OPINION

Guinea pig offering

Re: "Tests on new sub engine 'completed'," (BP, Sept 16).

The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has finished testing the Chinese-made engine proposed to replace the German-made one that it originally insisted it needed for its new sub.

But the Chinese engines being proposed have never been used in submarines anywhere in the world, not even in China's 46 diesel subs. We'd be offering our sailors up as guinea pigs for China. The sub is being purchased under Thai military procurement procedures that have yielded such fiascos as a Royal Thai Air Force observation balloon that spent much of its life in the repair shop, unable to sustainably fly at combat heights, and GT200 bogus bomb detectors.

No Thai officer has even been charged in either case; on the contrary, in the GT200 case, then-Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said "there had been no wrongdoing by the military" and then-army commander Gen Anupong Paochinda denied any corruption and lauded the device's various "successes".

If the Chinese engines fail while the sub is submerged, many innocent crew will die. We shouldn't order our valued sailors to be guinea pigs for foreigners.

Covid let-down

Re: "Influenza spreading as people let down their guard," (Online, Sept 15).

If people letting down their guard is the reason that influenza is spreading, then why is the rate of Covid going down?

Yet no one complains about how the media and the medical establishment whipped up hysteria about Omicron, a bigger wimp than the common cold, and now even the seasonal flu.

The media and medical establishment are irrelevant to the bitter end.

New home for dynamic duo

Re: "Up with Ivermectin," (PostBag, Sept 16).

I see yet another "Setter letter" in today's Post, peddling the same old misinformation.

I have a suggestion. Mr Setter and Mr Bahrt should go and run a retreat-style resort together. Mr Setter could have a lecture hall, where he can air his baseless theories, safely away from the public.

Mr Bahrt, on the other hand, can run the canteen. There he can serve up any inedible vegan rubbish he chooses.

Hopefully, keeping them thus employed will mean they have no time to write letters to Postbag, giving us all a well earned break.

Russians not up to much

Re: "Russian intelligence failures exposed in Ukraine," (BP, Sept 15).

There are up to 15,000 Russian soldiers trapped on the wrong side of the river in Kherson, who could potentially be taken prisoner.

This possibility together with the rout and capitulation of the Kharkiv region, has the makings of a military catastrophe for Putin.

The question now is what does a cornered Putin do next? Negotiation is out of the question as his position is far too weak.

A dramatic escalation would appear to be his only option, such as carpet bombing Ukraine with artillery shells. But is the Russian army capable? Apart from firing missiles at civilian targets, they haven't done much.

A lot of fuss over dope

Re: "Democrat leader denies rift with Bhumjaithai," (BP, Sept 16).

It is really funny to see all the political posturing over cannabis -- pretending that due to its decriminisation, young people must be "protected".

It is not like marijuana is invading the country; it has been here the whole time. It is just being recognised through the legalisation process.

So, protected from what? Something that has millennia of recorded usage, with no deaths attributed directly to smoking it.

It is fine to be concerned about youth, but safety factors like seatbelts, child seats and helmets on bikes and motorcycles deserve attention too.

Vehicular accidents are a major threat to youth safety, but there is no real conviction to implementing and enforcing such safety regulations.

Even air pollution has a more detrimental effect on youth health and cognition.

Yet this issue is treated with the same indifferent attitude as restraints and helmets. But something that has no record of fatalities causes much more drama. Amazing!

Beach case lessons

Re: "'Beach' case settled at last," (Editorial, Sept 16).

Your editor was too kind in saying that delayed justice after two decades on the Beach case can "nullify the noble purpose of the law".

I go even further by borrowing the words of William Gladstone, former British Prime Minister that "justice delayed is justice denied".