Post-colonial blues
Re: "Nostalgia, English nationalism are confusing the Brexit debate", (Opinion, May 5).
Your shrewd article sums up the perils of the arguments in favour of the UK quitting the European Union. Britain's problem is that she lost an empire in the 20th century and never found an alternative leadership role.
So she is suffering from post-colonial blues.
It is tempting for older voters to want to throw off the heavy bureaucracy of the EU and advance to a new world of economic prosperity and long-lost imperial clout.
Sadly, it is all an illusion.
Non-EU member countries such as Norway may have a free trade agreement with Brussels, but they also have to accept 80% of the bureaucracy of the EU, including free movement of migrants.
In a post-Brexit situation, the EU would not be likely to treat Britain more generously, if only to dissuade more countries from seeking secession.
Moreover, the Brexit argument that Britain would recover its sovereignty conveniently forgets that we have allowed independent, foreign bases on British soil for more than 70 years.
There is certainly much wrong with the EU today. But to throw the baby out with the bath water would indeed be the most awful gamble.
Images of Britain in her glory days -- Sir Winston Churchill's bulldog or a near-totally white population attending Protestant churches every Sunday -- are a lost world.
We need to be looking forward to 2040 and not harking back to 1940.
Barry Kenyon
A sobering argument
Re: "Questioning the police", (Editorial, May 5).
The Thai police force in the 21st century must do more to prevent crimes from happening, as well as be able to catch criminals quickly after a crime has been committed.
Crimes or accidents as a result of drunkenness can be prevented more effectively if police can keep drunken people in custody for, say, 12 to 24 hours -- or until they sober up.
It is a shame for police to allow the accused who have just been arrested to "apologise" to the public for the crimes they have committed as a result of drunkenness.
These people should not be given any platform to speak other than in the courtroom.
Isn't that a shame -- for all of us Thais?
Vint Chavala
Still in the dark ...
Responding to accusations over the New Year light show scandal, Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra insists he is squeaky clean (BP, May 5). He states that "over the past seven years, the BMA has worked in a transparent manner and complied with laws and regulations ... I have never ordered anyone to break the law".
It may well be true that MR Sukhumbhand has never ordered anyone to break the law. However, that does not mean the BMA is free of corruption and criminality. A large group of central Bangkok citizens (struggling to get their voices heard) would willingly put him in the picture regarding a detailed case study -- facts, documents, the lot. But is he really interested in facing up to reality and functioning for the common good?
John Shepherd
Carping nonsense
According to the BBC, Australia plans to use a strain of herpes virus in order to decimate the common carp, an introduced invasive species that is crowding out native fish. Australians may recall a similar strategy involving the introduction of cane toads which has been a notable blunder.
Introduced viruses will adapt through mutations to seek other hosts and the carp will inevitably develop immunity.
The cumulative intelligence of the natural world lies encoded in the genetic treasure trove of species diversity. Globalisation in all its forms threatens the innate wisdom of our world through the proliferation of crude bioengineering strategies designed to transform the environment and through the widespread introduction of GMOs. The impending Trans-Pacific Partnership is the foremost example of the global corporate strategy to re-engineer life and the environment for their profit.
We imagine ourselves to be wise while in reality we are dumbing down the whole world in our image.
Michael Setter