OPINION

Protect those at risk

Re: "City records 10% jump in Covid patients," (BP, June 24).

If hospitalisations associated with and deaths from Covid-19 in Thailand follow the pattern in the US, I see no need to vaccinate the under-17s. As of May 13, the under-17s accounted for just 0.06% of US deaths from Covid-19. That is, nine children died -- and that includes six with underlying conditions.

On US hospitalisations, for the week ending June 11, the under-17s accounted for just 68 beds, or 5.9% of Covid-associated hospitalisations. Rather, vaccinate/protect the elderly and those with underlying conditions, who are most at risk.

Way off target

Re: "Guns vs Covid-19," (PostBag, June 18).

Once again, Eric Bahrt hilariously calculates that 2+2=5 by claiming liberals are to blame for increasing gun violence in America.

Historically it has long been known that having a firearm in your house increases your chances of being shot. Since 2016 -- and especially during the pandemic -- gun sales have spiked and the number of homes with firearms has risen from 32% to 39%.

You don't really need to be a rocket scientist to realise that more guns leads to more gun violence. As the pandemic nears its end, America needs to start looking at the epidemic of gun violence that has led to 67 mass shootings so far this year. (I should add that this figure is for the period up to May; for sure there will have been more since then).

It's high time America freed itself from the morbid fascination with guns fed by a greedy firearms industry and supported by politicians who would sell their grandmothers for a pittance.

Yours sincerely,

Yank cranks

Re: "Not just an opinion," (PostBag, June 18) and "Devil to pay," (PostBag, June 13).

I would like to thank Ray Ban for his piece in response to Michael Setter's usual nonsense. Vaccinations against Covid have been the way out of the pandemic, every country has recognised this fact; Thailand in particular has found this to be so and can now look forward again.

What amazes me is that the editorial team at BP have not recognised what sort of world these American contributors exist in. Why, oh why do you still persist in indulging them? Any number of people have asked you the same question. So why?

I have known a number of expatriate Americans here in Thailand who have no real idea of life outside of America, who steam along in an other-worldly Trump-like existence of alternative truths they think if said often and loud enough will become so.

Their whole thinking is based on life in America, living even now a racial-based civil war that has yet to end. Armed to the teeth, the answer to 400 million guns is another 400 million guns to protect themselves from 400 million guns. Less children to worry about, but that's just acceptable collateral damage. For most Americans, history began with George Washington, their constitution from that era is still extant, this is where every man is considered equal, er, except of course all those who are not.

S'pore's the pity

Re: "Singapore model," (PostBag, June 18).

Burin Kantabutra suggested that salaries of MPs in parliament be in line with those of the Singaporean government's cabinet and civil service as a reform measure. It is an accepted view that the ministers in Singapore command the highest salaries relative to their counterparts anywhere in the world.

The premise of this was the contention that to draw talent to serve as key political-office holders in government, they need to be compensated on a par with those in the top echelons of the private sector.

Herein lies a major divergence. Top managers in the private sector are handsomely compensated as long as they contribute but are quickly shown the door if they do not because they are accountable for their performance.

There is no accountability in the ranks of the Singapore government. Those in office were drawn from the pool of scholarship holders in the civil service and the military and were parachuted into top positions in ministries, statutory boards and government-linked companies despite having little or no commercial experience. The list of their failures to perform is long and distinguished.

When their incompetence became too visible and an embarrassment to the government, the culprits were merely transferred to another government agency where they would, it was hoped, do less damage.

As to Khun Burin's belief that "even a whiff of corruption wasn't tolerated", I will say that nothing is so squeaky clean; it's all relative. As the old adage goes, Khun Burin: be careful for what you wish for!