OPINION

True Thai spirit

Visiting the JJ weekend market in Chiang Mai, I was reminded of all the things I like about Thai people and Thai culture.

Everyone was getting on with their daily lives. Life has to go on despite the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. People have to work in order to put food on the table for their families. Rural people have to bring their products to market. They cannot delay and they also need to make money for their families. Life goes on. Polite, respectful. Maybe slightly more reserved than usual.

Some people are dressed in black, but not everyone. One farang girl is dressed inappropriately. But no one says anything. No one complains, no one says anything rude to her. They serve her the same as any other customer. These are the best traits of the Thai people and the best of humanity. They may not display their grief on their sleeves, but grieve they most certainly do.

Re: "Trump's irrelevant work experience", (Opinion, Oct 25).

The article states that business people have rarely had successful political careers. What the author might have mentioned, but didn't, is that nearly half of the US Congress are thought to be lawyers by profession. And more to the point, Bill Clinton, his successor Barack Obama and the likely next US president Hilary Clinton, to name but a few, are or were all lawyers.

In the UK there have been no shortage of lawyers becoming members of parliament, with the most notable, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, training as a lawyer, as have many in other countries.

I suggest it is their skill to communicate and sometimes obfuscate, that make them suitable to be politicians.

Re: "Trump undermines democracy", (PostBag, Oct 23).

It seems whatever intelligence Joseph Ting possessed may have been wiped clean by the bleach-bit of a steady diet of mainstream media propaganda.

There is abundant information which supports the view that the upcoming US presidential election may indeed be "rigged".

Of course this news is not disseminated by the media. This news blackout includes reports of the destruction of voter registrations and the registering of deceased persons. Most disturbing is the discovery of fractional vote options embedded in the code used to programme US voting machines.

If this fact is unknown to readers it is indicative of the effectiveness of mainstream media in shaping the news.

Look to independent journalists who have a reputation for integrity if the truth is what you seek, for it is no longer a commodity purveyed by large corporate interests.

Michael Setter

To everyone with a political opinion, all's well and fine.

However, remember, politics in all cases is like an iceberg. Most of it is what we cannot see, below the water line. As long as that is kept in mind, and no one develops a case of "Duterte-ism", the rambling "know-it-all", and "I have the fix for everything"; and, once said, is sufficient without a million repetitions.

This holds true especially for American presidential candidates, the pre- and post-election results and the next four years.

Thailand is indeed blessed when it comes to politics. It may not be the perfect solution, but there is no political violence, other than that in the South, and no extra-judicial killings.

And being told what to do is not a bad thing when you come to think of it.

It frees people of making hardcore political decisions, most times made in error or emotionally, and it has cut back a lot of corruption by politicians with their pig snouts in the public trough.

How many people here are really affected by the present political situation? Moreover, how many do really care?

The sun comes up, the sun sets, regardless of the helmsman. Ask yourself, how has your life changed with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in charge? Probably few, if any, could claim it has.

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