The National Book Fair starting tomorrow flashed me back to several similar real-life dramas I saw at the last event earlier this year. A girl looked desperately at a colourful book while the mother rushed her to move on to other stalls as she could not afford the price. At another booth selling history magazines and pocketbooks, a boy arrived to show the seller all his money and asked how many books he could get from the amount. It's a pity for many children that they cannot read any book they want as their families cannot afford pricey children's books.
What I witnessed seems to contradict the government's publicity aimed at fostering youths' reading habits -with a vow that reading is the foundation of intellectual development. The cabinet in August adopted "reading" as the national agenda and 2009-2019 has been designated a "decade of reading". A committee promoting the reading chaired by the Education Ministry will drive the agenda to reality.
But how can poor children in the countryside have a chance to read good non-textbooks as many of them still don't have enough food to eat in a day? One easy answer is, going to a school or community library. But I am still sceptical about the titles available in those libraries,whether they are attractive enough to draw the interest of young children. Another issue is how many community libraries does Thailand have? Are they accessible to rural children?
The government is currently campaigning aggressively to establish a "creative economy" with a hefty budget of around 20 billion baht. Supporting the private sector to produce more affordable quality children's books should be put in this scheme as certainly books would better fit the criteria of a creative economy than fixing damaged fences at an ancient site. The government has for decades provided incentives to promote investment in several industries and services to drive the economy. Is it possible for publishers to be given some incentives to print quality reading materials so they can produce lower-priced books to serve the public? I believe Thai publishers have tried their best to publish good books but have not succeeded in knocking down the price to an affordable level for low and medium-income families.
The book distribution system is another worrying factor that can determine the survival of many publishing houses,especially small ones. Currently, most publishers pin their hopes on sales at the National Book Fair, organised twice a year in Bangkok, plus a few times on a smaller scale in the major provinces.
Several small publishers say over half of their annual sales are generated by the two fairs, forcing them to print out new titles at the fair to avoid missing the most important marketing opportunities.The process partly results in inferior quality of the books, proven by errors in the first edition or more updated information in later editions.
A study by the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand shows that 13,348 titles were introduced to the market in 2008 or 36.57 new titles each day. Imagine how difficult it is for a publisher to roll out a best-selling book amidst all the new titles put on shelves each day.
Thailand had 512 publishers as of last year - around 83%were small publishers with less than 30 million baht in annual sales,7% were large publishers with over 100 million baht sales. The rest were medium-sized. However, the medium and large publishers controlled 86% of the 18.9-billion-baht sales in 2008.That sales structure will be similar to this year's projected figure of 19-19.2 billion baht. What will be different is the the diminishing share of small publishers who cannot withstand the economic struggle and are losing liquidity to continue their business.
With the fair's fixed schedule, book readers, especially in Bangkok, are waiting to shop for new books from the over-crowded events - estimated to attract 1.5 million fairgoers in each edition. They would cut their visits to local bookshops as publishers normally give discounts of 20-50% in exchange for getting cash and bypassing the distributing agents. This is one of the reasons why individually-owned bookshops are unlikely to survive in Thailand. Only chain-bookstores are flourishing. The association's statistics counted 2,995 active bookshops last year, a sharp rise from 1,913 in 2007 as the figure included small Book Smile corners at 7-Eleven convenience stores.
Thailand is still far from being a knowledge-based economy as average spending per year of the Thai people on books is only 300 baht. The government will need great concrete efforts to cultivate the reading habit, which will become true only when books are affordable and accessible to all who want to read them.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
From nurse's aide to king of Mountains of the Moon
For years, Charles Wesley Mumbere worked as a nurse's aide in the United States, caring for the elderly and sick. No one there suspected that he had inherited a royal title in his African homeland when he was just 13.
On Monday, after years of political upheaval and financial struggle, Mr Mumbere,56, was finally crowned king of his people to the sound of drumbeats and thousands of cheering supporters wearing cloth printed with his portrait.
