OPINION

2011 all over again?

Re: "Chao Phraya River basin raises flood risk", (BP, Aug 26).

Given the reports of flooding up in the nation's North, which is gradually working its way southward, wouldn't it be proactive for the government to inform Bangkok residents of possible flooding and where it could occur?

Or is it going to be the same old story of dumping large sandbags in northern suburbs and letting the people living in Laksi, Don Muang, and Pak Kret bear the brunt of the flooding as they did back in 2011 so that downtowners don't get their feet wet?

We need to know now so that we can prepare.

No money will be handed out to flood victims unless the water exceeds 30cm, and even at levels below that, extensive damage can be done to homes and businesses.

So, I hereby warn the government that if we are caught off-guard because of their failure to take adequate preventive measures in advance to minimise damage to our homes, then they can expect to be sued for gross negligence.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Get the message?

Whiff of favouritism

Re: "It's a political circus", (PostBag, Aug 20) and "Free man Thaksin awaits docs", (BP, Aug 19).

Giggles Galore made a point in his /her commentary, but something new has occurred. Thaksin's lawsuit on the lese majeste charge has been put off for another year.

So, it seems preferential treatment is being given to certain parties.

In the meantime, we will probably see the new government pass a law that will permit law violators escape prosecution on the grounds that they have some physical conditions. Wait and see.

And as Giggles so aptly put it. TIT -- this is Thailand

Facing the future

Re: "New realities in Japan-Thailand ties", (BP, Aug 15).

Japan and Thailand share many things in common; in the past, they were exceptions among Asian and African nations in that Western colonisation did not happen.

These days, both countries face daunting social challenges, such as a dwindling birth rate and an ageing population, that will weigh on economic management.

Japan has long suffered from its ultra-low growth since the 1990s, and Thailand may follow suit if the government fails to put its prudent, down-to-earth economic policies in place.

I do believe that the two countries can find ways to further foster economic partnership hand-in-hand to rise to the challenge ahead.

The world knows that Japan has long been a good friend and a true contributor to Thailand's transition to an export-driven economic powerhouse in the region.

Despite being eclipsed by China lately, Japan has consistently been the No.1 foreign investor in Thailand over the past 20 years, and this likely will remain so if Japan finds good reasons to invest in Thailand rather than neighbouring Asean countries.

My true intent

Re: "Shocking example", (PostBag, Aug 26).

Michel the lawyer blasted me for encouraging youngsters to evade the law by fleeing the country. My statement that "he cared for his personal wealth too much" was meant to refer to his case of abusing his authority as prime minister in helping his then-wife to buy prime land at a bargain.

Before the Supreme Court sentenced him to a two-year jail term, he jumped bail after attending the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. My statement was meant to be polite in not caring for one's wealth too much or, in a less polite term – "less greedy".

Finance follies

Here is my parody of the famous global economic forum in Davos. My poem is 'Divorce of the World Economy,' from the World Eco-nonsense Forum, in 'Divorce, Sauceland'.

Here comes the annual meeting of several world-class e-nono-mists;

Sometimes referred to as great visionaries and world reformists.

Holding PuDs, papadums, and golf masters from top unis, conducting incomprehensible surveys, study papers, and thesis.

These guys try to analyse, predict, and steer everything under the sun.

Apart from their own family lives, which is in the doldrums.

They think they know all the laws, rules, regulations, and tricks of the trade;

So-called "chapters, articles, uni, sh*tty, bitty and tri-lateral accords" they made.

Claiming to know best how to run the economy in a specific way, "trickle-down economics", putting the poorest on a drip wage per day.

Sucking up all the money due to inflation, leaving the needy almost dry to the core;

Microdroplets reaching down by schemes resembling a great allure.

"A shot in the arm", by printing more money to lend and pump into the system.

Injecting funds into problematic ventures to uphold an absurd definition.

Methods used are as psychotic as they are out of their mind frame;

Give more consumer loans to increase public debt, so banks can call the NPA game.

Cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point and see what happens;

Increase the "overnight deposit rates" ONDR for no reason till everything slackens.

Create mutual bonds, federal bonds, corporate bonds, and junk bonds;

Derivatives, future contracts, mortgages, and sub-prime loans to the absconds.

Manipulate the exchange rates to match the basket full of fiat currencies;

Investment bankers invented new "financial instruments" like lie-abilities.

With too much money in circulation, tighten the cash flow;

Increase the cost of borrowing, and to hell let the borrowers go.

It is a game of inflation, deflation, saturation, recession, and depression;

Foreign direct intervention, Imbalance of payment, flirting with mergers and acquisition.

Re-engineering, design thinking, out-of-the-box thinking and nonsense thinking;

All leading to nothing but endless meetings, interviews, parties, and late-night mingling.

Nothing related to the ground realities except champagne-on-rocks at snow-capped resorts;

E-nono-mists, CEOs, and central bankers meet up for brain-storming while reality distorts.

Trade talks, trade wars, trade rules, trade preferences, trade partners, and place sanctions;

Many live in poverty, the middle class just surviving, and the super-rich in ultra-luxury without any questions.

Wealth stacked up in Baldives, Bananas Republics, Virginity Islands, and Sauceland tax havens;

The next meeting will be at Bend-the-Woods, to crack new ideas with heads all shaven.

Politics and power

Re: "Dhaka's role in Myanmar's crisis", (Opinion, Aug 23).

Alan Clements is trying to project Mr Yunus as the future champion of democracy in Bangladesh and staying away from the past history of Mr Yunus, who was associated with a pro-radical Islamist political party named BNP.

Mr Yunus and 13 others have been accused of corruption while running Grameen Bank. In January, a labour court in Bangladesh's capital sentenced Mr Yunus to six months in jail for violating the country's labour laws.

Now, he holds an American passport, has lived in the USA, and has the blessings of the Hillary Clinton family and the Democratic Party in the USA. The Clinton family helped him win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Now, let's see his current status and how he was brought in to head the interim government.

The recent political upheaval in Bangladesh started as a peaceful student movement against a quota system for public employment. Later, this movement was hijacked by the banned Islamic Jihadist Association (JI), which ended with the looting and burning of government and public buildings.

When a TV channel from India questioned Mr Yunus on these issues, he blamed it on outgoing PM Hasina instead of condemning it.

Since Mr Alan encouragingly projected Mr Yunus's role in Bangladesh politics, let's be clear: He was not democratically elected. He was proposed by students to head the current interim government and also with the help of the radicalised Bangladesh army.

As per Bangladesh's constitution, a general election must be called within three months of the interim government taking the oath. Many unseen factors and the current situation suggest that an election will not be held for at least one to three years. Considering these scenarios, Mr Yunus's days are numbered, and hope for a democratic Bangladesh is very distant.

Now, let's talk about Myanmar. The junta is extremely anti-Muslim and anti-Rohingya. The junta also sides with China, which does not have a natural rapport with Muslims and does not want to see the Rohingya crisis expand.

So, if Mr Alan were aware of these scenarios, he would never have hoped for Mr Yunus's influence on the Myanmar junta. Tatmadaw and China are the adversaries of the USA. There is no way they will listen to Mr Yunus to solve Rohingya issues, nor will his influence help to release Aung San Su Kyi and other political leaders and political workers in Myanmar.

It's not Bangladesh or Mr Yunus who can influence the junta. It is their direct bordering neighbour nations -- India and China who both maintain a good relationship with Myanmar's junta.

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