OPINION

Casinos in bad taste

Re: "Thaksin backs casino licence bidding", (BP, Jan 19).

I have to admit to being influenced by my parents, who were too poor and too practical to take up gambling in order to lose money. The purpose of a casino is to make money, and all efforts are made to ensure they only pay out a percentage of what comes in.

I find it rather unsettling that a government wants to remove its citizens' money under the pretence that they have a chance to enrich themselves, when for the majority the opposite is true. If the idea is to limit entrance to foreigners only then the country does stand to gain, but I feel that type of discrimination is just another exercise in bad taste.

Gambling is for the wealthy stupid and governments should not be taking money from the people.

Re: "Trump's cabinet picks come under US Senate spotlight, (BP, 14 Jan).

Thailand badly needs to vet nominees for cabinet and top agency posts, where Senate committees evaluate nominees for fitness for their posts. This is essential to the Senate's advice and consent role, balancing the executive branch's power.

In the US, for instance, defence secretary nominee Hegseth has been described as "being so drunk at work events that he needed to be carried out on multiple occasions… and (who wasn't fit) to be called at 2am to make life-and-death national security decisions."

Had Thailand had similar vetting, we might have discovered those who were merely puppets for their families and who, by contrast, had the ability and courage to carry out the many reforms we badly need.

Re: "Good for a laugh", (PostBag, Jan 12).

As of 1/18 there have been, by my count, five people who have reacted to Mr Setter's controversial claim about climate change.

One went so far as to question his claim of possessing scientific qualifications. Wow!

If anything, this is exciting for us to see how this or that subject can result in great interest for us all.

Re: "Fact censors", (PostBag, Jan 19).

Mr Setter's absurd claim that "A lawsuit brought in 2021 by journalist John Stossel forced Facebook to admit their factchecks were just opinions (Letters, today) is precisely why we need fact checkers.

Stossel vs Meta Platforms Inc was dismissed with prejudice in district and federal courts, who ruled that it was OK to say that a Fox News journalist's comments were "without context and partly false".

Facebook didn't have to admit to anything. Having said that, "Without context and partly false" is something anyone intelligent who has ever watched Fox News should be used to by now.

CONTACT: BANGKOK POST BUILDING 136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110 Fax: +02 6164000 email: postbag@bangkokpost.co.th

All letter writers must provide full name address.

All published correspondence is subject to editing at our discretion.