Republican you are ranting! Who is your genius Republican – Andrew Walker I presume?
That is the problem with spiteful people who do not watch or read the relevant news. They make up their minds on superficial knowledge, then they just make it up period. Anyone who would mistake those clearly clean-faced well-dressed millions of Thais who lined up to cheer their King for the Red Guards must either be blind or just plainly malicious.
But that was just the middle-class Republican. If you review many other TV coverage of the Thai King, you would even be more amazed at the sincere affection shown by even more and more millions of villagers and the poor for their King. Oh – I forgot you are repelled by Thai TV!
You try to draw people to your malicious websites. Futile man! Futile.
As someone who has visited Laos as a tourist, the fact that the alleged Hmong massacre took place near Vang Vieng really shocks me. I was in Vang Vieng only a week before it is said to have occurred – I would not have believed at the time that there was any kind of military activity nearby, and I cannot believe that it has taken me half a year to even hear about this event.
I almost laugh myself out of my chair with that title.
Other country follow Thailand as role model, wander should we be proud? Sufficient and moral-lead Fiji coming soon. If this is not a wake up call, well…
A hard act to follow? We certainly hope no-one will follow his acts. By the way, I had to laugh when the King rambled on as usual about his water control projects in his speech the other night. 60 years of trying and he still can’t prevent Bangkok from flooding! And in Thailand they praise him as a genius?! Abolish lese majeste and find out the real truth behind the monarchy.
No different to the millions of Chinese Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution, or the poor North Koreans, blindly following their authoritarian leader because of all the propaganda and media control, crying out their leader’s idiot slogans.
No I don’t watch the TV. Why? That’s the medium that the royalists have most control over. What the pictures of those millions of faces tells us is the success of the royalists’ propaganda, and the lese majeste law. Why keep this law, if the king is so popular? Obviously they are terrified of criticism, and rightly so.
Talking about websites, can you imagine this topic ever being talked about on TV: р╕кр╕Цр╕▓р╕Ър╕▒р╕Щр╕Бр╕йр╕▒р╕Хр╕гр╕┤р╕вр╣Мр╕кр╣Ир╕Зр╣Ар╕кр╕гр╕┤р╕бvsр╣Ар╕Ыр╣Зр╕Щр╕нр╕╕р╕Ыр╕кр╕гр╕гр╕Др╕Бр╕▒р╕Ър╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╕Кр╕▓р╕Шр╕┤р╕Ыр╣Др╕Хр╕в? Now, check it out this website: http://www.prachatai.com/05web/th/board/showboard.php?QID=42192&TID=6
As the King said in his speech last year, “the King can do wrong”. We must believe what the King says.
Republican why look at websites? Don’t you watch the TV?
Those millions of yellow shirts, all clean-looking middle class faces were all cheering the Thai King: Long Live the King! on his 79th birthday tells the whole story of the Thai people’s deep affection for their King.
But King Bhumibhol we have to accept is a hard act to follow and the monarchy would really find it difficult to stay relevant after King Bhumibhol.
Surely you jest Frustrated to even suggest that Thaksin deserves another run to govern?
Thaksin, among other things, was an extrajudicial mass murderer. His family evaded taxes and is embroiled on other corruption allegations. Thaksin was a conflicted dishonest ruler .. .
I think we are all bored with the authoritarian royalist politics of the last 50 years. Thankfully it is coming to an end. The royalists seem to be the only ones that can’t see it. If they took a peek outside their palaces to view the rest of the world they might be shocked. Or, if they knew how they could simply check out some of the Thai websites where there is amazing criticism of the royalist regime now.
When I look at all these septagenarian and octogenarian royalist medelling in Thai politics it reminds me of Chuchok: old people who can not control their “kilet”, using tricks and violence to oppress the young. Remember what happened to Chuchok.
“those silly villagers seem to have the crazy idea that “democracy is equivalent to elections”
This is indeed a crazy idea. How about we had an election where 51% of the people decided that it was perfectly OK to throw rocks at Andrew Walker. Are you comforable with that democratic outcome, Mr. Walker? I’m not.