At a public rally later in the day, Ugan-dan President Yoweri Museveni officially recognised the 300,000-strong Rwenzururu Kingdom. Mr Museveni restored the traditional kingdoms his predecessor banned in 1967, but has been adamant that kings restrict themselves to cultural duties and keep out of politics.
"It is a great moment to know that finally the central government has understood the demands of the Bakonzo people who have been seeking very hard for recognition of their identity," Mr Mumbere said, sitting in his office in in the whitewashed single-storey building that serves as a palace.
The Rwenzururu parliament sits nearby, in a much larger structure made of reeds. It was here that the traditional private rituals were held Sunday night and Monday morning to crown Mr Mumbere king. Thousands walked several miles to see Mr Mumbere, dressed in flowing green robes and a colourful hat, be officially recognised. Old men clutching canes shuffled up the hill beside women in colourful Ugandan dresses called "gomesi." Among them was Masereka Tadai,43, proudly overseeing practice for a march that retired scouts and girl guides would perform before the king.
"Everyone is very happy because the president has accepted to come here and officially recognise the Rwenzururu Kingdom," Ms Tadai said over a nearby drumbeat.
The new King of Uganda's Mountains of the Moon has undergone many transformations - from teenage leader of a rebel force to impoverished student to a nursing home assistant working two jobs in the US, where he lived for nearly 25 years.
Mr Mumbere's royal roots only became public in Pennsylvania this July,when he granted an interview to The Patriot-News of Harrisburg as he was preparing to return to Uganda.
He inherited the title when his father,Isaya Mukirania Kibanzanga, died while leading a secessionist group in the Rwenzori Mountains, otherwise known as the Mountains of the Moon. The rebels were protesting the oppression of their Bakonzo ethnic group by their thenrulers, the Toro Kingdom.
The Bakonzo demanded to be recognised as a separate entity and named Kibanzanga, a former primary school teacher, as their king in 1963.
"It was very difficult growing up in the bush," remembered Mr Mumbere,who was nine years old when his father took the family into the mountains. Although he received military training,Mr Mumbere did not fight.
"Our country has been independent [from the British] for 40-something years,but in Rwenzururu you may not find running water, there are no hospitals,"Mr Mumbere said.
Shortly after Kibanzanga died, his son led the fighters down from the mountains to hand in their weapons. Mr Mumbere went to the United States in 1984 on a Ugandan government scholarship,attending a business school until Uganda's leadership changed and the stipend was stopped. He gained political asylum in 1987, trained as a nurse's aide and took a job in a suburban Washington nursing home to pay his bills.
In 1999, he moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital, where he worked for at least two healthcare facilities.
He was "very loyal, a very hard worker,a very private person", said Johnna Marx,executive director of the Golden Living Centre-Blue Ridge Mountain on the outskirts of Harrisburg.
Mr Mumbere said he chose to train as a nurse's aide because the work,"was more reliable. Other jobs you can be laid off easily". Living in the US, however,was "a very difficult experience. Sometimes you have two jobs. You go to college in the morning, between 8am to 12pm.Then you go prepare to go to work at 3pm and then return at 11pm".
He is now a green card holder, and his son and daughter live in Harrisburg.But he never forgot the people he left behind. When the Ugandan government decided to reinstate the traditional kingdoms, Mr Mumbere lobbied for the Rwenzururu Kingdom to be among them.
After 10 years of negotiation, President Museveni announced in August that the government would recognise Rwenzururu as Uganda's seventh kingdom.Government recognition does not grant any executive power but allows the monarchs to determine cultural and social issues affecting their people.
On Monday, after years of political upheaval and financial struggle, Mr Mumbere,56, was finally crowned king of his people to the sound of drumbeats and thousands of cheering supporters wearing cloth printed with his portrait.
At a public rally later in the day, Ugan-dan President Yoweri Museveni officially recognised the 300,000-strong Rwenzururu Kingdom. Mr Museveni restored the traditional kingdoms his predecessor banned in 1967, but has been adamant that kings restrict themselves to cultural duties and keep out of politics.
