L.S.S.(#31), I think you missed the point of the reference to the Feast of Fools. It’s a situation of misrule, in which the people have license to satirise the monarchy, the church, & whatever other institutions are normally repressing them. No relation to Songkhran. Nothing like satire happens in this airhead festival.
And Teth, why is it “always interesting to bring up the British situation”? This is a discussion on lese majeste. Do you have some pearls of wisdom re. the Brits in relation to lese majeste?
One of my favourite Monty Python sketches (a cartoon) shows Princess Margaret, well-known to the world (largely through media reports) as a pisspot, as was her mother, at a coctail party. She stops the action by declaring loudly that she must go & ‘powder her nose’. She exits through a door, stage left. The other guests are then treated to the most disgustingly vulgar series of sound effects that have nothing whatever to do with putting powder on one’s nose, and everything to do with what we all know the euphemism stands for.
Monty Python’s Flying Circus was a comedy programme produced by the BBC, the British government’s broadcaster, from 1969 to 1974. Many readers of NM will know this. I mention it only because your constant references to the history & culture of other countries, in order to draw entirely erroneous analogies to Thailand shows only the most superficial knowledge of history. (reminds me of Terwiell’s analysis of Rama IV’s erudition – ” a kind of name-dropping.” This pretty well sums up Thai education today, as well – it comes from the fact that students can go all the way through an alleged academic degree programme without ever writing an essay, only doing multiple -choice exams.) U.K. is certainly not perfect, but it can surely, despite all of its outrageous & often hilarious mistakes, which are (as they should be) slammed viciously by the media (& parodied & satirised), & have been for a very long time, hundreds of years in some cases, stand up as THE leader in the pursuit of democracy & the demolition of bullshit. That it has been able to develop in this direction, although a monarchy, is one of the most fascinating studies of history, including & especially, the history of English literature.
Personally, I believe that Swift (18th century) created Thailand. He probably left it out of Gulliver’s Travels because of the dreaded LM law, and all the Dull-Ploddies who use it. It wouldn’t have been a witty or intelligent court case. Very boring. Slow-learners, really.
I recalled posting a response on why the Dems qualify as a dog lover’s best friend?? It was something about the Dems not having sat on their asses to clean up the 1997 financial crisis mess left by PM Chavlit and his Deputy PM Thaksin at that time . . .
But dog lovers do easily succumb to the charm of eloquent self-seeking charlatans posing as democracy champions and defenders of the poor . .
I can’t afford sports drink to give my craving plants. These days I can’t even afford to buy enough rice to feed my hungry wife . . . nor afford to pay for benzine for my aging car.
But I’l try to scrounge some cash to see me some cult movie and maybe I’ll forget how miserable a plant’s life can be . . . while weeds and Thaksin and Samak and those self-seeking PPP politicians try their best to change the Thai charter that will stop me from being hungry.
Jeru, the canopy prevents serious weeds from sprouting throughout the undergrowth. However, a noxious weed that does manage to pervade the ecosystem and contributes considerable damage is ‘Morrenia odorata’ (or р╕кр╕╕р╕гр╕вр╕╕р╕Чр╕Шр╣М р╕Ир╕╕р╕ер╕▓р╕Щр╕Щр╕Чр╣М) which is a strangler vine. It’s privy enough to get close to the main trunk of the tree which supports the canopy, and uses this tree for food and nutrients whilst ironically killing the tree. The main tree does not have any defense against this and eventually the killer vine grows more and more powerful, drawing all the nutrient power and eventually even sunlight that the tree would otherwise have gotten. Soon the tree will be killed and the canopy will collapse leaving many more weeds to sprout with all the available sunlight and the canopies composting foliage.
My position constantly changes on the ecosystem, so really I have no opinion, but I do wonder what you all think.
Presumably Jairan was talking about those party executives who broke election laws (whilst knowing that strict rules that were in place).
Or was he talking about those other party executives who ignored (aided & abetted?) the electoral law violators on the presumption that they could simply amend the rules later to avoid the hash penalties that were originally put in place (as a deterrent).
