OPINION

An 'open society'?

Re: "Protesters confront riot-control police", (BP, Nov 17).

There is, I fear, a problem with the wording lauding the Apec love fest. I don't mean that minor matter of the missing "e" from the large "welcome" banner advertising on the expressway.

Yet, the more serious error is that the people who thought up the slogan "Open. Connect. Balance." appear to fail to understand at least one of those concepts.

An open society and people who actually respected the ideal of openness would not be arresting and imprisoning those who peacefully express different ideas about inherited notions, social norms, or alleged articles of faith.

To be an open society means to be, well, open: open to new ideas; open to critical review of old ideas; open to new perspectives on traditional reverences; and open to competing ways to understand and live in the world.

Only such an open society, one where inherited errors can be corrected by healthy, critical interrogation, makes possible progress to a better future.

That better future has for many decades been denied the Thai people, who could and should have followed the path to the flourishing of Taiwan and South Korea, were instead condemned to the retarded political, social, moral, and economic malaise that is Thailand today -- a far cry from South Korea and Taiwan.

Perhaps Thais should study not only K-pop, but even more the South Korean history that enabled that nation's great global success.

Hint: the seeds were sown in 1980. Thailand, in contrast, continued to repeat the stultifying errors that Thai law strictly bans correcting.

Migrant questions

Re: "Afghan immigrants?" (BP, Nov 18).

I sincerely thank Khun Jason Jellison for responding to my advocating that Thailand offer asylum to those Afghan professionals, especially women, who met our strong needs for their expertise. I seek to stimulate thoughtful discussion of the issues, leading to more productive decisions.

Let me take his points on the cold reality of welcoming immigrants not from the viewpoint of a current American -- but from one far more experienced. Here's what the Native (capital "N") American Sioux Chief Sitting Bull (who annihilated General George Custer's force at Little Big Horn) might have said had he seen the Pilgrims' ships on the horizon: "White men are not native speakers of any Native American tongue, and that hardly helps us.

Might opening our land to them -- even to really nice people -- one day mean we could have to live on reservations and abide by white man's law?"

Also, the British sent over 160,000 convicts -- hardly nice people -- to Australia between 1788-1868. These days, one in five Aussies is descended from a convict. Khun Jason, should those immigrants have been forced home -- or welcomed?

Dual or duel?

Re: "Ukraine: Where next after fight to take Kherson?" (Opinion, Nov 16).

There is a very simple solution to the war in Ukraine. We all know that Ukrainians and Russians have been murdering each other in the Donbas region since 2014. We also know that the West and Russia have meddled in Ukrainian politics since that time and that hatred has become the norm. The answer is nothing new. In Canada and Switzerland, a dual-language regime has been accepted. If the Ukrainians can accept such a system, it will resolve the whole problem.

Chasing the spotlight

Re: "Donald Trump is finished", (Opinion, Nov 18).

Bret Stephens gives an unbeatable assessment of why Trump is politically doomed. Yet it is entirely feasible that the Donald knows it. The ex-president is driven by the need to be permanently in the spotlight. By standing early for re-election, he achieves that for the time being. But he can't bear to lose, another dominant feature of sociopathy. If the Republican Party looks like rejecting him as a loser, he could well threaten to stand as an independent wannabe president, which would, of course, ensure a Democratic victory in 2024. A sociopath knows only one loyalty -- personal ego.

Trump a 'Godsend'

Re: "Don't Blame Trump", (PostBag, Nov 17).

Traditionally the opposing party to the president of the United States does extremely well in the mid-term elections. This should have been particularly true this time because the president has a low approval rating and inflation is out of control ("it's the economy stupid").

