War of words

War of words

How can Old Crutch possibly write about the euphemisms churned out by military propaganda machines (Postcript, BP, April 21) without mentioning some of the classics produced by the Americans during the Vietnam war.

My favourites are: winning hearts and minds, or Wham (dropping napalm bombs on suspected Viet Cong villages); pacification (the very root of this word means peace); collateral damage and friendly fire (we just killed our own troops); and Vietnamisation (justification for pulling our troops out of Vietnam).

DAVID BROWN
Rayong


Democracy steps back

Re: ''Red shirts spoil Democrat rally in Si Sa Ket'' (BP, April 21). The news of the red shirts of Si Sa Ket blocking the way and preventing Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva from speaking to his supporters shows we are still far from being a democracy.

It also shows Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra as the consummate master of doublespeak; and that all she is capable of doing _ as our PM _ is to give her sweetest, most innocent-looking smile to hide all the wickedness that is going on.

VINT CHAVALA
Lamphun


Thugs ruin Songkran

As a clueless farang, I first thought this is the real spirit of Songkran _ get wild, go crazy, it's a free-for-all. But now I know better.

I now realise that Songkran in the world-famous resort of Pattaya is nothing but a chance for thugs to hurt people.

There is absolutely no connection between the friendly water-splashing in the provinces (for three days only, vs a full week in Pattaya) and the violent, icy-dirty water being shot at passers-by from powerful water guns here.

The old-timers simply leave town or live under a few days of self-imposed curfew. But what about the enormous economic damage caused by this mindless rampage?

Shops, restaurants and most businesses close down for at least two days, not to mention the real damage to property caused by the mayhem. The so-called revellers (read hooligans) have no respect for anything and anybody and turn Songkran into an officially sanctioned mob riot.

It is time the authorities cracked down on this lawlessness.

ANDY LEITNER
Pattaya


Post office pains

I stick by my claim that both the US and Canadian postal systems offer some of the worst services in the world, and in many cases are less reliable than ThaiPost.

I don't know the last time Eric Bahrt lived in the USA. Both North American systems are overpriced to feed the postal unions' continual high salary demands and periodic strike threats. Canada even levies a federal sales tax on postage stamps.

Newspapers occasionally print stories of sacks of mail intended for delivery stuffed into lockers, found in rivers, and more. It takes a week or more to move a letter from one end of Manhattan to the other.

I know which country I live in, but perhaps Eric Bahrt doesn't. He still is in The Land of Make Believe, as the song goes.

YANKELEH


In a field of dreams

I just watched an interesting discussion on Thai TV news regarding the proposed rail link to be built from Bangkok to Korat and Chiang Mai.

The gripe was that poor people would not be able to afford this ride as the ticket prices would be quite high for them. Well, don't complain folks. It is the so-called ''poor'', (many not poor at all), who voted in this Pheu Thai government on its promises to take care of you and make life easier and better for you.

This is exactly what the government is doing. It will afford you the opportunity to stand in your rice fields and wave to those inside the high speed trains as they roar through your paddy, the folks inside waving back.

You sow what you reap.
GOLANI


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