Yes, both are ringbarkers who weaken not only the government tree, but also the whole political & democracy tree.
When it comes to gardening, Jeru, methinks you have much in common with the hapless citizens of the future, depicted in the cult movie classic Idiocracy, who water their crops with a sports drink because they believe it’s got what plants crave!
I went to Teves recently to get me new plants for my garden. I complained to Khun Jaroon who sells me all I needed for my garden that there were some really nasty weeds that no matter how much week-killers I employed just won’t die.
Khun Jaroon just smiled and agreed and said – – Thailand’s democracy is so much like a garden failing because of too many powerful weeds suffocating the bloom.
Banharn’s Chart Thai party and that new kid on the block Matchimathipattai are “suspected weeds” still. But Thaksin’s TRT were definitely deadly weeds that refuse to die . . . mutating into PPP form and threatening still to kill the bloom.
Grasshopper: Ok, let’s use “de-electrocatization” instead. 🙂 I see many trees sprouting here and there, although there seem to be a certain area where they have had a hard time to grow. A soil problem, maybe.
Nissara: It seems like this issue is growing, some interesting pictures of Jonathan Head and Thaksin on the Fah Diew Gan site now that seem to say it all.
I confess to once being at a dinner function and Bush and Thaksin were 10 metres away. Please nail to me the cross for my sins. No journalist should dare to interview a leader, it is just so unbecoming.
As a Thai I do find the words of both Jonathan and Jakrapob highly offensive and cannot forgive either of them. I have listened to a copy of the DVD from the FCCT and find such evil propaganda disgusting.
Which parts were offensive? Can we have a hint? Is the word murky offensive?
Jonathan and Jakrapob also talk about the illegal CDs upcountry that Chuan is now exposing in parliament.
Really, weren’t these the election CDs that Jonathan was referring to? Were they to do with Prem?
So the BBC is on the conspiracy (you do realize the BBC is funded by the British government, so it could be a New Labourite plot to take over Thailand)? Or is it just Jonathan Head?
Srithanonchai, isn’t the King a very good politician? Maybe Thailand has one big tree that creates a giant canopy and consequently prevents any other tree from sprouting…
This Refugees International blog is reminiscent of the December 2006 International Crisis Group report Myanmar: New Threats to Humanitarian Aid. Whereas the RI blog states “political solidarity groups prefer rather to rely on emotional appeals and misinformation about the operating environment for humanitarian organizations inside the country” the Crisis Group report states “some parliamentarians and advocacy groups abroad have stepped up efforts to restrict and micro-manage aid flows.” Both are limited insofar as they don’t include much input from local people regarding the aid processes which affect them. I recommend checking out the related Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) report Development by Decree: The politics of poverty and control in Karen State, which suggests “International assistance to development work inside Burma is surely needed to address the country’s deplorable humanitarian situation. However, the ethical argument for providing foreign aid is unsound where such assistance is harmful to the population it aims to benefit and undermines their own efforts to ameliorate their situation.“
Maybe the real context for the combo-ethnic minority outfit is the tiger-stripe bra she wears in the other photo. Both the tigers and the supposedly-unruly hill-tribes are from the wild outside of Thai society proper. The display is pleasantly ambiguous. It used to be the domain of men only, guys writing about hunting trips and hilltribe visits. In the 1990s, Sangkhit Janthanaphoti wrote several books, among them Saneh Sao Phukhao, The Charm of Mountain Girls, that deal with the ethnic outside as the realm of tough guy adventurers. The Thai beauty is perhaps signaling the end of an era for male privilege. But she is also playing with undervalued signifiers from “the top”; no actual ethnic minority person would get this kind of attention (or dress this way). This is an act, for sure, with no connection to the realities of ethnic minority peoples or poor farmers. Thai people can dress up for photos for the fun of it, and in Chiangmai during the 1990s the outfits seemed to be of two kinds; colorful hilltribes and classical royalty. Several studios in the north offer pre-modern royalty dresses for special-occasion photo shots. In the 1980s and ’90s, most of the westerner researchers had a soft spot for wearing mo-hom (the blue, collarless, peasant shirt) and sporting a (somewhat ethnic) shoulderbag. I was in that crowd, and rather than take a stab at the beauty queen I suggest that the rest of us have also looked quite funny on occasion.
