OPINION

Toxic Apple 'candy'

Re: "Apple defends child protection features over privacy concerns", (Online, Aug 14).

It is so comforting that "Apple was adamant it would not accede to any government's request to scan for anything other than images showing child sexual abuse". And of course, in a future with the scanning ability firmly in place, Apple will not get new leaders who might extend it just a little; or if China bought in, they would not comply; or if the US government tended more to the totalitarian end of authoritarian law and order, Apple would not extend the scanning just a little to monitor for other criminal activity, like communist tendencies, or conservative tendencies, or perhaps the wrong attitudes towards those of different skin colours or ethnic origins. Of course, Apple will never comply. It is touching that they have such absolute faith in their prognostications for the future use to which the tools might be put by persons as yet unknown with causes as yet unknown.

Healthy institutions assume that the humans who compose them are or can become corrupt, that great evil can be committed by authoritarians sincerely believing themselves to be doing god's work or some other noble cause, such as Mao's in China. It is similarly the great strength of democracy to trust not in mythic angelic persons, but in strong, widely supported institutions founded on sensible suspicion of all persons. It is prudent to assume that all with power are human beings subject like all of us to the same temptations to do evil, especially in the name of what we wrongly believe good. It is idiotic in the extreme to imagine that any group of human beings, whether politicians, priests, professors, poets, publicans or whatever are now and always will be only angels.

Are there some out there childish enough to take the candy Apple is offering?

Re: "Opposition targets 5 ministers, PM in no-confidence motion", (BP, Aug 16).

"The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public to stop using the Lepu Medical Technology SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid Test Kit and the Leccurate SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Rapid Test Kit (Colloidal Gold Immunochromatography). The FDA has serious concerns about the performance of (these test kits)... and believes there is likely a high risk of false results when using (these kits, which) Lepu is recalling" (source: US FDA website, May 28, 2021, downloaded Aug 16, 2021).

Despite our Rural Doctors Society's repeated warning that Lepu kits are of low quality, our Government Pharmaceutical Organization and Thai FDA insist on buying them.

The US FDA is one of the most expert in the world, and its warning cannot be clearer or stronger. Antibody test kits are of paramount interest in identifying asymptomatic patients so they can be treated quickly to save lives. Though Lepu kits have been approved elsewhere, we have plenty of choices approved by both the US FDA and those of the EU. There is no reason to use an item that Lepu itself has recalled.

Kudos again to the Rural Doctors Society.

Re: "Local nasal sprays to enter human trials", (BP, Aug 10).

Nasal Covid treatment has been found to reduce symptoms of Covid-19 and other respiratory viral infections. Not only that...but also the ability to trap viruses before they enter the body. If this all stands true then we don't see why the Food and Drug Administration (FAD) should delay in giving their approval and support.