Democracy is NOT equivalent to elections. Democracy is about “self-rule” and it applies in two sometimes contradictiory spheres – the individual and the group. The group sphere of self-rule has an electoral component, yet even here it is not absolute. Most nominal democracies are not run through elections alone; can you name any state run exclusively through universal suffrage referenda? Since that is not practical, we use republican systems of representation.
At the individual level, self-rule is embedded in individual civil rights, as without that the notion of democracy is meaningless. Civil rights and electoral outcomes often clash, just as electoral outcomes in smaller vs larger groups can often clash, as with separatist movements with strong local support but little national support.
Jingoistic comments about silly villagers may make you feel smart, Mr. Walker, but it hardly adds to serious discussion.
Following the previous comment, I found three days ago an article in the Bangkok Post indicating that rubber prices underwent a dramatic drop these last few months in Thailand from over 100 baht to just 40 baht per kilo. The article indicates that “factors which has caused prices to plummet include unfair prices charged by middlemen, lower demand and excess supply in both domestic and international markets. Key rubber buying sectors in China, Japan and the US have reduced orders due to high stocks with rubber productionup on previous years”.
Maybe this drop will have fewer consequences in Laos due to lower prices and production costs compared to Thailand ?…Or maybe this will be a new example of how highly risky development policy focusing on intensive cash crops development can bring more harm than goods for the local farmers ?…
All kings need some form of higher power or enitity to legitimize their power. So I’m not suprise that the LPDR are using past Lao kings. But in doing so they are reviving back Laos royal past. Like buddhaism, the monarchy is very much rooted in lao culture. By building these statues their (lpdr) inviting all the things they fought against during the war back. At the same time, I’m sure the LPDR knows that if they want to perserve lao cutlure before it is engulf by the Thai orbit. Certain things from the past and ideology that goes agianst communism must be brought back.
[…] For some news related to my posts earlier in the year about the┬ Rohingya claiming asylum in Australia who were sent to Nauru, reports have come through that a boat has arrived in southern Thailand’s Phang Nga province carrying 114 Rohingya “looking for work”.┬ […]
Just like Vichai said that he has no choice. The people of Chiangrai as well as the rest of Thailand have no other choice better than Thaksin and his party. They considered that having the right to vote (get paid or not) is better than living under martial law and waiting for guns and tanks supported charity work. I don’t think people of Chiangrai or anywhere else in Thailand are less educated at least politically educated than people of Bangkok who support the coup. People supports of coup because they think that coup can serve them or their interest will be looked after, people who support Thaksin did that and still do for the similar reasons. I don’t think people of Chiangrai or the rest of Thailand or anywhere else on earth would expect holy or saintly acts all the times from their elected leaders as long as their major interests are served.
Australia was one of the few countries in the world that condemned the Thai coup, along with NZ and Denmark. See here for a more comprehensive list of responses.
The US and UK were “concerned” and wanted a peaceful resolution, but had nothing to say about the constitutional process. China, of course, said it was a local matter.
I agree that the Minister’s statements show something of his attempts to pick winners. He has to be practical, and I take Pundit’s point that the Fiji coup could still be “reversed”. There seemed no such possibility on September 20 in Bangkok.
Many of the points raised here are interesting for other reasons. There is much left to discuss.
I would have preferred that Thaksin resigned, but he kept giving mixed signals and eventually seemed determined to remain (probably as the best way for him to quash scrutiny and protect all the dodgy deals)
On the consitution, I dont like the idea of starting again and would prefer to use the 1997 constitution as the starting point.
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“Politics is boring”
What truth about the monarchy Republican? Now you can not be another Andrew Walker trying to promote Paul Handly’s book . . or are you?
New species of military democracy discovered in the Pacific!
I thought the most unusual Democracy specie was Thaksin’s version which no one in Thailand understood except Thaksin, Fall and Andrew Walker.
“Politics is boring”
Republican you are ranting! Who is your genius Republican – Andrew Walker I presume?
That is the problem with spiteful people who do not watch or read the relevant news. They make up their minds on superficial knowledge, then they just make it up period. Anyone who would mistake those clearly clean-faced well-dressed millions of Thais who lined up to cheer their King for the Red Guards must either be blind or just plainly malicious.
