Premier cringefest
Re: "Time to show resolve", (Editorial, June 5).
Over the period of two plus years, one has yet to see our caretakers of our interest deal with problems with flying colours, as your editor has fully stated.
But your editorial was too kind in not mentioning too many below-par appearances, as many times, one has to cringe at our leaders. One felt proud of our leaders when former premiers like Khun Anand Panyarachun and many others appeared at international meetings. One Singaporean friend sat next to me gasped when Khun Anand first spoke.
Songdej Praditsmanont
Medical misinfo
Re: "No magic medicine", (PostBag, June 5).
Jason A Jellison is right, I have a lamentable urge to correct the endless stream of misinformation which finds its way to this column. Call me pedantic.
First, let me repeat that when Mr Jellison, the language expert, claims, "many modern medicines do come from plants, animals, and even leeches, but that does not mean one puts live leeches on ill people", he is misinforming readers yet again. Live leeches are used in a hospital setting by Western doctors to treat ill people. About 10% of pharmaceutical drugs use ingredients directly obtained from plants. These include morphine (opium) and digitoxin (foxglove). The pharmaceutical industry prefers synthetic ingredients because of their patentability and profit.
Before disparaging traditional medicine, he says, "If you want to know what medicine really works, follow the insurance money." This is utter foolishness. The insurance industry works hand in glove with Big Pharma and the Western medical cartels in a way that ruthlessly maximises profit.
Current Tibetan and pre-20th century Chinese traditional medicine practices are not antiquated "voodoo, cannabis, rain dances, and tarot cards", Mr Jellison. In the case of traditional Tibetan medicine, it incorporates Vajrayana Buddhist philosophy, dietary advice, exercises, highly advanced natural remedies (unavailable and not understood in the West), acupuncture, moxibustion, and sophisticated diagnostics. It is primarily practised by monks and yokis, in other words, people who are not doing it for the money but out of a lifelong commitment to compassion.
Michael Setter
What's a 'furry'?
Re: "Not so proud", (PostBag, June 4) & "Proud to be out", (Online, June 2).
One speculates how Edith Clampton (Mrs) would respond to Mr Jellison's timely comments recently about eccentric comportment by enthusiasts during Pride month. Probably by first demanding "…tell me precisely what a 'furry' is " (Edith wouldn't be alone).
I would like to thank Jason A Jellison for his bold stance in this prickly demographic context, which is worth noting.
Ellis O'Brien
Get Groucho right
Re: "The essence of Thailand in one phrase", (Oped, June 5).
I believe that Thailand will not, in the near future, be without contradictions. That's what I like about it. But I further believe that Groucho Marx, if alive, would not be silent on the attribution that was made by Philip Cunningham to Woody Allen: Groucho's one-liner was -- I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member!
KMAC