"It is a great moment to know that finally the central government has understood the demands of the Bakonzo people who have been seeking very hard for recognition of their identity," Mr Mumbere said, sitting in his office in in the whitewashed single-storey building that serves as a palace.
The Rwenzururu parliament sits nearby, in a much larger structure made of reeds. It was here that the traditional private rituals were held Sunday night and Monday morning to crown Mr Mumbere king. Thousands walked several miles to see Mr Mumbere, dressed in flowing green robes and a colourful hat, be officially recognised. Old men clutching canes shuffled up the hill beside women in colourful Ugandan dresses called "gomesi." Among them was Masereka Tadai,43, proudly overseeing practice for a march that retired scouts and girl guides would perform before the king.
"Everyone is very happy because the president has accepted to come here and officially recognise the Rwenzururu Kingdom," Ms Tadai said over a nearby drumbeat.
The new King of Uganda's Mountains of the Moon has undergone many transformations - from teenage leader of a rebel force to impoverished student to a nursing home assistant working two jobs in the US, where he lived for nearly 25 years.
Mr Mumbere's royal roots only became public in Pennsylvania this July,when he granted an interview to The Patriot-News of Harrisburg as he was preparing to return to Uganda.
He inherited the title when his father,Isaya Mukirania Kibanzanga, died while leading a secessionist group in the Rwenzori Mountains, otherwise known as the Mountains of the Moon. The rebels were protesting the oppression of their Bakonzo ethnic group by their thenrulers, the Toro Kingdom.
The Bakonzo demanded to be recognised as a separate entity and named Kibanzanga, a former primary school teacher, as their king in 1963.
"It was very difficult growing up in the bush," remembered Mr Mumbere,who was nine years old when his father took the family into the mountains. Although he received military training,Mr Mumbere did not fight.
"Our country has been independent [from the British] for 40-something years,but in Rwenzururu you may not find running water, there are no hospitals,"Mr Mumbere said.
Shortly after Kibanzanga died, his son led the fighters down from the mountains to hand in their weapons. Mr Mumbere went to the United States in 1984 on a Ugandan government scholarship,attending a business school until Uganda's leadership changed and the stipend was stopped. He gained political asylum in 1987, trained as a nurse's aide and took a job in a suburban Washington nursing home to pay his bills.
In 1999, he moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital, where he worked for at least two healthcare facilities.
He was "very loyal, a very hard worker,a very private person", said Johnna Marx,executive director of the Golden Living Centre-Blue Ridge Mountain on the outskirts of Harrisburg.
Mr Mumbere said he chose to train as a nurse's aide because the work,"was more reliable. Other jobs you can be laid off easily". Living in the US, however,was "a very difficult experience. Sometimes you have two jobs. You go to college in the morning, between 8am to 12pm.Then you go prepare to go to work at 3pm and then return at 11pm".
He is now a green card holder, and his son and daughter live in Harrisburg.But he never forgot the people he left behind. When the Ugandan government decided to reinstate the traditional kingdoms, Mr Mumbere lobbied for the Rwenzururu Kingdom to be among them.
After 10 years of negotiation, President Museveni announced in August that the government would recognise Rwenzururu as Uganda's seventh kingdom.Government recognition does not grant any executive power but allows the monarchs to determine cultural and social issues affecting their people.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
UN establishing panel to probe Guinea killings
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is establishing an international commission to investigate the attack on unarmed protesters in Guinea last month that left dozens dead and many injured, the UN said.
A mission left on Friday to look into arrangements for setting up a commission to determine who was responsible,UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said.
"The secretary-general remains deeply concerned by the tense situation in Guinea following the violent crackdown,which he had strongly condemned, on unarmed civilians," she said.
A peaceful pro-democracy rally in the West African country on Sept 28 took a violent turn when presidential guard troops opened fire on tens of thousands of demonstrators. A Guinean human rights group says 157 people were killed.The government put the death toll at 57.
Ms Montas said the mission's leader,Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Haile Menkerios will meet with Guinean authorities, regional organisations and others regarding the work of the commission.
