OPINION

Election 'reform' is a sham

Re: "Limited primary vote draws flak", (BP, Aug 30).

A true primary vole, such as that carried out in the US, is a direct election and thus gives power to the people -- which is what should be. Each voter selects whom he wants to be his party's standard-bearer, choosing from several candidates.

Combined with opportunities such as face-to-face debates between candidates, voters can become fully informed about the strengths and weaknesses of each aspirant, and choose wisely.

Instead of a primary, the junta is proposing that each party's executive board -- instead of party members -- select the candidates.

As Jade Donavanik, chair of the Faculty of Law College of Asian Scholars, pointed out, this "new" system is no different from the previous one, where the party's executive boards had all of the say in determining candidates.

This is in no way the political reform which we so badly need.

A primary that represents the members' wishes takes much time to organise, especially for inexperienced parties -- which is why the junta should have allowed political activities long, long ago, and should do so now.

Do it right, move us from a dictatorship towards a "government of the people, for the people, and by the people" (Abraham Lincoln).

Give us a direct primary election, not a sham that fools nobody.

I think Michael Setter in his Sept 1 letter, "Pesticides betrayal", is missing the point.

He does not point at sugar, salt, alcohol, tobacco as chemicals for which there is overwhelming evidence of their deleterious effects on health.

But really the whole situation was summed up in a picture in the Post on Aug 30 showing a farmer walking calf-deep through the water he has just sprayed. And without any safety clothing. Instead of banning chemicals, teach farmers safe application procedures... which is done, for example, in Australia.

By all means promote organic agriculture and good agricultural practice but then accept that consumers will have to pay higher prices for their food.

Re: "Red light for tourists", (PostBag, Aug 30).

I have just returned to Thailand after a quick visit to Vietnam covering Hanoi, Danang and Hoi An.

Everywhere there are T-shirts for sale with red, amber and green traffic lights on the front.

The caption on the green light says: "I can go". The caption on the amber light says: "I can go". The caption on the red light says: "I can still go".

What I cannot understand is why these are not available in Thailand. They would be a sensation.

Re: "Trump's petty politics", (PostBag, Aug 30).

In the midst of the absence of appropriate attribution from the head of state to the late Senator John McCain, an immensely respected public man, there was a cry from one net writer muttering that: "Lord, you have taken the wrong one".

Thank you Eric Bahrt for pointing out that John McCain was no saint (PostBag, Sept 1). You live in a delusional or illusional world. There are no political saints, never were, aren't any now, and never will be. Still, Americans and others consider John McCain an American hero.

There are Russians who still revere and consider Stalin a hero. There are Germans who still revere and consider Hitler a hero (both Stalin and Hitler should never have been born). There are Israelis who still revere Menachim Begin and consider him a hero. Mao was, and is still considered a saint or hero in China by many. The North Korean roly-poly is a sainted hero in his country. Our American icon and savior was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who turned out to be a notorious anti-Semite among his other lesser known faults.

A "hero" is defined by his time, place and country in this world, and by those who chose to consider them to be a hero. The "hero" or "saint" may not always have been sane, but if people want to consider hero status, it is their prerogative. Were you in the Vietnamese conflict or the Korean conflict yourself? Did you know John McCain personally that you set yourself up as a judge of his character? I think not. Your only military involvement seems to have been watching it all on TV.

Every once in a while Eric Bahrt has something worth saying ... telling it like it is.

The headline in a Coconuts online news story: "Thai police deny British teen's rape claim, threaten legal action to those 'damaging country's reputation' " seem to have their story mixed up. It is not the tourist who is damaging Thailand's reputation, but the police themselves -- the internationally known keystone cops who would rather point fingers than investigate properly.

While there are so many other wonderful islands, tourists should not bother with Koh Tao. It not worth the risks involved, especially where Thai police are concerned.

The police will always find scapegoats to hide their own shortcomings, bungle everything, as evidenced in the infamous Koh Tao so-called murder, ending in the conviction of two kids from Myanmar

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