clamp down on corruption.
This case has the potential to shake the very foundations of the Thai judicial system, and its importance cannot be over-emphasised. This is our chance to get to the core of corruption and no cover-up must be allowed. If the culprits are let to escape justice, this country is truly doomed.
In every study corruption comes up as the thing most Thais dislike about Thailand. Well, this is the perfect chance to stop it. The results of the Supreme Court panel are a clear sign that a cover-up is underway.
Is Thailand ready to uncover the truth about corruption or is it all just talk?
JACK DOE
Koh Ling
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Whitewashing extremists
In his article on Islam in America (Perspective, June 8, 2008), Imtiyaz Yusuf makes a number of generalisations about widespread bias and prejudice, personal attacks and misinformation about Islam in America. Apparently, in his mind anyone who criticises Islam is automatically guilty of "Islamophobia". He also mentions the Western slave trade, but neglects to mention the horrors of the Arabian slave trade in Africa which began many centuries before. I could refute much of what he has written, but in the interest of brevity, I will mention only one point.
He writes of Muslim organisations such as CAIR (Council for American-Islamic Relations) as an organisation which upholds "human and civil rights."
However, CAIR is "unusual in its extreme rhetoric and its associations with groups that are suspect," according to Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL). Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) has said of CAIR that "we know it has ties to terrorism," and "intimate links with Hamas."
CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation jihad terror funding case. Several of its former employees and board members are now doing hard time on various terrorism-related charges. CAIR's co-founder and former board chairman Omar Ahmad told a Muslim audience in 1998 that "Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Koran ... should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on earth."
Whitewashing extremists is not the way to achieving genuine dialogue between and among faiths.
DEAN BARRETT
Bangkok
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Reruns of history
Imtiaz Muqbil was highly relevant, but also depressing, in his piece on Scott McClellan's new book about White House politics (Soul Searching, June 8).
McClellan was quoted as saying "we need to know the truth so that we do not repeat the mistakes in the future." Many of us read that statement (almost verbatim) after the US war in Vietnam. Most of the words from McClellan in Muqbil's column seemed straight from the post-Vietnam War era, and that was what was so disconcerting.
Those who do not study and try to understand history are doomed to repeat it. We can now watch the US economy for more that could have been learned from the Nixon era, but was not.
REALIST
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Keeping balance
Regarding the InSight column entitled "Time-tested friendship" in Perspective on June 8, 2008, Ambassador Eric G. John displayed an in-depth knowledge of the region in the interview. What I like most is his motto of doing things in a balanced way.
As the ambassador said: "It is important to have a balanced life. There's a lot of work here but if you don't take time to exercise, don't take time to fulfil the creative part of your mind, then you won't be as successful."
SAI WANSAI
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Simplistic views doom reconciliation
At the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian problem is the simplistic view that one has to align with one side or the other.
The simple fact is that both sides are wrong and right in part.
Surely we are at the stage of human development where we can recognise this as fact and thereby provide the foundation to secure a solution. Until those in the driver's seat can bring intelligent debate, based on truth, to the fore and leave the radical opinions and mistruths in the past, where they belong, there is no way forward.
SENTIMENTAL TIM
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What's missing in the calculations
Ever since America ascended, it has been predicted with some regularity, particularly in times of economic shock, that it would soon decline; and these predictions continue to this day (Global Viewpoint, Perspective, June 8, 2008). And yet America hasn't declined.
The failure of these predictions may have to do with innovation. It is something that America does particularly well, and something that fundamentally alters the equations that pundits use to make their forecasts of doom.
CHA-AM JAMAL
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An offer of enlightenment
I have been coming to Thailand for many, many years, and have noted that people here are very indifferent to foreigners, except for their money.
What's more, dogs are loose on the streets biting, getting crippled, starving, etc. Gambling is a big problem, as is prostitution.
When will the government start caring about its people, get serious and eradicate these things? It pains me to see and know good young people who have no hope of a decent life because their family is poor.
Why can't the government wake up and see the value in its youth, and give them direction and purpose in their lives? The government is failing its people. If I could influence young lives, I would give my time free to teach them high morality and manners.
A CARING FARANG
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Give up my beer?
I sincerely hope "6 Bellies" (Postbag, June 8) is not actually serious to imply that I should give up my beer to help feed the world. I myself spend a few hundred baht per day for the luxury of enjoying the "amber nectar", which is heavily taxed, I might add.
I, along with so many others, am sick and tired of having our Social Security fund being siphoned off to feed Third World countries and the hordes of lazy, obese foreigners that collect welfare and food stamps.
And do not say I am not charitable. I give thousands of dollars every year: It's something called taxes.
If a couple is so irresponsible as to have children they cannot afford to feed it should be their problem, not mine.
BILL F
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Write us: Please send your comments on Perspective articles to perspective@bangkokpost.co.th
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