OPINION

Money in a bag

Re: "Payment for military exemption touted", (BP, Jan 11).

I hope that Territorial Defence Command chief, Lt Gen Taweepool Rimsakom, had his tongue firmly planted in his cheek when he mooted that young Thais should be allowed to buy exemption from military conscription.

The fact is that a system of bribes has operated under the table for years. My understanding is that as little as 10,000 baht delivered in a brown paper bag to the recruiting officer is sufficient to buy exemption.

Of course, 10,000 baht is a lot of money to a poor Thai lad (or his parents), so once again it is the rich who benefit at the cost of the poor.

Re: "Israeli threat to banish aid agency looms", (World, Sun 5), "Israel targets Gaza hospital", (World, Dec 26) and "Gaza toll rises to at least 45,259", (World, Dec 23).

Growing up as a Jewish boy soon after the Nazi Holocaust, I was taught to hate all Germans.

But since Germany under Hitler was a police state, there was no way of knowing what the average German felt.

I have been to Germany and most of the Germans I met were nice people.

By contrast I've known many Zionists and I'm horrified by how much cruelty some of them are capable of.

It blows my mind that while Israel commits genocide, the Zionists essentially tell Jews to put loyalty above morality.

But isn't that what we accused the Germans of doing? I'm not loyal to any race, religion or nationality.

I'm only loyal to the cause of justice. And any Jews who have a problem with that should be ashamed to call themselves Jews.

Re: "Climate clowns", (PostBag, Jan 11).

Actual weather records show that climate change is indeed undeniable, as your correspondent asserts. However, Micheal Setter is also correct in claiming there is no climate crisis.

Given that humans have no chance of preventing climate change (30-plus years of trying with zero results), to say we are in a "crisis" implies we have the power to avoid it.

Indeed, proponents of the climate crisis narrative promote this viewpoint as justification for various environmental, economic and social policies, all of which give some truth to Mr Setter's claims of a hidden agenda.

The sooner humans concentrate their efforts on adapting to whatever changes happen to the climate, naturally or otherwise, and reducing the pollution of our environment, the more successful our survival will be.

While human activity continues to affect nature, nature's climate responses to human activity will continue.

However, nature itself will continue to make far greater changes to the climate, regardless of whatever humans do.

Seeking to prevent the human component of climate change, while being able to do nothing about natural changes, is like tilting at windmills.

By concentrating on adapting to climate change instead of the futile exercise of preventing it, humans can be better prepared for the inevitable changes nature has in store for us and, since nature constantly changes the climate anyway, we can dispense with the claims of being in a perpetual "crisis" of our own making.

Nature is undoubtedly capable of creating climate crises for humans without the need for us to do anything.

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