Without debate there is no democracy

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Without debate there is no democracy

Published: 4/02/2012 at 04:21 AM
Newspaper section: News

Re: ''Nitirat ban splits student body'' (BP, Feb 3).

Having different views on issues and confronting them in vigorous and healthy debate is part of any mature democracy. Important ideas in the political, social or scientific fields have emerged from these dialectic exchanges, where people listen to each other and then enrich their own concepts from the input of others. Saying that contradictory debate must be avoided in the name of national security is preaching for uniformity of thinking and closing the mind, like uniforms clothing the body.

Nidhi Eoseewong is right that citing violence as a reason to bar people from expressing their opinions is to place in doubt the very existence of democracy.

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mr.meldrew
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Discussion 7 : 04/02/2012 at 11:59 AM7
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bluebkk D6 : Being a tourist and being ripped doesn't make one stupid. If you don't pay you are threatened with violence and many have been seriously beaten up. If you complain to police nothing is done as they are in on the scam and get a cut. And if you bothered to do some research there is plenty on the internet about these scams and it hasn't stopped the practice. What is stupid and offensive however, are your comments.
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bluebkk
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Discussion 6 : 04/02/2012 at 10:46 AM6
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Khun Siritip, welcome to touristic Thailand.... so sorry to say but as long as there are stupid tourists willing to pay stupid scams; the problems will stay. And be glad it was Pattaya, in Phuket the tuktuk scams are much worse and so are car, motorbike and jetski scams. You should all expose those thieves, eventually on a dedicated " Stop tourist scams Thailand" website because from the police you will never get any decent help anyway!
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Renaissance
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Discussion 5 : 04/02/2012 at 10:05 AM5
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The jet ski scam is easy to eradicate in principle. The local police would just say, "If you scam anyone, we'll confiscate the jet ski." But as Kena says, the jet ski operators pay the police to turn a blind eye to their scams.

Maybe the foreigners have heard about the jet skis scams that they don't rent the jet skis much anymore, so the jet ski scammers are having to scam fellow Thais as times are hard. Poor chaps!
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steveyinasia
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Discussion 4 : 04/02/2012 at 09:32 AM4
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K Siritip...welcome to the real Thailand and now you know how these thieves treat all visitors. You are lucky getting away with only 6000 Baht, there have been reports of 5 times that for other people. No use going to the police as they are involved as well. Unfortunately with all the reports available out there, people are still renting, if the renting stopped these morons would go out of business.

Teacher B, thank you for yet another disappointing insight into Thai schools. I wonder each day why I am paying school fees for inadequate education. Sport days are a waste of time and take priority over study, how does a sport day help a child in his/her future? There will be no education reform until there is a leader at the top who actually cares more about education that his/her next house, holiday or car
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kena
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Discussion 3 : 04/02/2012 at 08:31 AM3
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It's unusual a Thai person got ripped off by jetski extortionists. It's almost always farang. Too bad Phuket and Pattaya police are helpless to eradicate it. But why eradicate something that puts money in your pocket, eh?
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kena
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Discussion 2 : 04/02/2012 at 07:54 AM2
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The Lese Majeste laws were written by people, not by devas or Gods. Just as people are fallable, so sometimes, are the laws they write. Chalerm and other absolutists say; "think like me, or be damned and thrown in jail!" Their dogma is howling like an vindictive animal.
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Renaissance
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Discussion 1 : 04/02/2012 at 07:34 AM1
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Education Ministers are like hired dairy farmers whose job is to milk the cow for its owner. While in charge of the cow, it doesn't matter to him if the cow becomes more clever, develops an understanding of right and wrong, improves its Maths skills and knowledge of science, learns to speak English, or even runs faster. Indeed, the owner doesn't want him to teach these things to the cow. His job is just to milk the cow and to get as much milk as he can for the owner, who will then pay him a percentage. This is why the education system is like it is.
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Without debate there is no democracy | Bangkok Post: opinion