OPINION

Market disconnect

Re: "Thailand has escaped recession: economic body", (Business, May 21).

It's a sign of a true continued bear market in Thai stocks that despite higher-than-expected Thai GDP numbers released today -- along with US markets setting new records -- the SET benchmark index still languishes lower.

Gates' mRNA plans

Re: "Beware of jab study", (PostBag, May 19).

Michael Setter is on point in warning us to beware of being used as guinea pigs for the newly developed mRNA malaria vaccine. Billionaire Bill Gates and self-appointed medical expert (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) envision building scaleable worldwide factories producing US$2 mRNA vaccines to eradicate (all future) diseases within the next five years.

We know from the Moderna and Pfizer mRNA vaccines that there are many unexplained side effects. Is it any coincidence that the World Health Organization requires member states to accept the pandemic treaty by the end of this month, whereby members are required to carry out (any) of its binding directives?

Power dynamics

Re: "Break the development gridlock", (Opinion, May 20) & "Authoritarians have the momentum", (Opinion, May 19).

David Brooks attributes the decline of liberalism in the US to an overemphasis on individual benefit. Indeed, much of authentic liberalism has morphed into neo-liberalist capitalism. Capital became one of the leading entities claiming authority over democracy, like, or in combination with, the Party (China), nationalist zeal (Russia and Israel), religion (Islam in Iran), and the army (Myanmar). These entities apply not only violent oppression but populism and "rule by law" to gain and hold their position.

Their authority justifies "managed" democracies in their oppressive style and to their benefit. Renaud Meyer, UNDP, warns us that inequality is rising in Thailand. How can we prevent our world order from being dominated by authoritarianism instead of democracy? One challenge is that, in the US, socialism was always rejected as if it were equal to communism. In Europe, a political stream developed called democratic socialism or "socio-democracy," and for decades, this was the model that made Scandinavian countries, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and England thrive, interspersed by periods of neo-liberal and populist breakdown. As is the case at present. Even though, for example, the socio-democrats in the Netherlands formed an alliance with the Greens, the extreme right won the elections and now is entitled to form a government.

Our only hope for a new world order, bringing back ecological and human harmony, is that opposition leaders like Keir Starmer in England, Frans Timmermans in the Netherlands, and the Greens and Socialists in Germany will unite and revitalise the socio-democratic model as the best possible option for long term "emancipatory" (Renaud Meyer) development to the benefit of all; including future generations. However, they can only achieve this if they seek partnerships outside Europe. For example, maybe not only with old-guard Lula da Silva but rather with Sonia Guajajara, the First Minister of Native People of Brazil. And, yes, with the bravery demonstrated by the Move Forward Party in Thailand.