The International Criminal Court announced on Thursday a preliminary investigation into last month's violence.The violence has drawn widespread condemnation, with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling for military leader Captain Moussa "Dadis" Camara to apologise and step down. Capt Camara seized power hours after long-time dictator Lansana Conte died last December.
The UN investigation was announced on the same day that the resignations of two cabinet ministers in Guinea were announced and as France urged its citizens to leave as security deteriorated in the aftermath of the bloody rally.
Information Minister Justin Morel Jr and Labour Minister Alpha Diallo said they could not serve a government responsible for such violence.
Mr Morel resigned late on Thursday citing moral reasons and Mr Diallo on Wednesday, citing religious convictions.
The resignations follow that of Agriculture Minister Abdulrahmane Sano on Monday. Mr Sano cited the protest as the reason for his resignation.
A mission left on Friday to look into arrangements for setting up a commission to determine who was responsible,UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said.
"The secretary-general remains deeply concerned by the tense situation in Guinea following the violent crackdown,which he had strongly condemned, on unarmed civilians," she said.
A peaceful pro-democracy rally in the West African country on Sept 28 took a violent turn when presidential guard troops opened fire on tens of thousands of demonstrators. A Guinean human rights group says 157 people were killed.The government put the death toll at 57.
Ms Montas said the mission's leader,Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Haile Menkerios will meet with Guinean authorities, regional organisations and others regarding the work of the commission.
The International Criminal Court announced on Thursday a preliminary investigation into last month's violence.The violence has drawn widespread condemnation, with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling for military leader Captain Moussa "Dadis" Camara to apologise and step down. Capt Camara seized power hours after long-time dictator Lansana Conte died last December.
The UN investigation was announced on the same day that the resignations of two cabinet ministers in Guinea were announced and as France urged its citizens to leave as security deteriorated in the aftermath of the bloody rally.
Information Minister Justin Morel Jr and Labour Minister Alpha Diallo said they could not serve a government responsible for such violence.
Mr Morel resigned late on Thursday citing moral reasons and Mr Diallo on Wednesday, citing religious convictions.
The resignations follow that of Agriculture Minister Abdulrahmane Sano on Monday. Mr Sano cited the protest as the reason for his resignation.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
SO MANY QUESTIONS, TOO FEW TRUE ANSWERS
Opinion polls influence the public and politicians, but are they really accurate? With so many polls on politics and society being taken in Bangkok every week, it might be sensible to ask not just how reliable they are but also whether the public has become too reliant on them. These are pertinent questions in an age when the public, as well as politicians, have become increasingly influenced by the results of the latest surveys. Pollsters may try to assure you their work is accurate enough to be trusted, but even those in the industry are well aware of the many inherent problems.
In 1988, the American Association of Public Opinion Research heard its president, Eleanor Singer, warn against a list of caveats including: "the lack of truthful responses to questions; the failure to do justice to the richness of people's experience; the failure of people to understand certain types of questions that depend on memory or insight into their own feelings; the tendency of researchers to impose their own framework; the fact that certain words in questions mean different things to different people; the tendency of people to give an opinion even when they do not have a real point of view," and more.
Suffice to say, when faced with instant questions, people often respond in a knee-jerk fashion. Often left behind are careful weighing of the issue, the chance for the respondent to hear other voices before making his own judgement, the restrictive and top-down framing of the question, and the abandonment of a nuanced and qualitative approach supplanted by easy-to-digest quantitative data. All these constitute a cause for concern, especially when polls aren't just prone to being inaccurate, shallow and not truly reflecting people's thoughtful and deliberative views, but also tend to reinforce results in the direction the findings dictate.
Daniel Yankelovich, an American expert on public opinion and judgement noted in his 1991 book, "Coming to Public Judgement" that, "The 'quickie' opinion polls that make newspaper headlines … or 30-second sound-bites based on simplistic questions, are a menace that has grown all too familiar … Analysts found that by asking people a few simple additional questions on any issue, such as how personally involved they were with it, how much they might change their mind, one could determine which opinions were volatile and which were firm."