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Lèse majesté and the BBC
Oh how Thais love our conspiracy theories. Wonderful is it not.
Royalist elite vs Thaksin’s loyalists
р╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╕Юр╕гр╕Чр╕┤р╕Юр╕вр╣Мр╕Др╕гр╕▒р╕Ъ р╣Др╕бр╣Ир╕Чр╕гр╕▓р╕Ър╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╣Ар╕Др╕вр╣Др╕Ыр╕Фр╕╣р╕Ър╕▒р╕ер╣Ар╕ер╕Хр╣Мр╕лр╕гр╕╖р╕нр╣Вр╕нр╣Ар╕Ыр╕гр╣Ир╕▓ р╕лр╕гр╕╖р╕нр╕нр╣Ир╕▓р╕Щр╕Щр╕зр╕Щр╕┤р╕вр╕▓р╕вр╣Ар╕Кр╣Ир╕Щр╕Фр╕нр╕Щ р╕Др╕┤р╣Вр╕ор╣Ар╕Х р╕зр╕гр╕гр╕Ур╕Бр╕гр╕гр╕бр╕нр╕вр╣Ир╕▓р╕Зр╣Ар╕Кр╣Зр╕Др╕кр╣Ар╕Ыр╕╡р╕вр╕гр╣М р╕Бр╕зр╕╡р╕нр╕вр╣Ир╕▓р╕Зр╣Вр╕ор╣Ар╕бр╕нр╕гр╣М р╕лр╕гр╕╖р╕нр╕Яр╕▒р╕Зр╣Ар╕Юр╕ер╕Зр╕Др╕ер╕▓р╕кр╕кр╕┤р╕Б (р╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕Юр╕гр╕░р╕Юр╕╡р╣Ир╕Щр╕▓р╕Зр╕п р╕Чр╕гр╕Зр╣Вр╕Ыр╕гр╕Фр╕Ыр╕гр╕▓р╕Щ) р╕Ър╣Йр╕▓р╕Зр╕лр╕гр╕╖р╕нр╣Ар╕Ыр╕ер╣Ир╕▓р╕Др╕гр╕▒р╕Ъ? р╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╣Ар╕Др╕вр╣Др╕Фр╣Йр╣Ар╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕вр╕зр╕Кр╕бр╕Юр╕гр╕░р╕гр╕▓р╕Кр╕зр╕▒р╕З р╣Вр╕Ър╕кр╕Цр╣М р╕кр╕Цр╕▓р╕Хр╕Ыр╕▒р╕Хр╕вр╕Бр╕гр╕гр╕бр╕кр╕зр╕вр╣Ж р╣Гр╕Щр╕вр╕╕р╣Вр╕гр╕Ыр╕лр╕гр╕╖р╕нр╣Др╕бр╣И? р╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╣Ар╕Др╕вр╣Др╕Фр╣Йр╕Яр╕▒р╕Зр╕Эр╕гр╕▒р╣Ир╕Зр╣Ар╕Вр╕▓р╕зр╕┤р╕Юр╕▓р╕Бр╕йр╣Мр╕Ыр╕гр╕▒р╕Кр╕Нр╕▓р╕лр╕гр╕╖р╕нр╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╣Ар╕бр╕╖р╕нр╕Зр╣Гр╕Щр╕бр╕лр╕▓р╕зр╕┤р╕Чр╕вр╕▓р╕ер╕▒р╕вр╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕бр╕╡р╕нр╕▓р╕вр╕╕р╣Ар╕Ыр╣Зр╕Щр╕Юр╕▒р╕Щр╕Ыр╕╡р╣Ар╕Кр╣Ир╕Щр╕нр╣Кр╕нр╕Бр╕Лр╣Мр╕Яр╕нр╕гр╣Мр╕Фр╕Бр╕▒р╕Ър╣Бр╕Др╕бр╕Ър╕гр╕┤р╕Фр╕Ир╣Мр╕бр╕▓р╕Бр╣Ир╕нр╕Щр╕лр╕гр╕╖р╕нр╣Ар╕Ыр╕ер╣Ир╕▓? р╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╣Ар╕Др╕