‘Democracy’, which is not practiced in the USA:
Jimmy Carter: US “has no functioning democracy” – Salon.com
BBC News – Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy
The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act upheld by the US Supreme Court a year ago now permits the US military to invade our homes without warrant, arrest us without charges, and imprison us indefinitely without trial, legal representation or due process.
CNN Poll: Trust in government at all-time low
Princeton Study: U.S. No Longer An Actual Democracy
Why on earth foist ‘democracy’ on a developing country like Thailand? Democracy has never helped a country develop. In fact, it’s been a terrible hindrance, as we see in India.
Give up this silly sloganeering and start looking to places like, say, Singapore or China, for a developmental model that suits Thailand’s culture and stage of evolution.
Sam Browning, this is for those who want to see Thailand coming out of the quagmire. Problem with a conflict is that both sides think they are winning and any talk of some compromise is dubbed as “Naive”. If we exclude the bunch of old hats currently determining the destiny of the country it is possible to see a solution. Most of the Bangkok middle class who supported this regime are definitely tired of the regime and they need a honorable way out. Masses who want democracy are also ready to wait till they get something which is good for the country. If someone thinks that things will automatically fall in place and Thailand will overcome the problems quickly I consider that as naive. What is the problem in considering options to prevent Thailand joining the league of Burma?
The population of Australia has also changed quite substantially over the last 500 years (and no one knows what will happen in the next 500). Humans do move around this planet and often kill each other for “Lebensraum” and because of racial/religious prejudices. History is full of such examples. The question is: do we continue behaving like this or do we try to share this planet earth fairly and peacefully in a sustainable rational manner without greedily destroying the fragile ecosystem (sometimes I feel like I’m ready for Mars!)
You are right about Cartalucci, Nick. I just (tried, could go through all of them) his crazed rantings about some imaginary conspiracy.
He seems to have some kind of personal vendetta against an imaginary Nick Nostitz and his secret army.
Following is the translated extract from an old Myawaddy Magazine published in 1980.
“Back then in 1942 the large village of Ah-le-than-kyaw, now the biggest Rohingya village with a large UNHCR supply depot and their area-HQ, was the main Buddhist village with a small police station.
On that day in May 1942 twenty thousand armed-Bengali-Muslims raided the Ah-le-than-kyaw police station and brutally killed all the policemen who surrendered and then all the Yakhine men from the villages.
The blood-thirsty Bengali-Muslims then burned down the village monastery together with more than 500 Buddhist women, children, elders, young Buddhist novices, and the Buddhist monks taking refuge inside the main monastery building. All 500 odd Buddhists inside were burned alive that day by the Bengali-Muslims who want their village and their fertile land and their fishing ground for good. The same fate had fallen also on the nearby village of Tart-htone-byin.
Basically none of the hundreds of thousands of Yakhin-Buddhist living in the villages at the South of Maungdaw Town escaped the warlike wholesale slaughter. Not even a single mongrel dog escaped the slaughter let alone a human being. And all their properties and lands taken by the newcomers from the Islamic-land now called Bangladesh.”
Sad to note that in a nominally buddhist society the concept of “enlightened” self interest has yet to take root. Presumably because the state still operates under a not so subliminal Brahmin theocracy?
I wanna know how government treat if they catch illegal entering to their country? (Any country Europe or Asia) I believe they put in jail and even stroke in Singapore.
Why so special about Rohingyas whether they come from Myanmar or Bangladesh?
Does international human rights care for origin people’s human right scenario?
@Marayu, Yes, it is hypocritical of the elite and their supporters to speak of racism and colonialism as soon as they receive criticism. The anti-colonial rhetoric, the idea that the international communities push for democracy and human rights is an act of neo-colonialism, is practically only used by those that support authoritarian governments, and believe in limitations on freedom of speech and democracy. They tend to ignore the fact that there are large groups of people within their country that are fighting for democracy and political reforms. In their narrative, democracy, freedom of speech and human rights are foreign concepts that are imposed on Asia by outsiders. The argument is used by the conservatives to legitimize various forms of human rights abuse and state-sponsored violence.
@Jake, I think the refugee situation in Southeast Asia and Europe is very different. In terms of cultural differences, Thailand already has a large Muslim population, and the Rohingya have lived in an area that is culturally not that much different from Thailand. Therefore, I believe the “integration issue” might not really be a problem. The situation in countries like Norway or the United States is naturally very different. Why do you think the Rohingya would become terrorists? Is it because they are Muslim? I haven’t come across any reasonable arguments to why the Rohingya should be viewed as a threat to Thailand.
You’re right. A lot of refugees from places like Burma have a hard time adapting to the “local culture” in places like Bergen, Norway or Fort Wayne, Indiana, etc. (I don’t know how well they adapt to Australia). UNHCR should stop “displacing” asylum seekers (many of them fake) to far away places where the culture is so different, LOL
Donald Trump is saying the same thing about all these “illegal” Mexican immigrants in the US, but pretty soon Latinos will form the majority in California!
