OPINION

Time to engage young

Re: "Spectres of the past return to haunt us all", Opinion, Oct 10

James A Baldwin put it well: "The past is what makes the present coherent, and the past will remain horrible as long as we refuse to assess it honestly." The picture also reminds us that Thailand will never be able to join the ranks of "developed nations" as long it keeps trampling the aspirations of its young generation. Young people in Thailand have been forced to remain silent about every situation and institution. Thai society can never achieve its full potential by relying fully on the ruling elite, above-the-law military regimes, police and a corrupt bureaucracy thriving on cronyism and nepotism.

Instead of forcing silence the government should engage the young generation. To reform politics it should facilitate and nurture youth leadership programmes all over the country. Only young people with good education, skills, competencies, creativity and flexibility, strong social values and a sense of engagement, and singular energy will be able to mould the future of Thailand, not ageing and senile leaders.

Rupert Cornwall in his Oct 12 article paints a grim picture of the current US presidential election, but that's hardly surprising. If the US media insist on portraying the campaign as a boxing match between sworn enemies without a referee, then the public is likely to respond with one-liners, disgust and hatred. So Ms Clinton should be locked up or shot dead and, more justifiably perhaps, Mr Trump should be in a mental home or open a brothel.

Voters in US elections certainly have their limitations. Many surveys have revealed that the majority neither know nor care who wrote the US constitution and cannot even name the vice-president. Informal research suggests some people googling Abraham Lincoln came away believing he was a nineteenth century vampire slayer or a secret transvestite following a botched surgical procedure. The internet has a lot to answer for.

On his Facebook page on Oct 10, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore praised Kenneth Sng, a Singaporean student studying at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, for his opening remarks on behalf of students prior to the Second presidential debate. He wrote, "Glad that he mentioned 'Singapore, my home', in his remarks. Well done Kenneth. Keep the Singapore flag flying high."

Mr Sng was chosen to make the remarks not because he is a Singaporean but as the student union president.

People in Singapore must be proud of their education that effectively prepares Mr Sng for the occasion. No matter what the outcome of the debate, Singapore ends up a winner.

Amidst the plethora of articles in the Bangkok Post recently, concerning the so-called Hawaii-gate fiasco, one question stands out: What happened to the airliner and crew members?

Was this one round trip, or two? If the latter, then the crew members would have had to be accommodated, or flown elsewhere, for the duration of the conference, with the concomitant costs to be borne by some entity. Plus the plane would have to have been parked at a Honolulu airbase, again with costs, unless these were waived by the US organisers.

Additionally, on a flight of that duration, only three meals (as mentioned) seems exceptionally frugal fare. Also, what was consumed on the return to Thailand? Or, did the US organising authorities provide a couple of boxes of Californian wine and packed lunches?

Hawaiian pizzas, perhaps!