Yankelovich posited that the quality of public opinion should be measured by three criteria: Willingness to take responsibility for the consequences of one's views, firmness, and consistency. Or, to put it more simply: A stable, consistent and responsible view.
"The ability to resolve internal conflicts of values is the foundation of good-quality public opinion … Resolving conflicts of values takes times; it is painful work, and people avoid it as much and for as long as they can."
All these are elements are missing in a world of instant and incessant polling, so it's good to bear in mind what we may possibly be missing out.
In 1988, the American Association of Public Opinion Research heard its president, Eleanor Singer, warn against a list of caveats including: "the lack of truthful responses to questions; the failure to do justice to the richness of people's experience; the failure of people to understand certain types of questions that depend on memory or insight into their own feelings; the tendency of researchers to impose their own framework; the fact that certain words in questions mean different things to different people; the tendency of people to give an opinion even when they do not have a real point of view," and more.
Suffice to say, when faced with instant questions, people often respond in a knee-jerk fashion. Often left behind are careful weighing of the issue, the chance for the respondent to hear other voices before making his own judgement, the restrictive and top-down framing of the question, and the abandonment of a nuanced and qualitative approach supplanted by easy-to-digest quantitative data. All these constitute a cause for concern, especially when polls aren't just prone to being inaccurate, shallow and not truly reflecting people's thoughtful and deliberative views, but also tend to reinforce results in the direction the findings dictate.
Daniel Yankelovich, an American expert on public opinion and judgement noted in his 1991 book, "Coming to Public Judgement" that, "The 'quickie' opinion polls that make newspaper headlines … or 30-second sound-bites based on simplistic questions, are a menace that has grown all too familiar … Analysts found that by asking people a few simple additional questions on any issue, such as how personally involved they were with it, how much they might change their mind, one could determine which opinions were volatile and which were firm."
Yankelovich posited that the quality of public opinion should be measured by three criteria: Willingness to take responsibility for the consequences of one's views, firmness, and consistency. Or, to put it more simply: A stable, consistent and responsible view.
"The ability to resolve internal conflicts of values is the foundation of good-quality public opinion … Resolving conflicts of values takes times; it is painful work, and people avoid it as much and for as long as they can."
All these are elements are missing in a world of instant and incessant polling, so it's good to bear in mind what we may possibly be missing out.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Suu Kyi surprises by returning to the limelight
Although still under house arrest,Aung San Suu Kyi has returned to an active political role by initiating dialogue with both Burma's junta and Western nations, analysts say.In the space of seven days, after a Rangoon court rejected the pro-democracy leader's appeal against her recently extended house arrest, her status appeared to shift rapidly from political prisoner to potential key negotiator."She is politically active and significant. She still has a role in Burma," said Win Min, an activist and scholar who lives in Chiang Mai.
Events over the past week in the militaryruled nation have moved at a dizzying pace when compared with the stagnation of recent months.
Ms Suu Kyi, detained for around 14 of the past 20 years, had two meetings with Aung Kyi, the labour minister and official liaison between her and the junta, the first such talks since January 2008.
The frail 64-year-old was subsequently granted permission by the ruling generals to discuss Western sanctions imposed on Burma with top United States, British and Australian diplomats in Rangoon on Friday.
"She was very, very engaged in the subject,very interested in going into detail on what she wanted to talk about and she seemed as ever very eloquent," said British ambassador Andrew Heyn in an interview with the BBC.
Ms Suu Kyi wrote a letter to Snr Gen Than Shwe at the end of September offering her cooperation in getting Western sanctions lifted, after years of favouring harsh measures against the generals.
Contrary to expectations, the junta chief seems to have accepted her proposal - at least for the time being.
"She would like to see herself as a pivotal point in the relations between the junta and the US. They might be prepared to allow this to some extent," said former British ambassador Derek Tonkin.
The military regime has promised elections for 2010, the first in Burma since 1990, when Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won by a landslide but was never allowed to take power.
With the opposition leader set to remain out of the way next year thanks to the recent 18-month extension to her house arrest,many observers believe the polls will be a sham that will only strengthen the junta's power.