But that was just the middle-class Republican. If you review many other TV coverage of the Thai King, you would even be more amazed at the sincere affection shown by even more and more millions of villagers and the poor for their King. Oh – I forgot you are repelled by Thai TV!
You try to draw people to your malicious websites. Futile man! Futile.
Mistreatment of Hmong refugees
As someone who has visited Laos as a tourist, the fact that the alleged Hmong massacre took place near Vang Vieng really shocks me. I was in Vang Vieng only a week before it is said to have occurred – I would not have believed at the time that there was any kind of military activity nearby, and I cannot believe that it has taken me half a year to even hear about this event.
New species of military democracy discovered in the Pacific!
I almost laugh myself out of my chair with that title.
Other country follow Thailand as role model, wander should we be proud? Sufficient and moral-lead Fiji coming soon. If this is not a wake up call, well…
“Politics is boring”
A hard act to follow? We certainly hope no-one will follow his acts. By the way, I had to laugh when the King rambled on as usual about his water control projects in his speech the other night. 60 years of trying and he still can’t prevent Bangkok from flooding! And in Thailand they praise him as a genius?! Abolish lese majeste and find out the real truth behind the monarchy.
“Politics is boring”
No different to the millions of Chinese Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution, or the poor North Koreans, blindly following their authoritarian leader because of all the propaganda and media control, crying out their leader’s idiot slogans.
No I don’t watch the TV. Why? That’s the medium that the royalists have most control over. What the pictures of those millions of faces tells us is the success of the royalists’ propaganda, and the lese majeste law. Why keep this law, if the king is so popular? Obviously they are terrified of criticism, and rightly so.
Talking about websites, can you imagine this topic ever being talked about on TV: р╕кр╕Цр╕▓р╕Ър╕▒р╕Щр╕Бр╕йр╕▒р╕Хр╕гр╕┤р╕вр╣Мр╕кр╣Ир╕Зр╣Ар╕кр╕гр╕┤р╕бvsр╣Ар╕Ыр╣Зр╕Щр╕нр╕╕р╕Ыр╕кр╕гр╕гр╕Др╕Бр╕▒р╕Ър╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╕Кр╕▓р╕Шр╕┤р╕Ыр╣Др╕Хр╕в? Now, check it out this website: http://www.prachatai.com/05web/th/board/showboard.php?QID=42192&TID=6
As the King said in his speech last year, “the King can do wrong”. We must believe what the King says.
“Politics is boring”
Republican why look at websites? Don’t you watch the TV?
Those millions of yellow shirts, all clean-looking middle class faces were all cheering the Thai King: Long Live the King! on his 79th birthday tells the whole story of the Thai people’s deep affection for their King.
But King Bhumibhol we have to accept is a hard act to follow and the monarchy would really find it difficult to stay relevant after King Bhumibhol.
I admit, I am a “free-spirited bookish-type” person
Surely you jest Frustrated to even suggest that Thaksin deserves another run to govern?
Thaksin, among other things, was an extrajudicial mass murderer. His family evaded taxes and is embroiled on other corruption allegations. Thaksin was a conflicted dishonest ruler .. .
Preposterous!
“Politics is boring”
I think we are all bored with the authoritarian royalist politics of the last 50 years. Thankfully it is coming to an end. The royalists seem to be the only ones that can’t see it. If they took a peek outside their palaces to view the rest of the world they might be shocked. Or, if they knew how they could simply check out some of the Thai websites where there is amazing criticism of the royalist regime now.
When I look at all these septagenarian and octogenarian royalist medelling in Thai politics it reminds me of Chuchok: old people who can not control their “kilet”, using tricks and violence to oppress the young. Remember what happened to Chuchok.
Democracy-lite
“those silly villagers seem to have the crazy idea that “democracy is equivalent to elections”
This is indeed a crazy idea. How about we had an election where 51% of the people decided that it was perfectly OK to throw rocks at Andrew Walker. Are you comforable with that democratic outcome, Mr. Walker? I’m not.
