While Ms Chua is helping her children become super-achievers, she is also damaging them. They are not allowed to choose what to do with their lives, and this will retard their capacity to understand themselves. Many Chinese children have limited inner worlds or capacity for self-reflection. They are heavily dependent on parents, even into middle age. Likewise, parents can be overly controlling, bullying their children into adulthood.

Western families often set inadequate boundaries for children and many are disrespectful and demeaning. Many think life will hand them success on a platter (entitlement). 'I've got rights' they chirp, but you have to work hard to earn success, respect and any kind of genuine power in society.

Part of the Amy Chua drama is that many Westerners feel threatened by Chinese competition. She is right when she says it is a tough world. We have to compete.

The West's time as the world's dominant force is over. There are people in other countries who are willing to work harder and sacrifice more for a better life. Unless the culture of entitlement is eradicated, they may be the beggar nations of the future.

In relearning how to live and work hard, we don't want to lose what is most important. 'For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?'

We need to teach children to succeed, but also what it means to be a full human being. Part of that is releasing control and letting them find themselves. It also means teaching them what it means to form close relationships, to love, to be kind and affectionate to others.

Marcus T. Anthony, Lantau

Government would not listen

Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's comments regarding the 2023 Asian Games ('Games opponents stabbed us in the back, says Tsang', January 14) are inappropriate and show the chief executive still operates essentially as a bureaucrat.

The community and its representatives in the legislature were upfront in their opposition to the bid proposals from the outset. But instead of heeding these views, our government ignored the results of the public consultation. It pressed ahead, hoping it could twist the arms of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong and sympathetic functional constituency legislators.

It failed and has only itself to blame. Rather than focusing time and money on trophy projects, Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing should concentrate on immediate livelihood issues, where the departments under his supervision appear to be getting out of touch.

Charlie Chan, Mid-Levels

Most payphones accept coins

I refer to the letter by Mary Melville ('Public phones have vital role in emergencies', January 13).

We agree with your correspondent that fixed lines are reliable and serve an important function in emergencies, when mobile lines may be congested. Your readers may therefore wish to know that emergency calls to 999, and inquiries numbers such as 1081, 1083 and 109, can be made at PCCW public phones without any need for payment, whether the phones accept coins or cards.

At present, PCCW operates a total of approximately 4,000 payphones to serve the Hong Kong public. They are located in phone booths on pavements and other public places such as hospitals and government buildings. They are regularly maintained and cleaned to ensure they are in good working condition.

We note Ms Melville's concern about the availability of public phones that accept coins. We are pleased to confirm that more than 98 per cent of the PCCW public phones accept both local coins and cards (telephone cards and/or credit cards) and these can be found all over Hong Kong.

Payphones are also installed upon request inside retail outlets such as supermarkets and convenience stores. Provision and removal of this service is at the discretion of the store owners.

Lindsay Servian, head of customer experience, PCCW

We do not need new incinerator

I refer to the letter from John Schofield, of the Living Islands Movement ('Super-incinerator should not be built on picturesque island', January 13) regarding the proposed Shek Kwu Chau incinerator. The government has really not thought through the logistics and economics of this plant.

Hong Kong's last incinerators were shut down in 1997 due to concerns about air pollution, so how can they now justify reviving incineration?

I would like, through these columns, to invite the Environmental Protection Department to share with us its feasibility studies, costings (both of initial capital costs and running costs) plus details of the transport logistics.

It would also be interesting to see an environmental impact assessment.

K. L. Pang, Central

Tobacco tax hike justifiable

I believe the tobacco tax should be increased as I think this can help people to give up smoking.

The levy is already high, but I appreciate that the administration wants to curb the smoking habit in Hong Kong.

Of course, this should not be the only method adopted to try and get people to quit.

The government should set up more programmes that are aimed at helping smokers to kick the habit.

Katy Chui Ho-suet, Yuen Long

Backing Cathay flight attendants

After reading several articles about the Cathay Pacific flight attendants' efforts to win pay increases, I would like to add my two cents. I flew Cathay Pacific from Los Angeles to Hong Kong a few months ago and it was the best airline experience I have had in many years.

The flight attendants did a marvellous job - as did the rest of the Cathay Pacific personnel that I came in contact with.

They represent this airline to the public and, as such, are much more than 'just' flight attendants. To find that most of them make approximately HK$10,000 per month was a shock and to further find that they are being denied a raise of less than HK$500 a month was unbelievable. And this from an airline that just announced that it had made record profits.

I fully support the Cathay Pacific flight attendants and hope that the company will see what a benefit they are to its operations.

If it were left to me, their salaries would be raised to at least double what they are getting now.

Cynthia Conrow, Aberdeen

Elderly will need more help

In many countries the elderly enjoy stable incomes in the form of pensions from their governments.

For a lot of elderly people in Hong Kong this is not the case.

Unless they worked as civil servants, with good pensions on offer, they will often find it difficult to pay for their daily expenses when they have retired. They are no longer able to enjoy a stable income.

Their problems can be exacerbated by health issues.

If they faced a lot of financial problems during their working lives, with long hours and a lot of pressure, they may suffer from bad health in old age. Some pensioners have difficulty adapting to retirement and feel bored when they stay at home. They are concerned about their quality of life.

These are all issues that should be of concern to the government.

It should organise more activities for pensioners to take part in. I do not think sufficient attention is being paid to the elderly in our society. The fact is that we have an ageing population in Hong Kong and the number of pensioners will increase.

This will bring with it various social problems that must be addressed by the administration. It cannot neglect the importance of solving these problems.

Cynthia Wong Jing-may, Ho Man Tin

Drilling too risky in Arctic

Regarding BP's proposal to drill for oil in the Russian Arctic, readers should know that BP has been operating in the Alaskan Arctic since 1969 ('Arctic deal puts paid to BP's Gulf spill costs', January 17).

It has a history of flouting environmental and safety regulations.

In 2006, BP's failure to maintain its ageing pipelines led to the worst oil spill ever on Alaska's North Slope.

As recently as April 20 last year, (the same day BP's well in the Gulf exploded), the federal pipeline safety administration sent BP a warning letter about corrosion issues in the company's Alaska pipelines.

Drilling is considered much more dangerous in the Arctic seas, where industry has not demonstrated reliable capacity to clean up oil spills.

In 1990, then US president George H.W. Bush banned drilling offshore in the Alaskan Arctic. Congress has renewed the ban every year since.

In 2008, George W. Bush lifted the ban and asked Congress to do likewise.

President Barack Obama, who opposed offshore drilling in his campaign, has since cancelled drilling plans in the Arctic and Bristol Bay.

William DuBay, Ap Lei Chau