The reclusive regime chief, according to some analysts, is likely to try to use his opponent - whom he loathes - to restore his image for the elections.
"Than Shwe is the only one who took all these decisions," said Mr Win Min, referring to the rejection of Ms Suu Kyi's appeal and her various subsequent meetings in recent days."He decided not to release her but to give her a little bit of freedom so that he could appear somehow as someone flexible,"he added.
But Ms Suu Kyi's lawyer Nyan Win was confident she could play an increasingly important part in developments over the coming months, especially following Washington's recent decision to re-engage the junta.
"We assume that her meeting with diplomats to lift sanctions is the start of her political role because sanctions themselves are a matter of politics," Mr Nyan Win said.
"Aung San Suu Kyi always has the right to participate in politics. It is not a concern whether or not she's under house arrest,"he added.
Yet scepticism remains that the iron-fisted regime could repeat past behaviour and offer goodwill gestures before violently closing all doors to dialogue again.
One fundamental sign of progress would be a meeting between Ms Suu Kyi and Gen Than Shwe himself, as the pair have not met for years. Mr Nyan Win raised the possibility of such talks on Friday.
But "The Lady", as she is widely known in Burma, would have to consult with other NLD members first and also see minister Aung Kyi again before a meeting with the junta leader would be possible, former ambassador Tonkin suggested.
He acknowledged however that the two sides were at least finally communicating."We don't know where this conversation is going to go. But it is taking place. It's the best game in town at the present time and we need to see where it goes," he said.
Events over the past week in the militaryruled nation have moved at a dizzying pace when compared with the stagnation of recent months.
Ms Suu Kyi, detained for around 14 of the past 20 years, had two meetings with Aung Kyi, the labour minister and official liaison between her and the junta, the first such talks since January 2008.
The frail 64-year-old was subsequently granted permission by the ruling generals to discuss Western sanctions imposed on Burma with top United States, British and Australian diplomats in Rangoon on Friday.
"She was very, very engaged in the subject,very interested in going into detail on what she wanted to talk about and she seemed as ever very eloquent," said British ambassador Andrew Heyn in an interview with the BBC.
Ms Suu Kyi wrote a letter to Snr Gen Than Shwe at the end of September offering her cooperation in getting Western sanctions lifted, after years of favouring harsh measures against the generals.
Contrary to expectations, the junta chief seems to have accepted her proposal - at least for the time being.
"She would like to see herself as a pivotal point in the relations between the junta and the US. They might be prepared to allow this to some extent," said former British ambassador Derek Tonkin.
The military regime has promised elections for 2010, the first in Burma since 1990, when Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won by a landslide but was never allowed to take power.
With the opposition leader set to remain out of the way next year thanks to the recent 18-month extension to her house arrest,many observers believe the polls will be a sham that will only strengthen the junta's power.
The reclusive regime chief, according to some analysts, is likely to try to use his opponent - whom he loathes - to restore his image for the elections.
"Than Shwe is the only one who took all these decisions," said Mr Win Min, referring to the rejection of Ms Suu Kyi's appeal and her various subsequent meetings in recent days."He decided not to release her but to give her a little bit of freedom so that he could appear somehow as someone flexible,"he added.
But Ms Suu Kyi's lawyer Nyan Win was confident she could play an increasingly important part in developments over the coming months, especially following Washington's recent decision to re-engage the junta.
"We assume that her meeting with diplomats to lift sanctions is the start of her political role because sanctions themselves are a matter of politics," Mr Nyan Win said.
"Aung San Suu Kyi always has the right to participate in politics. It is not a concern whether or not she's under house arrest,"he added.
Yet scepticism remains that the iron-fisted regime could repeat past behaviour and offer goodwill gestures before violently closing all doors to dialogue again.
One fundamental sign of progress would be a meeting between Ms Suu Kyi and Gen Than Shwe himself, as the pair have not met for years. Mr Nyan Win raised the possibility of such talks on Friday.
But "The Lady", as she is widely known in Burma, would have to consult with other NLD members first and also see minister Aung Kyi again before a meeting with the junta leader would be possible, former ambassador Tonkin suggested.
