Missing the point
Play
Re: "Yingluck fairly elected and appointed", Letters September 25.
Either Mr Grant was unable to comprehend the real inference in Mr Arnone’s letter or deliberately chose to dilute the criticism by calculated obfuscation. So either his ignorance causes him to miss the point, or his disingenuousness seeks to wilfully mislead readers.
It is not the correctness of her arrival in the office of prime minister that Mr Arnone balks at, but the fact itself. I assume he is suggesting that, for whatever reason – there may indeed be many – the fact that she holds the office is an insult to those Mr Arnone details in his letter.
Mr Grant fails to address this in his letter, instead saying she is being given particular recognition in some way. In respect to her audience with Queen Elizabeth, where he suggests it is in some way unusual, it is not. When a head of state visits the UK, it becomes a state visit, and there are but two in any year. Her Majesty grants many audiences, notably by virtue of the visitors’ achievements or simple protocol. The Yingluck audience was certainly in the latter case.
In closing, Mr Grant seeks to suggest, as countless others before him, that such criticism is unwarranted, without cogently articulating why it is unfounded, or in poor taste. Sadly, if one ventures into public life, one cannot expect to be treated with kid gloves. Yingluck’s constant absence from Parliament, her continual tripping overseas and her unwillingness or inability to comment on important matters of state are most certainly matters of great public interest and debate, and to suggest that she be given an easy time is highly subjective, and should be dismissed as such.
John Patterson
Bangkok
