Choices have costs
Re: "No German engines for submarines", (BP, May 15).
It never ceases to amaze me how hard-headed many human beings can be. I'm not anti-China, but Thailand has been moving further and further towards China for years, so is anyone surprised that the US and EU are starting to move away from Thailand?
Thailand also has the 11th largest trade deficit with the US in the world, and tariffs are coming that will hit Thailand's stagnant economy very hard. I see no sign that the US is interested in making a trade deal. Choices have consequences.
Stalling for show
Re: "Russia leader told to meet in Turkey", (World, May 13).
Everybody says they want peace in Ukraine, and a number of other places, but they won't meet to talk about it despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's latest attempt to at least start talking face to face in Istanbul, Turkey.
Vladimir Putin is not going, as indicated by the official list, because he is not interested in negotiations, just conquest. Maybe this is an honest response.
US President Donald Trump reportedly will not go, because Mr Putin isn't going, and thus he won't be able to make a grandstand statement claiming all the credit. This is a self-interest statement.
People are dying, but egos seem more important. The world is heading the wrong way, and we all know two leaders who are driving us all over the cliff.
From America, amen
Re: "Pope Leo steps in", (PostBag, May 10).
For the first time in history, someone from the US was elected as the pope. "God bless America!"
I had a feeling that this would be the case, what with the leader of the most powerful country in the world, Donald Trump, acting as he does. He even had the gall to have an AI-generated image of himself as pope before the vote!
The former pope, Francis, went on at length, stressing the need for the largest NGO in the world to get its debts under control. And, since America is the richest part of the Church, it really did make sense for the Roman Catholic cardinals at the Vatican to elect who they did.
Someone from the third world will eventually be elected pope, but now is not the right time to do it.
Power shields power
Re: "Power politics", (Editorial, May 14).
The Post rightly rails against "a toxic patronage system and culture of impunity in Thai society", yet, whilst mentioning the recent local level instance of traditionalised abuse and a few institutions at the national level, it fails to mention the elephant in the room.
That white elephant, setting the nation the supreme example followed by the dynastic politicians and others bent on power with impunity, is the same costly white elephant that has, for many decades, also set the supreme example of piling up extreme wealth, an example avidly followed by those same political and business players, also too many officials, bent on impunity as they enrich themselves and their families.
Following the shameful abuse of power that has been playing out in strict accord with the law made up to serve that same traditional status quo since the May 2023 election, much-needed honest speech has been increasingly suppressed. The assault of a police officer was illegal. Yet, far worse are the assaults on honest, peaceful speech and gathering committed in strict accord with repressive law.
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