Small is beautiful
Re: "Empowering middle-income states", (Opinion, April 28).
I'm from Boulder, Colorado. A law passed limiting growth to 1% in 1970. Boulder never grew to city size; it has cosy neighbourhoods and is foot and bicycle-friendly. Nearby towns grew so thick that the residents live in beehive housing with backlogged traffic. There is a cost. Property prices and rents shot up in Boulder, and the town is now essentially a private club. To support a middle-class lifestyle. Earth's 8.3 billion people would require the resources of three Earths. But we worry about a loss of growth when the reverse approach is the only way forward. Some would argue this favours the rich; which is true. But economic competition is the only fair goal compared to nations, faiths, races or sexes. I've lived in Boulder and Bangkok; small is beautiful.
Vince Gilles
Gross hypocrisy
Re: "Piyabutr slams MPs over S112 amnesty", (BP, July 12).
Responding to Piyabutr Saengkanokkul's sensible comments regarding the inclusion of lese majeste offences in any amnesty, the comments by Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, a list-MP from the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party, seem, on the most generous interpretation, to be gross hypocrisy.
If the grounds for concern are threats to national security, how is plotting and actually committing a coup against Thailand's form of constitutional democracy not a far graver violation than any peaceful criticism and comment that counts as a violation of Section 112? UTN has demonstrated no problem embracing those who have resorted to that radical extreme of committing a coup. Why does the UTN man think Thailand and its institutions are so much more delicate?
Felix Qui
Who benefits?
Re: "Land Bridge falls flat", (BP, July 13).
Finally, a report on that political megaproject that many of us have been saying makes no sense. Shippers are definitely not interested, but land developers are very interested. You can guess where the money is coming from to promote the project boondoggle to politicians. Does it remind you of who is behind the casino initiative, too?
Brian Springer
Beware China links
Re: "Las Vegas in Laos: the riverside city awash with crime", (World, July 14).
AFP writes about this horrible situation at the Kings Romans Group with a 99-year lease on the Mekong riverbank in Laos. Yet, the report fails to point out its fundamental cause -- Chinese organised criminals. Thailand should be advised of this when inviting foreign direct investment from China and some Chinese-owned businesses. The collapse of a large building in Chatuchak, substandard steel manufacture, and numerous hazardous waste scandals are merely a harbinger of things to come.
Michael Setter
Russia no role model
Re: "Russia shines", (PostBag, July 14).
The debt-to-GDP ratio is a poor indicator of a good country to live in.
Japan has the highest of almost any country at 255% compared with Russia at around 15% yet Japan is rated as having about the same "quality of life" as the USA. Russia is about the same as Brazil. Russia may produce its own cars, but they either compare badly to Western models or are re-badged Chinese models. Perhaps Mr Jellison can explain why more than 800,000 have recently left what he sees as such an idyllic place to live? I don't think Thailand has anything to learn from the Russian economy.
Drahid