вр╣Ар╕лр╣Зр╕Щр╕нр╕Щр╕╕р╕кр╕▓р╕зр╕гр╕╡р╕вр╣Мр╣Бр╕Фр╣Ир╕Ьр╕╣р╣Йр╕Бр╕ер╣Йр╕▓р╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╣Ар╕кр╕╡р╕вр╕кр╕ер╕░р╕Кр╕╡р╕Юр╣Ар╕Юр╕╖р╣Ир╕нр╕Ыр╕Бр╕Ыр╣Йр╕нр╕Зр╕нр╕╕р╕Фр╕бр╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕Ур╣Мр╕Вр╕нр╕Зр╣Ар╕Вр╕▓р╕лр╕гр╕╖р╕нр╣Др╕бр╣И? р╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╣Ар╕Др╕вр╣Др╕Ыр╕Юр╕┤р╕Юр╕┤р╕Шр╕ар╕▒р╕Ур╕Ср╣Мр╣Ар╕Юр╕╖р╣Ир╕нр╕Кр╕бр╕ир╕┤р╕ер╕Ыр╕░р╕Ир╕┤р╕Хр╕гр╕Бр╕гр╕гр╕бр╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕кр╕зр╕вр╕кр╕Фр╕Зр╕Фр╕Зр╕▓р╕бр╕Вр╕нр╕З р╕Фр╕▓ р╕зр╕┤р╕Щр╕Кр╕╡р╣И р╕бр╕┤р╣Ар╕Др╕ер╣Бр╕нр╣Зр╕Зр╣Ар╕Ир╣Вр╕е р╕лр╕гр╕╖р╕нр╣Ар╕Ыр╕ер╣Ир╕▓?
р╣Бр╕ер╣Йр╕зр╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╕бр╕╡р╕лр╕Щр╣Йр╕▓р╕нр╕░р╣Др╕гр╕бр╕▓р╕Ър╕нр╕Бр╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╕Эр╕гр╕▒р╣Ир╕Зр╣Др╕бр╣Ир╕бр╕╡р╕зр╕▒р╕Тр╕Щр╕Шр╕гр╕гр╕б? р╕кр╕┤р╣Ир╕Зр╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕Хр╕▒р╕зр╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╣Ар╕нр╕Зр╕Юр╕╣р╕Ф р╣Др╕Фр╣Йр╕Юр╕╣р╕Фр╕Фр╣Йр╕зр╕вр╕нр╕▓р╕гр╕бр╕Ур╣М р╣Др╕бр╣Ир╣Гр╕Кр╣Ир╕кр╕Хр╕┤ р╣Бр╕ер╕░р╕Чр╕│р╣Гр╕лр╣Йр╕ар╕▓р╕Юр╕ер╕▒р╕Бр╕йр╕Ур╣Мр╕Вр╕нр╕Зр╕Др╕Щр╣Др╕Чр╕вр╣Ар╕кр╕╡р╕вр╕лр╕▓р╕вр╕вр╕┤р╣Ир╕Зр╕Вр╕╢р╣Йр╕Щр╕нр╕╡р╕Б р╕Чр╕│р╣Гр╕лр╣Йр╣Ар╕Вр╕▓р╕Др╕┤р╕Фр╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╣Ар╕гр╕▓р╣Ар╕Ыр╣Зр╕Щр╕Др╕Щр╣Гр╕Ир╣Бр╕Др╕Ъ р╕Бр╕Ър╣Гр╕Щр╕Бр╕░р╕ер╕▓р╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╣Др╕бр╣Ир╕гр╕╣р╣Йр╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╣Вр╕ер╕Бр╕Бр╕зр╣Йр╕▓р╕Зр╣Ар╕Ыр╣Зр╕Щр╣Ар╕Кр╣Ир╕Щр╣Др╕г
