OPINION

More equal marriage bluster

Re: "Govt aims to expedite gender bill," (BP, Nov 19).

Expedite the gender bill? Huh? Well, that sounds like the usual load of malarkey which we've heard for decades from many powers-that-be.

It seems the present government is so unbelievably antiquated and inept that they cannot keep up with these changes, even though these local policymakers had several decades to prepare for a new social order which was all but inevitable.

The government needs to understand that the world has changed and many millions of LGBTQ citizens elsewhere now have equal marriage rights which must be respected by any nation which wants to be part of the modern tourism industry.

If Thailand refuses to legally respect the marriage certificates of foreign LGBTQ couples who visit the kingdom -- and disallows its own LGBTQ citizens from engaging in equal marriage -- then the government officials supporting this nonsense are not only eroding Thailand's long-term interests. They may also inadvertently redefine the slogan "Amazing Thailand" as meaning something more like a backwards, xenophobic land which is ruled by government officials who are such dinosaurs they no longer even recognise what century it is they reside in.

So, if I may politely suggest: Enough with all of these never-ending, non-productive committees, empty overtures and lies.

I doubt few younger people will take any of these empty overtures seriously any more; even if these "grand initiatives" are frequently dressed-up in some obscure, arcane, mystical, so-called "Eastern philosophy".

Westerners are told we are supposedly too stupid to understand this concept.

I suggest the government give LGBTQ people a reasonable modicum of human rights and that the modern world has realised these people should be equated with bigotry.

Rich argument rings true

Re: "The dangerous power of insecure billionaires," (Opinion, Nov 4).

Paul Krugman is right in pointing out the fallacy of the argument that taxing wealthy entrepreneurs at higher rates will somehow kill their drive to invest and innovate.

In my view, higher tax rates for individuals and corporations have never been shown to stifle investment.

On the other hand, past tax cuts for corporations have mostly resulted in further enriching the already super-rich rather than spurring new investment.

Certainly, no individual needs tens of billions of dollars in wealth, nor is the track record of how most of the scandalously rich spend their wealth particularly laudable -- with a few notable exceptions.

Under current taxation policies in America, Elon Musk has a reasonable shot at becoming the world's first trillionaire.

I don't think that's an accomplishment anyone in the world -- including Elon Musk -- should be very proud of.

At a time when there are a billion hungry people in the world, deadly diseases strike down tens of millions each year, and the human race faces an existential threat from climate change, more taxes and less bravado from the insanely rich seem to be in order.

Unbridled 'freedom' not on

Re: "Dialogue needed on monarchy reform," (Opinion, Nov 15).

Veera Prateepchaikul was right in saying: "Confrontation between the conservatives and the reformists who are mostly young people is the last thing this country needs".

I also agree with him that Thais should disregard the "people's revolution" as put forward by some crazed armchair rabble-rousers with Western-oriented tunnel vision.

Even though change is inevitable -- that change must be through peaceful means and within a legally-binding framework.

In any democracy, freedom of expression is always a good thing and necessary -- but unbridled freedom is anything but.

Lost trust hard to regain

Re: "Foreign fruit withers," (PostBag, Nov 13).

I must thank Samanea Saman for his excellent analogy.

I agree with Samanea that in Thailand the distasteful reality is that most government officials see foreigners as nothing more than money trees to be shaken until bare, dry and dead.

These are the same officials who also come up with their deranged and dubious policies to attract them to travel to Thailand to rescue its economy.

Yes, many foreigners who would like to make Thailand their retirement residence now distrust every new initiative, travel, and immigration policy.

As they say, trust does not come with a refill.

Once it is gone, you cannot get it back, and if you do, it will never be the same. And that is a fact.