A duty to kill?

Today's General News - Wednesday December 12, 2007

POSTBAG

A duty to kill?

E-mail: postbag@bangkokpost.co.th / Snail mail: 136 Na Ranong Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

You published the op-ed article on Ambrose A Harris in the context of capital punishment (Bangkok Post, Dec 11). I agree with the thesis that nothing is served by killing a second human being in reaction to the murder of the first.

I also believe that the second murder allows us to lie to ourselves, to say that "justice" has been done with regard to the first, when nothing could be further from the truth. When, in fact, everything to do with the first murder has been swept under the rug.

But that's not why I am writing.

The article states, "For many, there is little question that Harris, 55, represents the worst that human nature is capable of - an impenitent killer who seemed to revel in the pain he inflicted."

It strikes me that while Harris' actions certainly are very bad indeed, the worst that human nature is capable of is a forever-receding target. It can always get worse.

In fact, it strikes me that the ability of humans in, say, Washington DC, to murder innocent people halfway around the world and to accept those murders on a continuing basis as "collateral damage", as an "unintended consequence" of other intentional murders, is much, much worse.

Much worse because it is institutionalised, absolved by cold-blooded "reason". So it plods forward with measured, bloody step, day by day, with the blessing of one religion or another - a necessary, patriotic duty of all concerned.

JOHN FRANCIS LEE

-----------------

Tourism and parks

Kurt Gruen (Postbag, Dec 11) writes that he is confident that lowering National Park fees for foreigners will increase revenues, and will therefore be a win-win situation for everybody.

He may well be right, but it is not enough for revenues simply to increase in order for the situation to be "win-win".

Parks do not exist to earn money for resort owners or anyone else. Parks exist to protect Thailand's natural heritage. The very reason parks are required is because human activities threaten this natural heritage.

One such activity is tourism. Tourists - even the most environmentally conscious ones - inevitably damage the soil and trees and cause pollution. More tourists means more management of tourists and, therefore, more direct costs to the parks as well as indirect costs to the environment.

Therefore, setting aside the issue of whether Thais should pay as much as foreigners to experience their nation's natural heritage, for the parks to "win", not only will revenues have to increase substantially in order to pay for the costs of managing the larger number of visitors, but there should be a surplus created to pay for all the other costs of protecting and managing the parks.

TIM BOYLE

-----------------

Driving a point

Bangkok Post is one of the most comprehensive papers and I prefer it even over The New York Times because of the selection of issues covered and the political commentary. Therefore, I read it daily.

The Motoring section, however, seems to be strangely out of touch with both environmental issues and the better part of the readership's wallets. Leafing through last Friday's issue, it is quite obvious that average fuel economy of the cars featured is well below 10km/litre. Their respective price median must be around 5 million baht. While just about 95% are "armed" with engines that propel them to astonishing speeds - if you are on the Autobahn, maybe, or in your dreams.

And while the reader is well informed about the Bugatti Viron, there is no mentioning of the new Subaru electric car, or the Chevy-Volt. The latter found mention, however, in the Business section, as well as the Thai Eco Car Concept.

Small motorbikes, like the ones we all use on a daily basis, also are not featured. Other aspects of motoring, like the ban on mobile phones while driving, and articles to help understand the quite interesting technical background and developments, are few and far between.I would really like to know how and where I could convert my Honda Dream to LP gas. But since it is cheap, quiet and slow and therefore has no sex appeal nor "status viagra" built in, I guess it won't happen.

RALPH BRAUN

Chiang Mai

-----------------

The 'tai din' profiteers

The continuing absence of the two- and three-digit lottery, which was a sensible solution by the Thaksin government to counter the illegal underground lottery, makes one wonder who the small group of people are who have prevented its re-introduction, and their motives for doing so. Is there any connection between certain elements of the military government and the underground operators, who are rumoured to be closely associated and supported by men in uniform?

The people generally want the lottery and it appears that many of those in power also want it. There are substantial benefits for the country from the revenue so obtained.

It seems that a small group of "influential" uniforms may be holding up its re-introduction for as long as possible, so that they can continue to make their large, untaxed profits.

It is amazing that there are never any prosecutions for those who operate the tai din. How much tax and other penalties could easily be levied on the vast income and assets of these criminals?

Instead, the authorities spend a fortune investigating more high-profile cases and getting nothing for their efforts.

DAVID AMAAN

-----------------

Vicious cycle of polls

The problem with internet polls is that they are designed for people who use the internet, which is enough of a reason to denounce them. Do we want a country run by people smart enough to use the internet? I should think not. Polls in general are a problem because they elicit opinions on which other opinions are based, leading to more opinions based on previous opinions.

GUY BAKER

-----------------

Love costs

I read in your paper the other day that there has been an increase in the divorce rate between foreign men and their Thai wives. Among the reasons given were fights over custody of children and unhappiness in marriage.

There may be another quite dominant reason for the cooling down of these relationships, as in many cases the wife's love for her farang husband shrinks in proportion to the reduction of his available capital, resulting in a divorce after his bank account has hit rock bottom.

Her next husband, however, will without any doubt be another farang.

HORST BULLINGER

Bangkok Post