р╕кр╣Ир╕зр╕Щр╕Ир╕▒р╕Бр╕гр╕ар╕Ю р╣Ар╕Вр╕▓р╕Ир╕░р╕Юр╕╣р╕Фр╕нр╕░р╣Др╕гр╕Бр╣Зр╣Ар╕гр╕╖р╣Ир╕нр╕Зр╕Вр╕нр╕Зр╣Ар╕Вр╕▓ р╣Ар╕гр╕╖р╣Ир╕нр╕Зр╕бр╕▒р╕Щр╣Др╕бр╣Ир╣Гр╕Кр╣Ир╣Ар╕гр╕╖р╣Ир╕нр╕Зр╣Гр╕Щр╕Ър╣Йр╕▓р╕Щ р╣Ар╕Юр╕гр╕▓р╕░р╕Ыр╕▒р╕Ир╕Ир╕╕р╕Ър╕▒р╕Щр╕Щр╕╡р╣Й р╕Др╕Щр╕Чр╕▒р╣Ир╕зр╣Вр╕ер╕Бр╕ер╣Йр╕зр╕Щр╕нр╕вр╕╣р╣Ир╣Гр╕Щр╣Вр╕ер╕Бр╣Ар╕Фр╕╡р╕вр╕зр╕Бр╕▒р╕Щр╕Чр╕▒р╣Йр╕Зр╕кр╕┤р╣Йр╕Щ р╣Ар╕Ыр╣Зр╕Щр╕Ър╣Йр╕▓р╕Щр╕лр╕ер╕▒р╕Зр╣Гр╕лр╕Нр╣Ир╕Вр╕нр╕Зр╕Др╕Щр╕Фр╣Йр╕зр╕вр╕Бр╕▒р╕Щ р╕нр╕вр╕▓р╕Бр╕Цр╕▓р╕бр╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╕Юр╕гр╕Чр╕┤р╕Юр╕вр╣Мр╣Ар╕Др╕вр╣Др╕Фр╣Йр╕Яр╕▒р╕Зр╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╕Ир╕▒р╕Бр╕гр╕ар╕Юр╕Юр╕╣р╕Фр╕Ир╕гр╕┤р╕Зр╣Ж р╕лр╕гр╕╖р╕нр╣Др╕бр╣И? р╕лр╕гр╕╖р╕нр╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╣Бр╕Др╣Ир╕нр╣Ир╕▓р╕Щр╕Др╕│р╣Бр╕Ыр╕ер╣Ар╕Юр╕╡р╣Йр╕вр╕Щр╣Ж р╕Вр╕нр╕Зр╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Хр╕│р╕гр╕зр╕Ир╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕вр╕╖р╣Ир╕Щр╕Яр╣Йр╕нр╕Зр╕Чр╕▒р╣Йр╕Зр╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╕Ир╕▒р╕Бр╕гр╕ар╕Юр╕Бр╕▒р╕Ър╕Щр╕▒р╕Бр╕Вр╣Ир╕▓р╕зр╕Ър╕╡р╕Ър╕╡р╕Лр╕╡? р╕Цр╣Йр╕▓р╕лр╕▓р╕Бр╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╣Др╕бр╣Ир╣Ар╕Др╕вр╣Др╕Фр╣Йр╕ер╕нр╕Зр╕нр╣Ир╕▓р╕Щр╕Фр╕╣ р╕Бр╕гр╕╕р╕Ур╕▓р╣Др╕Ыр╕лр╕▓р╕нр╣Ир╕▓р╕Щр╕Бр╣Ир╕нр╕Щр╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕Ир╕░р╕бр╕▓р╣Гр╕лр╣Йр╕Др╕зр╕▓р╕бр╣Ар╕лр╣Зр╕Щр╣Ар╕вр╕╡р╣Ир╕вр╕Зр╕Щр╕╡р╣Й
р╕Ир╕╢р╕Зр╣Ар╕гр╕╡р╕вр╕Щр╕бр╕▓р╣Ар╕Юр╕╖р╣Ир╕нр╕Чр╕гр╕▓р╕Ъ
Lèse majesté and the BBC
L.S.S.(#31), I think you missed the point of the reference to the Feast of Fools. It’s a situation of misrule, in which the people have license to satirise the monarchy, the church, & whatever other institutions are normally repressing them. No relation to Songkhran. Nothing like satire happens in this airhead festival.
