OPINION

Raise your game

Re: "Proactive politics", (PostBag, Dec 28).

I agree with Jayut Jayanandana that the People's Party (PP) should be much more proactive so we may have a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" (Abraham Lincoln). For instance:

(a) All political parties -- not just PP -- should be constantly proactive, not just at elections. Parties should consistently interact with their constituencies.

(b) Parties should regularly sponsor two-way debates and discussions on local needs with locals, broadcasting issues of the day live on FaceBook and making them available on YouTube.

(c) A party shouldn't stake everything on a single issue, even our lese majeste law. Thus, the PP should work with others to boost voters' living standards by promoting competition in telecom, retail, and energy.

(d) The PP must run with the wolves in Thai politics -- but it mustn't learn how to howl. This will be hard, but unlike them, the PP's owners are in the streets and fields -- not in Bangkok mansions.

Look at prevention

Re: "Cancer treatment reimbursement changes postponed", (BP, Dec 25).

One suspects that apart from administrative and logistics problems, there might be financial challenges for the government in meeting the ever-rising expenses of being reimbursed for chemotherapy, hormone medications, radiation therapy, and the lab tests required by modern cancer treatments.

A simple solution would be for the National Health Security Office (NHSO) and the Ministry of Public Health to decouple from their clannish relationships with big pharma and the $250 billion cancer industry and embrace with great energy and intention the prevention of cancer and the introduction of cost-effective treatment regimens.

There are a tiny handful of highly profitable corporate retailers responsible for the sales of a huge percentage of toxic processed foods in this country. They should be heavily taxed, and the proceeds should go to cancer prevention, education, and treatment subsidies.

Furthermore, very low-cost repurposed drugs, which have proven far more effective than their modern, highly profitable counterparts in the prevention, treatment and cure of cancer, must be embraced.

One example is the combination of ivermectin and fenbendazole, which outperforms chemotherapy and radiation and does so with zero side effects at less than one-tenth the cost of conventional treatment protocols.

Selfishness kills

Re: "Road safety campaigns swing into action for NY", (BP, Dec 28) & "New Year road toll", (BP, Dec 30).

I feel I must make a few comments regarding driving over this New Year.

I am a frequent driver in Thailand and drive many kilometres to the northern province of Khon Kaen.

I have now safely arrived at my destination. However, I have just learned of almost 90 fatalities already after only two days.

This never surprises me. I see so many cases of reckless, selfish drivers and realise how and why accidents occur.

The route I take is mostly a dual carriageway with an inside lane for emergency vehicles or breakdowns only.

Unfortunately, so many drivers treat this lane as an opportunity to undertake at high speed. These selfish drivers have no thought for those who stay within the law. Consequently, accidents will happen and continue unless these selfish drivers are brought to task.