OPINION

Control-deny-delete

Re: "US shoots itself in the foot over Taiwan", (Opinion, Aug 5).

I usually look to Thitinan Pongsudhirak to further my understanding of matters Thai and the region, but I wonder if he isn't missing the point of Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

If China really finds her visit so provocative then surely it should treat it as it does reports of re-education centres in Xinjiang or disturbances in Tiananmen Square. Simply deny the existence of what is claimed and remove and block all references to it.

Bunking off online

Re: "Online truancy", (PostBag, Aug 4).

Jason A Jellison writes: "Online learning can work well at young ages when children are easy to entertain with muppets", adding some schools are finding out that "most unsupervised teenagers and university students routinely engage in vices rather than their studies, as no teacher is standing there to correct them".

With all due respect sir, I think you have things backwards here.

It has been found that elementary school children only benefit from online learning when a parent is present with them; otherwise, they don't really learn anything at all, as they don't have the discipline at such a young age to learn on their own. And I don't see what muppets have to do with online learning!

Now, it may be true that some teenagers and university students do engage in vices when presented with online learning; nonetheless, even if this is the case teenagers are still able to learn something and university students also, whereas elementary school kids who engage in such vices essentially learn nothing. This is a big difference.

And I think most can agree that adults do benefit from online learning.

Lambs to slaughter

Re: "One man's meat," (PostBag, Aug 3).

Further to Eric Bahrt's letter, I would ask those of you who eat animals to consider, for example, the cruel journey a lamb suffers on its way onto your plate and into your mouth.

Taken from its mother and transported, sometimes over a great distance, to a slaughterhouse where it waits, in terror, to be killed. Finally it is chopped up into pieces for you to eat.

Certainly the effects of this appalling process are disastrous for the environment. But for me, the cruelty involved is something no human being should find acceptable, whatever their background or wherever they live.

All watched over

Re: "Thailand's Big Brother is upping the ante", (Opinion, Aug 6).

Well said, Thana Boonlert. Thailand's opponents of democracy are terrified when Thais freely ask pertinent questions of traditional power. Is there any reason to censor and intimidate citizens into fearful ignorance? Such abuse of power has retarded the Thai nation for many decades under a fake veneer of progress.

And who could not love the brilliantly impish Mr Foucault who has served up so many smashing insights into worn-out verities of Western culture? But Bentham?

Just imagine if Thai schools de-emphasised the wholesome moral lessons in Bentham in favour of the far more brilliant ideas of his disciple John Stuart Mill?

Naturally, the Thai elite colluding in coups to prop up the old ways are terrified of such sound reasoning and good morals spreading in Thai society.

Wood that it were so

Re: "The potential of sustainable wood", (BP, Aug 5).

I hate to rain on this article, but I have to refer to Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman's warning that our economies are nowhere near ready to rapidly convert to unrealistic "green" alternatives.

This puff-piece comes on the heels of Sri Lanka's "Green New Disaster", as well as skyrocketing prices in so many countries that invested deep in green alternatives.

World leaders should learn from the green fiascos of Germany, Sri Lanka, the USA and numerous other formerly energy-secure nations now eyeing a very cold winter.

I certainly do agree that forests should be properly managed and are critical to our future. But I also know that many corrupt nations will simply continue to slash and burn.

The notion that our economies (so many of which are already teetering near collapse) could actually afford to do this in only five years is irresponsible.

The masked presenter

I wonder if anyone knows the logic behind Thai TV presenters wearing masks while on TV? I am not a scientist yet I doubt the disease could somehow jump through my aerial. And this continued mask mandate is not exactly helping with my acquisition of the language.