More plastic waste
Re: "City gets set for holiday festivities" & "New plan to promote food waste sorting", (BP, April 11).
There is much hype about using biodegradable krathong and proper disposal of their artificial counterparts when that (one-day) festival concludes. But nothing is reported about what happens to the Songkran boom in plastic water gun sales a week later.
Are they carefully wrapped up afterwards for use next year? I doubt it, so here is another case of monumental plastic waste hazard generation that is ignored, unless I am mistaken. However, it should be noted that biodegradable water guns would result in discharge dysfunction, but this would be metaphorically consistent with soft power convention.
Rose Bellini
Trump's fortune
Orville Schell's opinion echoes a similar debate raised by the late Lester Thurow, the former Dean of the Sloan Graduate School of Business in 1992 when he raised the case of contemporary trends in the globalisation of business led by Japan through drawing economic profiles of growth in the USA and, as he called it, the "House of Europe."
For the sake of brevity, we know Japan has not exactly departed from the business landscape. Still, it has yielded to the leadership of China, and all indications point to China leading the three principal trading blocs and showing up the USA as "retreating" rather ingloriously.
Donald Trump's game plan is the craziest of the American Dream plans to make America great again, and in fact, pushing the great country into a suicidal dip, which he and his cronies blame on the former government of Joseph Biden.
China, on the other hand, has emerged from the mid-seventies using its resources and might to build itself up on new industrial initiatives, preparedness for wars which it has hitherto shied away from, and honing its financial might and in logistics and supply chains.
It has engaged with the global markets by occupying market shares in Europe, Africa, the USA and in Asia as well.
The Chinese game is best described by the philosopher Sun Zhu in his Art of War -- subtlety, not feisty aggressiveness. The world of opportunities in business and market expansion is for the prudent, the wise, and we know, fortune favours the well-prepared mind.
Glen Chatelier
Taxed to quit
Re: "Unsweet surprise" (PostBag, April 11).
The impact of tax on behaviour raised by Jason Jellison is relevant, but the data on cigarette taxes in the United States is incorrect. According to Tobacco Insider (tobaccoinsider.com), the taxes levied on a pack of cigarettes in the state of Wisconsin included US$1.01 federal tax, US$2.52 excise tax, and 52 cent state tax, for a total tax of US$4.04 (136 baht) -- a far cry from the 400 baht claimed by Jellison.
The outcome of high taxation is positive, nudging many to quit and deter young people from ever starting smoking. Why is this important?
According to the World Health Organization, the total global economic cost of smoking is estimated to be at least US$500 billion (16 trillion baht) from increased costs of health care to treat tobacco-related diseases and lost productivity due to smoking-related illnesses and premature death.
The fact that many districts distribute tobacco-tax revenues for dubious purposes is a valid, but distinct, issue for consideration, that in no way diminishes the societal benefits from reduced tobacco consumption.
Samanea Saman
