Wasted drug wars

re: "Anti-alcohol drive 'a success'" (BP, December 28)

Dear editor,
The Thai Health Promotion Foundation is right: the facts, some of which are included in the article, solidly establish alcohol as the most serious drug of addiction causing harm to Thai society, just as it is the most destructive drug elsewhere. It follows that this toxic drug should be the one most harshly treated by the law, which means that the current drug laws regarding marijuana, yaa baa, heroin and the like are not only irrational in their refusal to acknowledge long known facts, but are grossly immoral since any justification for interfering in the personal sale and use by adults of these illegal drugs applies with even greater force to the more harmful alcohol. Heroin users do not commit rape: they nod off. Marijuana does not tend to induce violence, and so on.

But this is not a reason to criminalize alcohol to bring it into line with the other highly popular recreational drugs beloved of so many Thais and other adults, as the tediously regular massive seizures attest. The prohibition approach was tried in the US between 1920 and 1933, a legal move which effectively granted a generous monopoly to mafia scum and their loyal public officials, including the police, the courts and the law makers who all profited mightily through their corruption at the expense of society. We see, with no surprise, exactly the same results of criminalizing personal choices in drugs in the spectacular failure of the wars on drugs that have so greatly enriched mafia scum and corrupt officials for decades now. Meanwhile, these same failed polices waste massive budgetary and human resources whilst contributing nothing of value to society, merely creating greater opportunities for corruption, creating a class of criminals from decent citizens who do not harm others, and not even reducing drug use.

There is no lack of compelling evidence from the before and after experiences of decriminalizing popular drugs. Apart from the well-known case of alcohol prohibition of alcohol in the US, the before and after statistics for states that have decriminalized marijuana are consistent and favourable. Even more compelling is the example of Portugal, where decriminalizing all drugs, even heroin, has greatly reduced the harm, and the actual use, of drugs since it was introduced in 2001, thereby freeing vast resources that could then be usefully spent actually helping society.

 Felix Qui

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The above letter to the editor is the text as submitted by Felix Qui to the Bangkok Post.

The text as edited was published in PostBag on December 28, 2017, under the title "Wasted drug wars" at https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1386902/anti-alcohol-drive-a-success
  

Moral corruption

re: "Toon and Pai, the tale of our two Jesuses" (Opinion, December 23)

Dear editor,
It was, as always, a joy to read Kong Rithdee's thoughtful opinion piece on the lessons provided by two modern Thai saviours, the selfless Artiwara Kongmalai (Toon Body Slam) and the moral hero Jatupat Boonpatararaksa (Pai Dao Din). As Kong notes, they are Buddhists, but some reflection on their saving graces is appropriate at the season that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The parallels between Jesus's life and that of Pai are worth exploring a little further for the light they shed on modern Thai society and its fractured politics, parallels which also intersect with the wise teachings of the Buddha.

Christmas is the prelude to the life and death of Jesus, which are what matter more than the accidents of birth. Jesus remains Jesus whether born of a virgin or not: unlikely ancient myths need not be taken literally to serve as powerful narratives that help us make sense of today. The story of Jesus's ministry and death offers insight into modern Thailand. Like Pai, Jesus was born into humble circumstances, his family having to flee the despotic King Herod who would "seek the young child to destroy him" (Matt., 2:13, KJV). As with Pai Dao Din, the traditional leaders of the nation saw their perks and privileges threatened as Jesus's teachings, as much as his acts, showed the nakedness of their hypocrisy, which he publicly denounced (Matt. 23). What did the social  leaders do? They hatched a plan to "to take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him" (Matt. 26:4) in strict accord with the rule of law that had been made up to enable such a ruthless clinging to power by old men.

To be fair, it is certainly possible that "the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people" (ibid.) truly believed themselves good: they were wrong. They may truly have believed that they were protecting valuable traditions: they were wrong. They may have thought they were protecting the national security of the state: they were wrong. They may have believed that acting in accord with the letter of the law made them morally right: they were grievously wrong.

In turning Jesus into a criminal who was executed in strict accord with the law, they but proved the law to be morally corrupt. In using the brute force of the state to silence dissent that threatened traditional perks and privileges of the status quo, they but proved that status quo and its laws to be morally corrupt. In refusing to listen to healthy dissent, they but but proved themselves in love with inherited moral error.

And so it is with the morally exemplary Jatupat Boonpatararaksa, who is also "not without honour, save in his own country" (Matt. 14:57). But the criminal Jatupat has done nothing wrong; he has, on the contrary, set an example of seeking right understanding that comports perfectly with the wise teachings of the Buddha: it is his deluded and deluding oppressors who reject the wisdom of the Buddha in corrupting the rule of law to serve their ends.

 Felix Qui

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The above letter to the editor is the text as submitted by Felix Qui to the Bangkok Post.

The text as edited was published in PostBag on December 25, 2017, under the title "Moral corruption" at https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/postbag/1385126/moral-corruption
  

Off to bad start

re: "Political parties' activities limited pending newcomers" (BP, December 19)

Dear editor,
It is a telling irony that even the pretence of a feeble start of a qualified return to democratic practice depends on the unaccountable politician in chief exercising the supremely anti-democratic section 44 of a constitution that is at heart opposed to democracy and the good morals that found it.