Democracy is NOT equivalent to elections. Democracy is about “self-rule” and it applies in two sometimes contradictiory spheres – the individual and the group. The group sphere of self-rule has an electoral component, yet even here it is not absolute. Most nominal democracies are not run through elections alone; can you name any state run exclusively through universal suffrage referenda? Since that is not practical, we use republican systems of representation.
At the individual level, self-rule is embedded in individual civil rights, as without that the notion of democracy is meaningless. Civil rights and electoral outcomes often clash, just as electoral outcomes in smaller vs larger groups can often clash, as with separatist movements with strong local support but little national support.
Jingoistic comments about silly villagers may make you feel smart, Mr. Walker, but it hardly adds to serious discussion.
HPBoothe
I admit, I am a “free-spirited bookish-type” person
I dont expect ‘holy or saintly’ acts from elected leaders – I will settle for honesty and integrity.
Borders of rubber
Following the previous comment, I found three days ago an article in the Bangkok Post indicating that rubber prices underwent a dramatic drop these last few months in Thailand from over 100 baht to just 40 baht per kilo. The article indicates that “factors which has caused prices to plummet include unfair prices charged by middlemen, lower demand and excess supply in both domestic and international markets. Key rubber buying sectors in China, Japan and the US have reduced orders due to high stocks with rubber productionup on previous years”.
Maybe this drop will have fewer consequences in Laos due to lower prices and production costs compared to Thailand ?…Or maybe this will be a new example of how highly risky development policy focusing on intensive cash crops development can bring more harm than goods for the local farmers ?…
No coup for you
Australia also contributed to the coalition of the willing to invaded Iraq under the premise of WMDs.
Australia companies had contracts in the Oil for Food scheme with Iraq, as seen in a recent law suit.
Of princes and patriots
All kings need some form of higher power or enitity to legitimize their power. So I’m not suprise that the LPDR are using past Lao kings. But in doing so they are reviving back Laos royal past. Like buddhaism, the monarchy is very much rooted in lao culture. By building these statues their (lpdr) inviting all the things they fought against during the war back. At the same time, I’m sure the LPDR knows that if they want to perserve lao cutlure before it is engulf by the Thai orbit. Certain things from the past and ideology that goes agianst communism must be brought back.
Rohingyas on Nauru, part III
[…] For some news related to my posts earlier in the year about the┬ Rohingya claiming asylum in Australia who were sent to Nauru, reports have come through that a boat has arrived in southern Thailand’s Phang Nga province carrying 114 Rohingya “looking for work”.┬ […]
I admit, I am a “free-spirited bookish-type” person
To nganadeeleg,
Just like Vichai said that he has no choice. The people of Chiangrai as well as the rest of Thailand have no other choice better than Thaksin and his party. They considered that having the right to vote (get paid or not) is better than living under martial law and waiting for guns and tanks supported charity work. I don’t think people of Chiangrai or anywhere else in Thailand are less educated at least politically educated than people of Bangkok who support the coup. People supports of coup because they think that coup can serve them or their interest will be looked after, people who support Thaksin did that and still do for the similar reasons. I don’t think people of Chiangrai or the rest of Thailand or anywhere else on earth would expect holy or saintly acts all the times from their elected leaders as long as their major interests are served.
No coup for you
Australia was one of the few countries in the world that condemned the Thai coup, along with NZ and Denmark. See here for a more comprehensive list of responses.
The US and UK were “concerned” and wanted a peaceful resolution, but had nothing to say about the constitutional process. China, of course, said it was a local matter.
No coup for you
Thanks everyone,
I agree that the Minister’s statements show something of his attempts to pick winners. He has to be practical, and I take Pundit’s point that the Fiji coup could still be “reversed”. There seemed no such possibility on September 20 in Bangkok.
Many of the points raised here are interesting for other reasons. There is much left to discuss.
Thanks for your comments.
NSF
Prawase Wasi’s sufficiency democracy
To polo: Time will tell.
I would have preferred that Thaksin resigned, but he kept giving mixed signals and eventually seemed determined to remain (probably as the best way for him to quash scrutiny and protect all the dodgy deals)
On the consitution, I dont like the idea of starting again and would prefer to use the 1997 constitution as the starting point.