He acknowledged however that the two sides were at least finally communicating."We don't know where this conversation is going to go. But it is taking place. It's the best game in town at the present time and we need to see where it goes," he said.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
HAVE "PUUYAI" FALLEN IN ESTEEM OF OUR YOUTH?
Is one of our most popular national values under threat? In a public sruvey, respondents displayed an obviously wavering faith in the old adage "Follow puuyai (senior persons) and dogs won't bite you". Today's young people, the pollsters say, seem to have more confidence in themselves as the "bdlief index" has dropped from 98.6 in the previous survey to 95 this time (100 points is considered historically normal level of belief).
The pollsters' interpretation of the results may be too kind to today's adults. Perhaps this issue of trust has as much to do with adult's trustworthiness as young people's growing self-reliance. Locally and internationaly, youngsters have been withnessing silly political conflicts, absurdd reasons for wars and a much-advocated economic system teetering on an abyss' edge, to name just a few.
They have learned how common it is for adults to be hypocrites, and such bad ones at that, And every day yields a new lesson on double standards, nepotism, prejudice and etc.
So, it's basically good news that young people are not trusting adults as much as before. And why should they? it is the childen now who are begging their puuyai to stop smoking. The anti-climate change campaign has been utilising the energy and sincerity of today's adolescents. Digital innovations have been dominated if not monopolised by young people.
They, of course, don't play politics, and it's no surprise politics is where the world's mess is concentrated, and where, no pun intended, everyone is acting like a child.
The pollsters' interpretation of the results may be too kind to today's adults. Perhaps this issue of trust has as much to do with adult's trustworthiness as young people's growing self-reliance. Locally and internationaly, youngsters have been withnessing silly political conflicts, absurdd reasons for wars and a much-advocated economic system teetering on an abyss' edge, to name just a few.
They have learned how common it is for adults to be hypocrites, and such bad ones at that, And every day yields a new lesson on double standards, nepotism, prejudice and etc.
So, it's basically good news that young people are not trusting adults as much as before. And why should they? it is the childen now who are begging their puuyai to stop smoking. The anti-climate change campaign has been utilising the energy and sincerity of today's adolescents. Digital innovations have been dominated if not monopolised by young people.
They, of course, don't play politics, and it's no surprise politics is where the world's mess is concentrated, and where, no pun intended, everyone is acting like a child.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Thai brothel tale haunts minister
France's culture minister, already under fire for defending Roman Polanski who faces sex charges, has been attacked for his memoir which describes sex with Thai brothel "boys".
Frederic Mitterrand, the 62-year-old nephew of late president Francois Mitterrand,wrote a book described by its publisher as a "novel of autobiographical inspiration" in which the first-person narrator recounts sexual adventures with Thai boys.
"At a time Mitterrand:when France Memoir attacked is engaged with Thailand to fight against the curse of sex tourism, here we have a government minister who himself explains that he is a consumer," opposition Socialist Party spokesman Benoit Hamon said.
The far-right National Front Party called for Mr Mitterrand's resignation, saying his 2005 book La Mauvaise Vie The Bad Life )had left "an indelible stain on the government".
The passages in The Bad Life that have sparked controversy deal with the hero's visits to brothels and boy bars in Southeast Asia.
Frederic Mitterrand, the 62-year-old nephew of late president Francois Mitterrand,wrote a book described by its publisher as a "novel of autobiographical inspiration" in which the first-person narrator recounts sexual adventures with Thai boys.
"At a time Mitterrand:when France Memoir attacked is engaged with Thailand to fight against the curse of sex tourism, here we have a government minister who himself explains that he is a consumer," opposition Socialist Party spokesman Benoit Hamon said.
The far-right National Front Party called for Mr Mitterrand's resignation, saying his 2005 book La Mauvaise Vie The Bad Life )had left "an indelible stain on the government".
The passages in The Bad Life that have sparked controversy deal with the hero's visits to brothels and boy bars in Southeast Asia.
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