OPINION

Political myths

Re: "One old adage", (PostBag, Nov 2).

Although I've been reading Plato for the past half-century, I'm not familiar with the quotation Stuart Ayres attributes to him. Perhaps Mr Ayres could narrow it down to at least the dialogue, if not the Stephanus number, in which Plato says, "Wise men speak because they have something to say; a fool, because he has to say something."

Of course, Plato's wise Socrates was infamously put to death in strict accord with the law because his resolutely peaceful speech showed up the hollowness of those deeming themselves the good and wise people of ancient Athens, whose official charge was that he was corrupting the young with heterodox teachings about the gods (Euthyphro, 2c - 3b). Even in Athens 2,400 years ago, fantastic myths were a powerful weapon of dirty politics.

Rethink cashless

Re: "Digital wallet rules ease debt fears", (Business, Oct 27).

Many countries, including Thailand, are heading towards a cashless society. This is great for Big Brother governments, who can check where we all are and what we are doing. It's not so good for tourists who often have to pay overseas fees on their credit cards and get an extortionate exchange rate or old people who aren't comfortable with mobile phone apps and who are at higher risk of digital fraud. In Thailand, power and WiFi outages are very common, especially in rural areas. If the power, WiFi or terminals are down, you cannot pay for anything. Last year, I was on a four-hour train journey in the UK, and the onboard cafe card terminal was not working. A lady who was used to being cashless could not buy anything to eat or drink during the entire journey.

The Swiss have recently joined the Germans and Austrians and have voted against a cashless society. I hope that Thailand rethinks its current trajectory.

Buddhist wisdom

Re: "Isoc's role in society", (PostBag, Nov 6).

Karl Reichstetter is refreshingly correct in his letter "Isoc's role in society" when he confirms that Buddhism has no god or supernatural being to which to pray.

As he points out, Buddhism is not a religion but is simply about training one's mind to understand oneself and the world in which we live: simple to describe but not so easy to practise.

However, assuming Khun Karl to be from the Constitutional Republic of the USA, does not the military swear an oath of allegiance to the constitution?

The framing of the 247-year-old constitution was the work of exceptional wisdom and foresight. It is apolitical and intended solely to protect the country and its people: it's a work of genius for all countries to follow.

Unfortunately, this exceptional guidance does not agree with the destructive ideology of the warmongers currently running the country from the shadows.

In all this global trauma, does Buddhism not stand alone in its unemotional, objective understanding of oneself and reality?

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