OPINION

Waste: just say no

Thai people seem to forget the Buddha's teaching of Right Action and doing no harm.

 One would think that in a country where Buddhism is the religion adopted by the majority that the principles would influence governance. From purposefully poisoning the land and people with chemicals like paraquat to intentionally seeking electronic waste to destroy their own environment, Thai people seem bent on self-destruction.

One way though to limit the ignorant and masochistic tendencies would be to block any and all imported waste. There is no shortage of garbage here. Just look around especially after a little flooding and the refuse issue will float right up.

So how about the dictator and the navy coming to the defence of the country and stopping this invasion? Why is the government not responding with the same speed and tenacity for real and tangible threats to the country that it musters for supposed ideological threats?

I am more concerned about the person that poisons my children and physically harms them than I am about someone who says something they are not supposed to hear.

It's time for Bangkok governor Pol Gen Aswin Kwanmuang to be fired. His lack of imagination on what a modern Bangkok should be is only matched by his daily pettiness and incompetence.

Exhibit one is chasing food vendors who provide food that both tourists and Bangkok locals want and need from the sidewalks of the city.

The second exhibit is trying to starve out one of the most innovative and exciting artistic spaces in the city, the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre (BACC), in some misbegotten attempt to control a centre he doesn't understand.

The third aspect of his failures is evident by the traffic disaster caused on a daily basis by the BRT bus system, especially at the Chong Nonsi intersection, because of a basic failure to creatively manage a dedicated bus lane at non-peak traffic times.

And finally, despite the NCPO's hemming and hawing, we are supposed to be living in a democracy sooner rather than later -- a good place to start is get rid of Pol Gen Aswin today and have the Bangkok government election in calendar year 2018.

I highly praise the Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper the Washington Post for promoting democracy by seeking to shed light and not heat. This determination is shown by its slogan: "Democracy dies in darkness" -- and though the WP's editorial stance is that of a liberal, it takes great care to expose readers to responsible opposing views, so that readers may choose for themselves.

Some examples of opposing views printed by the paper would include: (a) last week's column by Larry Kudlow, director of Mr Trump's National Economic Council, putting forth his case for tariffs -- and for free trade; and (b) presenting a very prominent conservative commentator, Charles Krauthammer, in a column every Friday.

Thai media should likewise trust their audiences and causes enough to regularly invite opposing views to engage in two-way communication with their audiences. An informed, politically active electorate is the base of a vigorous democracy. Such proactive outreach will test one's causes, promote learning and reconciliation, and hopefully help us end the vicious cycle of coups d'etat.

Re: "Autonomous alarm", (PostBag, June 2).

It is understandable why the above would be alarmed by the prospect of huge trucks coming down quickly in the opposite direction while in a self-driving car. There are sure to be situations where an actual driver could have prevented an accident. Nonetheless, when one considers that this country has just about the highest accident rate in the world, in the Thai context, autonomous cars are like manna from heaven. They are sure to save many lives.

Contact: Bangkok Post Building 136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110 fax: +02 6164000 Email:

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