OPINION

Sick healthcare system

As I watch Republican congressmen try to make healthcare unaffordable for tens of millions of old, poor and chronically ill Americans, I am gaining a new appreciation of Thaksin.

There was a lot I didn't like about him, but at least he had the heart to give affordable healthcare to old, poor and chronically ill Thais, unlike the greedy billionaires that have taken over the US government thanks to the ignorance and gullibility of a relatively small group of voters who at least cared enough to vote.

I hope the Thai people will jealously guard the healthcare system that Thaksin started and won't let the greedy rich in Thailand screw them like they are trying to do to people in America.

Re: "No more selfies with suspects, PM tells cops", (BP, June 24).

Does the police chief or the prime minister really think banning the police from taking selfies with suspects will make a difference because they say so?

No one has bothered to listen to either the police chief or the prime minister on this issue.

Thai TV viewers are still subjected to very overweight police officers, protruding bellies overhanging their belts, squeezed into ultra tight uniforms, with their suspects on TV.

In fact, when the police glorified the arrests of those three ladies accused of murder, it reminded me of Beauty and the Beast.

Isn't there an exercise training programme for these guys? Too much desk work, coffee and snacks, like in American police TV shows must to be the norm, of course if the boys in brown are not out there threatening motorists and collecting tea money.

Re: "B15bn light rail tipped for Korat city", (BP, June, 23).

Of course, careful and detailed studies are needed for this plan. But I encourage those who engage in this project to be brave when it comes to profitability during initial operation.

Look at the history of the BTS Skytrain system in Bangkok. Once it was almost bankrupt but the private owner has overcome this difficulty and turned it into present prosperity. This success lead to the introduction of the MRT underground service and now we have been initiating a great electric train network in and around Bangkok. This brave spirit should be applied for Chiang Mai city as well.

How about considering not calling ISIS the Islamic State. They named themselves and the 'Islamic' part tries to legitimise them.

They are hate-driven terrorists and have no part in Islam. Call them what they are with a name that paints them as evil in the eyes of the world, with no religious connection.

Islam needs to clarify so much about who and what it is and how it regards others and that includes the mix of Muslims.

Lifestyles and freedoms are at stake because of a confused hate-riddled faith that takes many forms and has many rules and how to interpret them.

Problems and how to handle others are solved with bombs and violence and it is sadly part of the faith that claims peace is part of it.

Last month, three days after he fired FBI Director James Comey, US President Donald Trump tweeted, "James Comey better hope that there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!"

On Thursday, Mr Trump admitted he does not have tapes of his conversations with Mr Comey as he had implied.

Political observers pointed out that Thursday was the day when all attention was paid to Senate Republicans unveiling their healthcare repeal bill.

It was also a day prior to a deadline set up by the House Intelligence Committee for the White House to clarify whether the tapes exist.

As a result, after Mr Trump's tweet this time, American media were quick to refer to their government leader as "our bluffing President".

Eric Bahrt may not buy it, but smear campaigns, dirty dancing, making promises that are never fulfilled or honoured, and more, are part of every politician's kit bag, a repertoire you might say.

Most genuinely honest people do not fare well as politicians. Gone are the days when voters voted on issues.

What you see, is certainly not what you get. Today most people vote for personalities. It has always been might makes right, and full speed ahead, damn the torpedoes.

Mr Bahrt, like many others, may not like President Trump, but he is a reality and here to stay unless otherwise. Just as Gen Prayut is favoured by most Thais in the polls, Mr Trump is favoured the same way. No country is a utopia, a paradise within itself.

Rather than waste time bemoaning the likes and dislikes of Trump, it might be good to give more thought to those who live in Syria, Turkey, North Korea, Cambodia, and a few other countries. Their citizens (slaves) are not so free to express either their likes or dislikes.

Enigmatic Donald Trump keeps on tossing "trump cards". He still may be one of the best things that ever happened to a stodgy, lethargic, lackadaisical America where the good life has been taken for granted for far too long.

As usual because my critics can't dispute the arguments I make, they make up arguments I didn't make and dispute them.

My letter didn't glorify Hillary Clinton (as Clara Holzer claims in her letter, "Glorifying Hillary", in the PostBag column on June 24) or condemn her. (Although Holzer's claim that Hillary murdered Gadhafi -- who deserved to die anyway -- borders on insanity.)

I simply said there are serious questions about the fairness of the elections and since Mr Trump strongly hinted he would not accept the results if he lost, it's outrageous to then expect the other side to be gracious losers.

The issue isn't Hillary Clinton. The issue is that the Russians hijacked the elections.