Defensive nationalism is blinding us to universal morality
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Mr Chavalit has written many highly critical letters about Donald Trump. Although I’m an American and Chavalit is a Thai I totally respect his right to give his opinion about my president. (As readers might know, I also don’t like Trump.)
Yet when I write letters critical about anything in Thailand, Mr Chavalit gets indignant, arrogant and defensive.
Or we have Somsak Pola who objects to animal rights activists from another country condemning elephant abuse in Thailand. Yet he also doesn’t hesitate to criticise Donald Trump.
Why don’t we stop all this hypocritical nationalistic nonsense and just say that if something is wrong it’s wrong, and it doesn’t matter what country the critics come from or in what country the injustice occurred. We should all speak out and work together for a kinder and more just world.
Eric Bahrt
Chiang Mai
