OPINION

Does Naomi know?

Re: "Joining forces", (Front page photo, Feb 11) & "No excuse for racist slurs", (Editorial, Jan 8).

I wonder if Naomi Campbell, who is in Thailand to assist the Thai prime minister in promoting modelling and the fashion industry as a soft power, is aware that the PM's father, Thaksin Shinawatra, at a Jan 7 campaign rally in Chiang Rai, made the following racist remarks: "African people, who have black skin and flat noses that make it difficult to breathe are hired for millions of baht to be models. Thai people look much better. There is no need for our people to get nose, jaw or breast augmentation. It is time to encourage more Thais, including from ethnic groups like Karen, who possess natural beauty, to become international models".

Pulling the strings

Re: "Leave Thaksin be, Pheu Thai warns", (BP, Feb 11).

So, Pheu Thai insists that Thaksin is not a member of the government.

Technically, it may be correct, but almost every day, the Bangkok Post carries stories in which Thaksin pontificates on matters of government policy.

As recently as yesterday, the Bangkok Post reported Thaksin stating that power supplies and internet services would be restored to Myanmar once criminal networks were rooted out, and Thaksin announcing that there would be no cabinet reshuffle after the censure debate due to take place at the end of this month.

Both of these issues are fundamental to "government" policy, not the dictate of a non-government outsider.

The list of Thaksin's infringements on government policies and actions goes on and on, and it is hard not to come to the conclusion that while he may not be formally a member of the government, he is indeed the puppet master and his daughter, Ms Paetongtarn, the puppet.

Shortsighted moves

Re: "Govt sued by workers over cuts to USAID", (World, Feb 8).

It has been some time since I've felt the need to write, but really, the dismantling of USAID by President Donald Trump and ongoing criticism of the UN/WHO is unfathomable.

They clearly demonstrate the use of blunt force (for who knows what real purpose) when the world needs a much more nuanced approach.

His stated reason for imposing trade tariffs on Canada and Mexico is to force them to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the United States.

Yet blocking USAID funding here in Asia has the direct effect of diminishing the UN's work to combat illicit drug production and trafficking. UNODC, the United Nations Office on Drug Control programmes are funded by USAID.

Where does that leave them and the wider, whole global programme to fight illicit drug production and trafficking?

The United States has known the effects of the scourge of illicit drugs here and at home since their war in Vietnam in the 1970s. Have they learnt nothing?

I suppose not.

Drug cartels in the Americas and Asia are so much more sophisticated and flexible than this kind of behaviour by the new president demonstrates.

Here in Thailand, in the United States and elsewhere, we will all pay for these shortsighted, crude approaches to global policymaking and action.