OPINION

Locke doesn't fit

It is very true that John Locke firmly believed in a government office as a trust and those in power as trustees serving the people (Opinion, Aug 19).

Sadly, after so many coups and rigged constitutions and elections, the majority of Thai people, especially the young, have lost trust in every institution. Rampant corruption, cronyism, nepotism, and manipulation have led to erosion of this public trust.

We see the failure of governments in Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Myanmar and most of Africa -- where the military has a prominent role -- in baking "half democracies". Sooner or later such half-baked democracies are bound to crumble. In Thailand, traditional institutions have a stranglehold on governance. Yes, contrary to Locke's views, the Thai elite treats public offices as personal property and privilege. Just look at how the key institutions use their role and power in protecting the status quo.

It is rather far-fetched to expect that public offices in Thailand would ever gain the same respect and trust that we see in the USA, Europe, or Australia. No matter how the politicians in the USA try to manipulate the governance, it is the people and their votes that ultimately decide their fate. With all its vagaries, democracy in the USA remains agile and fully capable of dealing with unjust manipulations. Just wait till November 2020 and see for yourself. In a nutshell, Thailand is the wrong place to apply John Locke's principles of governance. It is the same with all other countries bordering Thailand.

Re: "Brainwashed kids", (PostBag, Aug 20).

While RH Suga in his Aug 20 letter, "Brainwashed kids", makes a point worth considering, has it occurred to him that it might in fact be the traditionally educated elders who have been brainwashed? It is, after all, those fanatical right-wing elders who are unable to make a rational argument to state and support their articles of mindless faith, in contrast to informed, eloquent students. And since it is also the elders of Thainess whose "unwisdom" has so held back Thailand economically, socially, politically and morally for many decades, the weight of evidence suggests that it is the old folk who lack mature understanding of the political issues here.

Ageism is a dangerous sword to wield -- falling on your own is embarrassing.

According to Mcot news on Thursday morning, one of the panels, or was it a sub-committee, or was it an investigative committee under a sub-committee, (who can keep track of all these investigating committees and panels investigating the Yoovidhya affair), has asked for another week's extension to complete its fact-finding.

What do these people do all day? How many more committees and extensions are needed? A group of high school students could do a better job in wrapping up the entire affair in a day. The whole Yoovidhya investigation has turned into a national joke, a national embarrassment, and made the justice system and the police the laughing stock of the entire world.