OPINION

Not free and not fair

Re: "Trade and education are an odd couple", (Opinion, Jan 18).

Thailand inequality may be helped by better education but something far easier to apply is an adjustment in the supposed "free market" which isn't free and a long way from fair for country people who provide Thais with food. Just three months ago we heard stories of rice farmers being offered 5 baht a kilogramme for their produce because world prices were at a low. The question that begs is where? Rice in Western supermarkets where much of this ends up is more like US$5 (177 baht) a kilogramme and even in Thailand is close to $1.

Just last week my wife took 44kg of fresh lemons and 20 bunches of bananas to the local market and was paid the miserly sum of 680 baht for her efforts. If you are not big enough to organise the carriage then your access to city markets is very limited. Fresh produce deteriorates so you take what's on offer and swallow your pride. Big international food suppliers have got a lifetime ticket to big profits.

The Godfather of fake news, Donald Trump, would have us believe the Obama administration has failed at protecting the environment.

Just as Mr Trump is wrong on pretty much everything, he's also wrong with his anti-science environmental outlook. Let's take a cursory look at what's changed in the USA during the past eight years as it relates to some environmental issues:

Since 2008, costs for wind and solar have plunged by 40% and 60%, respectively, according to a recent report put out by the US's Energy Department. Mr Obama has overseen the installation of 100 gigawatts (one billion watts), of generating capacity in both technologies; 75 gigawatts for wind power, and 25 gigawatts for solar.

Additionally, there are now 500,000 electric vehicles on US roads, thanks largely to a 70% drop in battery costs. Another contributing factor is economic incentives which enable environmentalists to afford cleaner renewable energy options. Mr Trump and the man he's putting in charge of the EPA will gut such programmes.

Can Thailand also improve its environmental footprint? Yes, but it needs to pursue a sensible approach -- rather than the black-oil-soaked, soot-covered approach which Mr Trump espouses.

Re: "Heed the siren call", (PostBag, Jan 18).

Jack Gilead has his heart in the right place, absolutely, when it comes to the general public getting out of the way of ambulances. As an expectation, however, it would be totally out of place with Thainess.

Respect for the general welfare is hardly demonstrated by the way most people abuse one another, obstruct major and minor roadways with willful parking where they find it convenient, ignore ambulances, cause major flooding by building infrastructure that impedes drainage, gang up against community activists who legitimately complain about any number of things neighbours do, praise defamation allegations against people who express legitimate views, prefer money over honour and honesty...

No, that ambulance on the road is merely another trivial nuisance that will hopefully not impede personal convenience. Sad but true. The cure? Law enforcement. Constant campaigning. Public awareness.

It sometimes makes me wonder: Is the Bangkok Post proud of the fact that they promote Matt Davies, the most anti-Trump, anti-American political cartoonist in the world today?

Along with the Post's love affair with the left-wing New York Times columnists, Mr Trump is on the losing side, that is, despite the fact that HRC would have been much worse in the White House.

It's somewhat fortunate that Thailand faces no external military threat, as it seems that the armed forces' top brass are preoccupied with their current day jobs in the various arms of the government machine, as well as heading up a plethora of committees and sub-committees.

postbag@bangkokpost.co.th