And Teth, why is it “always interesting to bring up the British situation”? This is a discussion on lese majeste. Do you have some pearls of wisdom re. the Brits in relation to lese majeste?
One of my favourite Monty Python sketches (a cartoon) shows Princess Margaret, well-known to the world (largely through media reports) as a pisspot, as was her mother, at a coctail party. She stops the action by declaring loudly that she must go & ‘powder her nose’. She exits through a door, stage left. The other guests are then treated to the most disgustingly vulgar series of sound effects that have nothing whatever to do with putting powder on one’s nose, and everything to do with what we all know the euphemism stands for.
Monty Python’s Flying Circus was a comedy programme produced by the BBC, the British government’s broadcaster, from 1969 to 1974. Many readers of NM will know this. I mention it only because your constant references to the history & culture of other countries, in order to draw entirely erroneous analogies to Thailand shows only the most superficial knowledge of history. (reminds me of Terwiell’s analysis of Rama IV’s erudition – ” a kind of name-dropping.” This pretty well sums up Thai education today, as well – it comes from the fact that students can go all the way through an alleged academic degree programme without ever writing an essay, only doing multiple -choice exams.) U.K. is certainly not perfect, but it can surely, despite all of its outrageous & often hilarious mistakes, which are (as they should be) slammed viciously by the media (& parodied & satirised), & have been for a very long time, hundreds of years in some cases, stand up as THE leader in the pursuit of democracy & the demolition of bullshit. That it has been able to develop in this direction, although a monarchy, is one of the most fascinating studies of history, including & especially, the history of English literature.
Personally, I believe that Swift (18th century) created Thailand. He probably left it out of Gulliver’s Travels because of the dreaded LM law, and all the Dull-Ploddies who use it. It wouldn’t have been a witty or intelligent court case. Very boring. Slow-learners, really.
Lèse majesté and the BBC
Interesting interview at Prachatai with the Thai man charged with lese majeste for not standing in movie theatre.
http://www.prachatai.com/english/news.php?id=607
Royalist elite vs Thaksin’s loyalists
р╕бр╕╡р╣Ар╕Ир╕Хр╕Щр╕▓р╕нр╕░р╣Др╕г р╕нр╕╡р╣Ар╕Юр╣Зр╕Н р╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╕Др╕╖р╕нр╕Др╕Щр╣Др╕Чр╕вр╣Др╕лр╕б р╣Ар╕гр╕╖р╣Ир╕нр╕Зр╣Гр╕Щр╕Ър╣Йр╕▓р╕Щ р╕вр╕▒р╕Зр╣Ар╕нр╕▓р╕бр╕▓р╕Вр╕▓р╕вр╣Гр╕лр╣Йр╕Хр╣Ир╕▓р╕Зр╕Кр╕▓р╕Хр╕┤р╣Ар╕Вр╕▓р╕кр╕бр╕Щр╣Йр╕│р╕лр╕Щр╣Йр╕▓р╕нр╕╡р╕Б р╕нр╕╖р╕бр╕бр╕бя╗┐ р╣Бр╕вр╣Ир╕Ир╕гр╕┤р╕З р╣Ж
р╕нр╕╡ р╣Бр╕В р╕бр╕╡р╣Бр╕Хр╣Ир╕Др╕Щр╕лр╕бр╕▓р╣Ж р╕нр╕вр╣Ир╕▓р╕Зр╣Бр╕Б р╕нр╕╡р╕Др╕зр╕▓р╕в р╕нр╕╡р╣Ар╕Ыр╕гр╕Х….
