Distracted by noise
Re: “Smashing up beliefs no way to instil order”, (Opinion, Sept 16).
I do not own a mobile phone, and I have an apartment with no TV, no telephone and no computer. This is where I escape the “noise” each day, but how many people can truly do that in the modern world?
In my opinion, politicians, especially the populist ones, actually create extra noise just to keep people distracted, confused and disoriented. Liberal news media are also guilty of this.
During the Cold War, I worked in a military headquarters that was as quiet as a monastery or a morgue. We could actually sit and read or write things without interruption, and we actually held conversations! Yes, with nouns, verbs, full sentences and one sentence right after another! Can anyone imagine that today?
If the world ever went back to a noiseless environment, then people would start talking to each other again, and then populist politicians, one after the other, would start falling, everywhere across the globe.
Guy Baker
A warning for Thais
In Germany and Austria in 1933, the burning of books considered critical of National Socialist ideas was called for by students and many thousands of books were burned.
In Thailand, the military hierarchy has instructed young navy officers not to use their mobile phones and they crush the phones of those who dare use them. That is the military's way to deal with thought.
Is this history repeating itself?
What next for Thailand after the "attitude adjustment" camps? Criticise the military government and end up in prison or a mental institution?
Thais beware.
Jack Corrin
More to Iraq than oil
Re: "US are the ‘good guys'"? (PostBag, Sept 17).
After Eric Barht quoted Noam Chomsky, I suggest a better observer of these world events would be Naomi Klein and her book Shock Doctrine.
Around the world aggressive laissez faire capitalist policies are rushed into place during times of shock.
The war in Iraq is one of the best examples. In Iraq and other places suffering from shocking events, privatisation of publicly owned properties takes place at huge discounts, banking and other regulatory policies are eliminated, and financial border controls are eliminated so foreign countries can rush in.
Mr Bahrt, no, it is not just about oil. It is about a lot more. Iraq was stripped in many more ways.
The money goes to big business and ultimately to the small number of wealthiest people in the world.
Iraq's industries are ruined and replaced by the global market.
John Kane
Planning to avoid AIS
For many years I have been with AIS, but on July 1 I applied to change my account to DTAC because AIS was no longer competitive. DTAC tried to transfer my account but AIS refused for various fabricated reasons such as wrong tax number, wrong name, outstanding payments and others.
They even called and threatened to cancel my number if I changed to DTAC. But my perseverance paid off and finally they transferred the account on Sept 14, more than 2 months later!
After this fiasco, I will never enter into any business dealings with AIS, my staff of 40-plus people have also been instructed to avoid AIS and the 250 contacts in my phone have also been informed to avoid AIS.
Congratulations to AIS for this PR debacle!
L Dippel
Pattaya flood disaster
In a display of loyalty and wishing to comply with the government's directive to collect water from tropical depression Vamco, Pattaya City officials appear to have successfully converted at least 10 square kilometres of the city centre into a very effective catchment basin.
The new underpass, which is being constructed on Sukhumvit Road, contributed greatly to diverting flood water into the new reservoir. May we assume jet skis will immediately be licensed as water taxis?
Mr M
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