At least 14 candidates endorsed by Trump were defeated. It is a fluke right from the start that Trump ever became president and he even lost the popular vote when he was elected in 2016. Politics 101 is that while a certain percentage of Americans will automatically vote Democrat or Republican, the margin of victory in a presidential race (as well as in statewide elections in swing states) is held by the middle-of-the-road independent voters. A candidate like Trump, who goes out of his way to insult everyone other than his most loyal supporters, cannot build the coalitions needed for victory. Thus, Donald Trump is a Godsend for the Democrats.

Read me uncut

Re: "Dictatorial dispute", (PostBag, Nov 12), & "Anti-Hate Hating", (PostBag, Nov 10).

The PostBag's publication of Felix Qui's snarky criticism of my letter printed on Nov 10 was inappropriate.

Though, I cannot blame Mr Qui for his ignorance.

Despite Mr Qui's false claim that I did not "bother" to give an example of "left-wing authoritarians," I did, in fact, write of "the communist-led genocide of one-third of Cambodia".

I also referenced "Buddhism" and "modern Thai dictatorships", though not as Mr Qui would like.

And, I went on at length about Prof Jason Stanley's "sceptical" "anti-democratic views", eg, he "sceptically" pointed to past fatal flaws in democracy, stressing that "20th-century Fascist parties came to power" through "democratic elections".

All this and more, Mr Qui blithely ignores. I say "blithely" because, though I wrote all this, Mr Qui happily hacked away, not knowing any of this. Why?

What happened is that the PostBag editor printed just 20% of what I wrote; therefore Mr Qui unjustly faults me because he did not have a chance to read the rest of my heavily redacted letter.

Less talk, more action

Re: "Cop27 talks' success hinges on 'loss and damage", (Opinion, Nov 16).

The latest UN Climate Change Summit assumes great significance in the wake of recurring natural disasters like flooding, droughts, and much more the world over. The East or the West, countries, world leaders and the media have been talking about climate change crises and related ramifications. First off, it is clearly evident from recent flooding in countries like Pakistan and the US [Florida] that climate change has been playing havoc with countries and their agricultural activities.

Summits apart, how about action to be taken? Frankly speaking, the world needs strong action against climate change issues.

That said, natural resources, including agricultural activities, have always been front and centre in matters of human survival on this beautiful planet. As a matter of fact, rigorous agricultural activities have long been thriving across my native areas like Korkai, Tiruchendur, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Nagercoil and Marthandam in Tamil Nadu. Well, such green activities have to be kept on track worldwide.

Therefore, UN Climate Change Summit parleys should be more about strong action than anything else -- through supporting farming in all forms and encouraging green activities like planting trees across every corner of the world so as to arrest the impacts of climate change in the best way possible.

Pray for Malaysia

Re: "Anwar alliance ahead in polls", (BP, Nov 17) & "Ruling bloc vows basic income as voting nears", (BP, Nov 9).

Come 19 November 2022, once again, Malaysians will hold the future of this beloved nation closest to their hopes.

That hope can either be shredded or fortified by the media.

In a world of a networked society, the role of the media is ever more pivotal in inspiring nations and people to arrive at progressive destinations.

Help Malaysia to thrive on hope. Help Malaysia to kill corrupt intentions. Deliver us from the hands of corrupt politicians who have exploited the spoils for far too long.

A brave new world awaits Malaysians as we approach the polling date.

Narrow thinking

Since 1979, when I first began to read the Bangkok Post, it has continuously descended and reduced into the realm of animal crackers. With fewer investigative reports and more sponsored advertorials, the paper looks and feels emaciated. The percentage of news to entertainment always seems to favour the amusing and amused. I would champion a return to classical journalism where facts are presented without bending to a top-down narrative or political correctness. If that is a "narrow view", then so be it.

First to see Santa

There is a long tradition in England for people to compete on who can write a letter to the editor of their newspaper proclaiming they saw the first cuckoo of spring and sometimes the first nightingale. I think PostBag needs to start its own traditional sighting, so I hereby report the first Santa Claus of Christmas, sighted in Rayong's Lotus supermarket on Nov 15, complete with reindeer, snowscape and balloons.

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