..р╕нр╕╡р╕Юр╕зр╕Бр╕Ър╣Йр╕▓р╕Эр╕гр╕▒р╣Ир╕З р╕нр╕╡р╕Др╕Щр╕Цр╣Ир╕нр╕в…
р╕Бр╣Зр╕бр╕╡р╣Бр╕Хр╣Ир╣Бр╕Бр╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╣Вр╕Зр╣Ир╣Гр╕лр╣Йр╕Эр╕гр╕▒р╣Ир╕Зр╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╣Др╕бр╣Ир╕бр╕╡р╕зр╕▒р╕Тр╕Щр╕Шр╕гр╕гр╕бр╕бр╕▓р╕Фр╕╢р╕Зр╕Ир╕бр╕╣р╕Б р╕Вр╕▓р╕вр╣Др╕Фр╣Йр╣Бр╕бр╣Йр╕Бр╕гр╕░р╕Чр╕▒р╣Ир╕Зр╕Кр╕▓р╕Хр╕┤р╕Ър╣Йр╕▓р╕Щр╣Ар╕бр╕╖р╕нр╕З
Making merit
Dear Arjarn Andrew,
A very heart warming gesture to see indeed! That I have to comment.
Something like ‘hope’ not ‘fear’ to me.
May a lot of ‘boon’ be with you and your family.
Regards,
beth
Lèse majesté and the BBC
Oh Maleewan, you miss the nuances of the post and its irony.
Royalist elite vs Thaksin’s loyalists
I recalled posting a response on why the Dems qualify as a dog lover’s best friend?? It was something about the Dems not having sat on their asses to clean up the 1997 financial crisis mess left by PM Chavlit and his Deputy PM Thaksin at that time . . .
But dog lovers do easily succumb to the charm of eloquent self-seeking charlatans posing as democracy champions and defenders of the poor . .
Ringbarking a government
I can’t afford sports drink to give my craving plants. These days I can’t even afford to buy enough rice to feed my hungry wife . . . nor afford to pay for benzine for my aging car.
But I’l try to scrounge some cash to see me some cult movie and maybe I’ll forget how miserable a plant’s life can be . . . while weeds and Thaksin and Samak and those self-seeking PPP politicians try their best to change the Thai charter that will stop me from being hungry.
Ringbarking a government
Jeru, the canopy prevents serious weeds from sprouting throughout the undergrowth. However, a noxious weed that does manage to pervade the ecosystem and contributes considerable damage is ‘Morrenia odorata’ (or р╕кр╕╕р╕гр╕вр╕╕р╕Чр╕Шр╣М р╕Ир╕╕р╕ер╕▓р╕Щр╕Щр╕Чр╣М) which is a strangler vine. It’s privy enough to get close to the main trunk of the tree which supports the canopy, and uses this tree for food and nutrients whilst ironically killing the tree. The main tree does not have any defense against this and eventually the killer vine grows more and more powerful, drawing all the nutrient power and eventually even sunlight that the tree would otherwise have gotten. Soon the tree will be killed and the canopy will collapse leaving many more weeds to sprout with all the available sunlight and the canopies composting foliage.
My position constantly changes on the ecosystem, so really I have no opinion, but I do wonder what you all think.
Ringbarking a government
Presumably Jairan was talking about those party executives who broke election laws (whilst knowing that strict rules that were in place).
Or was he talking about those other party executives who ignored (aided & abetted?) the electoral law violators on the presumption that they could simply amend the rules later to avoid the hash penalties that were originally put in place (as a deterrent).
Yes, both are ringbarkers who weaken not only the government tree, but also the whole political & democracy tree.
Lèse majesté and the BBC
So Pundit says it is a plan to attack Thailand – interesting,
I would love to learn more about this,
I heard Tesco are now suing Thai newspapers and academics, does this have anything to do with it?
probably a coincidence.
Ringbarking a government
re: Jeru
When it comes to gardening, Jeru, methinks you have much in common with the hapless citizens of the future, depicted in the cult movie classic Idiocracy, who water their crops with a sports drink because they believe it’s got what plants crave!
Ringbarking a government
I went to Teves recently to get me new plants for my garden. I complained to Khun Jaroon who sells me all I needed for my garden that there were some really nasty weeds that no matter how much week-killers I employed just won’t die.
