Re: "The strong arm of the law", (Opinion, Aug 5).
Alan Dawson is spot on as he delineates the systematic legalisation of corrupt morals by the junta, a legal reform with the primary intent of keeping the Thai nation uninformed about Thai affairs, where forced ignorance of the topic is always, without exception, the primary aim of all censorship.
There is clearly much that those who seized power over the Thai nation in order to make up laws better suited to their agenda do not want Thais to know or understand about Thai affairs. The major reform of these non-elected politicians has been to criminalise critical public discussion, effectively outlawing the good morals essential to a healthy civil society that keeps the government under due scrutiny, leaving the unspeakable unexamined.
Critics should note the extremely strong claim: all that is needed to prove it false is a single example of censorship whose primary purpose is not to enforce ignorance of the censored topic. Your failure to do so proves the stated truth about censorship. But do try to square its circles in support of the corrupt reform of Thai law.
Felix Qui
Deranged Trump hate
On the day following President Donald Trump's election distinguished professor of economics and The New York Times op-ed columnist Paul Krugman wrote, "So we are very probably looking at a global recession, with no end in sight." Oxford Economics, an Oxford University-affiliated consultancy, predicted Trump's policies would remove US$1 trillion from the US economy. "We can only hope he won't bankrupt the country," Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel-prizewinning economist, told CNBC.
If there were a Nobel prize for wrongful predictions, all of the above (and there are countless other examples) would surely be contenders. Since Mr Trump was elected president the Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen by 35%, making the last 14 months one of the greatest bull markets in history and creating US$6 trillion in new wealth.
In "Trump a narcissist", (PostBag, Aug 6), Lupus calls Mr Trump the "most incompetent president in history" and relies upon "two Nobel prize winners" and no facts for support.
This is the definition of Trump Derangement Syndrome and represents no contribution to reasonable discourse.
Michael Setter
Ridiculous comparison
When evaluating Mr Trump's economic policies you need to wait until he's out of office (which hopefully will be soon).
When George W Bush first became president the economy was in great shape. It took several years before Mr Bush managed to nearly wreck it. In contrast, when Mr Obama became president it took him about two years before he could reverse the mess Mr Bush left him with.
Mr Trump is now benefitting from the economic improvements made by Obama. So whether you're pro- or anti-Trump, it is ridiculous to evaluate his economic performance less than two years into his presidency.
Eric Bahrt
Chiang Mai
Motoring insecurity
I've noticed drivers in Thailand aren't keen on turning their lights on or their engines off.
I guess these insecurities derive from former times when car batteries weren't reliable and stranded drivers needing a "jump" were not uncommon. Most people carried "jumper cables" in the trunk.
But battery technology and electrical engineering have evolved to a point where it is not necessary to wait for perfect darkness before turning on the headlights; and it's safe to turn off your car because it can be started again with a turn of the key. The age of jumper cables is long gone.
Chaam Jamal
Facebook lexicon
Re: "Battling spies, cops, Hollywood prejudice", (BP, Aug 5).
Reading the interview with actresses Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon, I was like, "Why is almost every other word they say 'like', like?"
I asked my wife, and she was like, "Perhaps they just like 'like'."
I am like, "It's Facebook's fault." Like.
Stuart Wylie
Contact: Bangkok Post Building
136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110
fax: +02 6164000 Email:
All letter writers must provide full name and address.
All published correspondence is subject to editing at our discretion.