 Felix Qui

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The above letter to the editor is the text as submitted by Felix Qui to the Bangkok Post.

The text as edited was published in PostBag on December 22, 2017, under the title "Off to bad start" at https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/postbag/1383670/off-to-bad-start
  

Learn from foreigners

re: "If I ruled the world" (Post Bag, December 18)

Dear editor,
Whilst Not blinded by the bling! feels it inappropriate to comment constructively on the Thai nation when merely passing through annually for a spot of pleasure, for those who have chosen to make Thailand their home, often for decades, it is appropriate to care and to comment. Thai law does not allow much more, but helping the subject Thai people to better understand Thai affairs, on which much Thai rule of law often seeks to keep them ignorant, is a positive contribution for non-Thai residents. This healthy expression of care includes pointing out: that the deputy PM general and defence minister's ostentatious sufficiency practices raise very real questions to be answered; that the conclusions of the army investigation into the death of a cadet being mysterious, unaccountable, self-amnestying and insistently dogmatic reflect all too well the traditional Thai military virtues that we see in the currently ruling Thai politicians; and that whilst good women and men can and do come from military backgrounds, the facts that overthrowing a constitution is bad morals, ousting a popular, democratically elected government is bad morals, and violating basic rights to free speech is bad morals, demonstrate that it is inevitably the case that a military political party that respects good morals is a contradiction in terms.

 Felix Qui

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The above letter to the editor is the text as submitted by Felix Qui to the Bangkok Post.

The text as edited was published in PostBag on December 19, 2017, under the title "Learn from foreigners" at https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/postbag/1381531/leave-our-trees-alone
  

Prawit's financial wizardry

re: "Champagne corks pop in Prawit home" (BP, December 8) 

Dear editor,

That the selflessly humble Defense Minister and First Deputy PM could parlay his modest official salaries into an 87 million Baht fortune whilst clearly not stinting on life's little pleasures clearly qualifies him as an economic master. He should be rewarded with the extra portfolio of Finance Minister, although some of his army mate colleagues cum politicians offer stiff competition for performing financial miracles seemingly out of nothing.

Meanwhile, his display of conspicuous sufficiency economics is the perfect model of that philosophy as practiced by its loudest advocates. And with every confidence that he will be found innocent of any wrong doing, his already granted amnesty will not be needed.

 Felix Qui

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The above letter to the editor is the text as submitted by Felix Qui to the Bangkok Post.

The text as edited was published in PostBag on December 10, 2017, under the title "Prawit's financial wizardry" at https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/postbag/1375799/prawits-financial-wizardry
  

Warped Buddhism

re: "Tell tourists naked truth" (Editorial, December 2)

Dear editor,

Whilst it is true that tourists should "show respect when they travel," it is equally true that the gross over-reaction by hysterical Thai authorities fails to respect common sense and decency, not to mention the teachings of the Buddha. Sadly, this use of Buddhism as a weapon to attack others is a common occurrence in Thailand, where respect for the Buddha's actual teachings is either ignored, as in the daily slaughter of animals to sate a very carnal lust for tasty roasts, or it actually criminalized, as in the harsh censorship laws designed to prevent the right understanding that is an essential part of the Buddha's wisdom.

The two foreigners were rude fools, but it is not obvious that they are the more guilty party in disrespecting Buddhism in Thailand.

 Felix Qui

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The above letter to the editor is the text as submitted by Felix Qui to the Bangkok Post.

The text as edited was published in PostBag on December 4, 2017, under the title "Warped Buddhism" at https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/postbag/1371839/a-tilted-playing-field
  

Protect free speech

re: "Drop Thepha charges now" (Editorial, November 30) and "Academics join to bail out anti-coal protesters" (PB, November 30)

Dear editor,
The ungrateful peasants and academics can rudely "insist on people's freedom of expression and peaceful gatherings without weapons guaranteed by the constitution" as much as they like. After more than three years of their rule, we know how much the current Thai politicians unelect care what lowly peasants and meddling academics think. And decades of historical fact show exactly how the Thai army and its allies respond if a current Thai constitution is not to their liking. Naturally, all will be done in strict accord with the new rule of law made up for that purpose.

Meanwhile, one of the reasons that make free speech so essential to any just and rational society that values honesty, truth and informed opinion of worth on any topic or issue is that strong legal protection for free speech is necessary to enable those very values. Absent free speech that can correct the false beliefs, flawed morals and unjust customs of the past, those errors will be perpetuated, which perpetration is precisely the reason for anti-democratic censorship. Unless the PM and his rule of law reform to allow free speech, he cannot rationally claim that any belief on any censored topic is well founded, let alone that it might be true: his own morally flawed rule of law undermines rational faith in the myths it presumes to protect.

 Felix Qui

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The above letter to the editor is the text as submitted by Felix Qui to the Bangkok Post.

The text as edited was published in PostBag on December 1, 2017, under the title "Protect free speech" at https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/postbag/1370139/protect-free-speech