Khun Jaroon just smiled and agreed and said – – Thailand’s democracy is so much like a garden failing because of too many powerful weeds suffocating the bloom.
Banharn’s Chart Thai party and that new kid on the block Matchimathipattai are “suspected weeds” still. But Thaksin’s TRT were definitely deadly weeds that refuse to die . . . mutating into PPP form and threatening still to kill the bloom.
Ringbarking a government
Grasshopper: Ok, let’s use “de-electrocatization” instead. 🙂 I see many trees sprouting here and there, although there seem to be a certain area where they have had a hard time to grow. A soil problem, maybe.
Lèse majesté and the BBC
Nissara: It seems like this issue is growing, some interesting pictures of Jonathan Head and Thaksin on the Fah Diew Gan site now that seem to say it all.
I confess to once being at a dinner function and Bush and Thaksin were 10 metres away. Please nail to me the cross for my sins. No journalist should dare to interview a leader, it is just so unbecoming.
As a Thai I do find the words of both Jonathan and Jakrapob highly offensive and cannot forgive either of them. I have listened to a copy of the DVD from the FCCT and find such evil propaganda disgusting.
Which parts were offensive? Can we have a hint? Is the word murky offensive?
Jonathan and Jakrapob also talk about the illegal CDs upcountry that Chuan is now exposing in parliament.
Really, weren’t these the election CDs that Jonathan was referring to? Were they to do with Prem?
So the BBC is on the conspiracy (you do realize the BBC is funded by the British government, so it could be a New Labourite plot to take over Thailand)? Or is it just Jonathan Head?
Ringbarking a government
Srithanonchai, isn’t the King a very good politician? Maybe Thailand has one big tree that creates a giant canopy and consequently prevents any other tree from sprouting…
Ringbarking a government
Does the metaphor mean that Thailand is in for a “de-politicianed” system of government?
Politics, aid, Burma and “solidarity”
This Refugees International blog is reminiscent of the December 2006 International Crisis Group report Myanmar: New Threats to Humanitarian Aid. Whereas the RI blog states “political solidarity groups prefer rather to rely on emotional appeals and misinformation about the operating environment for humanitarian organizations inside the country” the Crisis Group report states “some parliamentarians and advocacy groups abroad have stepped up efforts to restrict and micro-manage aid flows.” Both are limited insofar as they don’t include much input from local people regarding the aid processes which affect them. I recommend checking out the related Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG) report Development by Decree: The politics of poverty and control in Karen State, which suggests “International assistance to development work inside Burma is surely needed to address the country’s deplorable humanitarian situation. However, the ethical argument for providing foreign aid is unsound where such assistance is harmful to the population it aims to benefit and undermines their own efforts to ameliorate their situation.“
Spot the Thai national dress
Maybe the real context for the combo-ethnic minority outfit is the tiger-stripe bra she wears in the other photo. Both the tigers and the supposedly-unruly hill-tribes are from the wild outside of Thai society proper. The display is pleasantly ambiguous. It used to be the domain of men only, guys writing about hunting trips and hilltribe visits. In the 1990s, Sangkhit Janthanaphoti wrote several books, among them Saneh Sao Phukhao, The Charm of Mountain Girls, that deal with the ethnic outside as the realm of tough guy adventurers. The Thai beauty is perhaps signaling the end of an era for male privilege. But she is also playing with undervalued signifiers from “the top”; no actual ethnic minority person would get this kind of attention (or dress this way). This is an act, for sure, with no connection to the realities of ethnic minority peoples or poor farmers. Thai people can dress up for photos for the fun of it, and in Chiangmai during the 1990s the outfits seemed to be of two kinds; colorful hilltribes and classical royalty. Several studios in the north offer pre-modern royalty dresses for special-occasion photo shots. In the 1980s and ’90s, most of the westerner researchers had a soft spot for wearing mo-hom (the blue, collarless, peasant shirt) and sporting a (somewhat ethnic) shoulderbag. I was in that crowd, and rather than take a stab at the beauty queen I suggest that the rest of us have also looked quite funny on occasion.