OPINION

Mark of privilege

Re: "Tycoon's wife eyes hospital move", (BP, Dec 30).

The Post published a photo of the wife of convicted construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta, meeting Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin to request her husband's transfer to a medical facility outside prison. I wonder how many ordinary citizens have an opportunity to meet the minister in person to plead their case and even have a staged photo of the event taken by ministry staff? Doesn't augur well for the administration of justice in this case. Any reminder needed of "Red Bull"?

Re: "Air Force eyes F-35 stealth jets", (BP, Dec 30).

Please enlighten me as to when Thailand has ever been threatened by airplanes from another country. About 2.7 billion baht per plane would go a long way if used to improve the lives of the people. What is the cost of the maintenance contract that will be purchased to maintain the planes? What's all this baloney about "transferring information technology" with the purchase? Thailand can't maintain its eight Gripen fighters, so it pays another company to do it.

Why do we have to keep reading about more expensive "toys for boys"? Where are the threats?

This is what I'd do about Covid 19 if I ruled the world. I'd focus on the high-risk group which is people who are already seriously ill. For example, since there is a link between obesity and hospitalisation for Covid-19, I would strongly urge the obese to adopt a low-fat, plant-based diet. I'd also give general safe distancing guidelines to the high-risk group which they could follow on a voluntary basis. As for vaccines I'd give them all the information available, urge them to ignore the lies of the medical establishment and let them decide what to do.

The only way to fight a health problem is to focus on the people who are most likely to die from it. In the fight against Covid we have resorted to lies, fear and fascism, which has had catastrophic consequences. Maybe it's time to give honesty, human decency and common sense a chance.

Re: "Who Invented Covid-19 Vaccines? Drugmakers Battle Over Patents", (Business, Dec 31).

In the 1940s, the research team in Oxford that researched and produced penicillin went against all advice and did NOT patent it, saying it was "for the good of mankind". Instead they gave it to five large US companies to work on; one of these became Pfizer. Later on these same companies would not pass on the production details as they said it was proprietary commercial information.

Eighty years on, again at Oxford, AstraZeneca announced it would NOT profit from a pandemic and all its Covid vaccines are, at present, "at cost", about US$4 (132 baht). This is not widely known.

All the other manufacturers are making huge profits, charging $20 up and squabbling among themselves about patents' worth, apparently billions of dollars. It saddens me that the profit motive still seems to be the only consideration. Profit is important, but not the only driver of progress.