Credit is due to Mr Talcoth for indicating the social media as a factor as well as human trafficking, for present quagmire.
Hopefully your next article will examine the contribution of the Kalar in Yakhine not as victims but as co conspirator albeit in a minor way, as well as more indepth look at human trafficking.
The camps b/t Myanmar and Malaysia require considerable effort, from the traffickers and trafficked.
Considering the distance b/t the camps and Upper west Yakhine which almost all claimed they are from.
Truthfulness of placing blames where due:
1) The glaring truth of truth of “Bangladesh” “Malaysia” responsibility must also be made clear.
2) The original of all sins, the colonization and unmitigated promotion of Indian must be made known and emphasized.
Last of all but the most important is the possible solutions, to begin solving this quagmire.
As example, instead of re litigating the now western inspired useless careless “Legitimacy of ROhingya” issues research and BOLDLY advocate for statue to have the stateless have a status with stipulations, backed by the west and all others (EU, USA and OAS) economic power.
Hopefully this will help present untenable situations. toward a better objective other than throwing good money toward the bad, the NGO (UN HRW included) that benefit from status quo.
So Europe has got its Muslims fleeing Libya and other North African countries and Thailand/Malaysia has got its Rohingya Muslims doing the same.
Like Europe, Thailand does not want these people because they are of a different culture and a culture that does not wish to integrate into the host environment.
They may not be terrorists today but you can bet the farm that once they have their feet through the door, the jihadists will be converting them to terrorism. Lot’s of fertile experience to work on.
If they want to leave Burma then the Rohingya should be heading north not south. Back to their roots in Bengal.
Thailand’s stance, as much as I loathe the Junta, is the correct one.
I agree with R.N. England that the ‘regime’ is indeed posting on this site. Prayuth knows about this site, he hates it, and to some degree even fears it I suspect.
Now her’s the thing: He dares not act to close the ‘Falang’ site or otherwise deny the public access to it.
Actually it wouldn’t surprise me is F, G and XX are just such Prayuth goons.
Unfortunately there isn’t much to trace in terms of my financials and funding. The claims that i have some sort of shady financial backers are simply insane. I wish i would have some sort of financial backing. But i don’t. I just do what i love to do – and that is to take pictures and to write about what i am interested in – that is here in Thailand street politics of the color coded conflict, and, in a more creative style of photography – Bangkok’s fascinating nights. I was never very talented in making money.
But for the sake of transparency: late 80’s to early 90’s i was a backpacker (or ‘Traveler’ – how we called ourselves back then). When i started here in Bangkok i made most of my money as a model ( i wasn’t always fat 😉 ). From the mid 90’s until the early 2000’s i made a somewhat OK living as a photojournalist and occasional writer, mostly doing reportage assignments and corporate jobs all over Asia.
When the business changed – less magazines with space for large photo spreads – my financial situation turned for the worse. To my shame, my father had to help me more and more. This got then only compounded when my once very wealthy family lost everything due to a very bad investment.
When my father died in late 2011, i inherited a small sum, from which i lived on until recently, when it ran out as the adoption of our son had massive delays, and due to the attacks and the hate campaign of the PDRC and the Democrat Party i could only do a fraction of the assignments i could otherwise do. This then forced me to ask for donations in late 2014, which went unexpectedly well, giving me some financial breathing space, and we hope that we get the adoption soon so we can move to Germany to start a new life, hopefully financially a bit more successful.
I live here with my family in a small wooden house (no aircon) in a normal Thai neighborhood, my furniture is semi-antique teak furniture i bought over the years cheaply in street markets and restored myself (i like wood working), i ride an old two stroke motorcycle (no beamer hidden in the backyard, i am afraid), my son goes to a normal Thai private school (nothing fancy). No holidays in the Maledives (i don’t even remember my last holidays), last time i was in Europe is almost 3 years ago.
Anybody who knows me can confirm everything i have stated here. But of course, that won’t put the idiotic rumors to rest that i am corrupt, somewhat financed by i don’t know who. It’s just so much more sexy to libel and discredit an opponent instead of factually debating the issues.
Why is it that whenever i have a public talk, such as during my book openings or recently, at my exhibition of the FCCT, none of these idiots appear to confront me with their accusations in public and in a moderated space, and instead only engage in snide attacks and rumor mongering in cyberspace?
So, briefly stated – you are an idiot if you think that i am financed and involved in some sort of non-existent conspiracy to destabilize Thailand.
BTW, any and all of you can google the facts and connections between Phrachathai, ANU/New Mandala with NED. Easily done, that is unless you’d rather keep your collective heads in the sands of liberal (or is that socialistic) democratic outrage. And I’ll bet that there may be people who are tracings the financials of Baron Nick to see where he receives and funding.
Like I said let’s pile it on, as though ‘majority’ of NMites actually make your half-truths true.
It’s true I’m not good at “argumentation” and prevarications as Nick and other posters are. Your attempts to influence the public’s sentiments falls flat because you all are emotionally and culturally biased. Balance reporting is not de riguer. Since as I said: NM commentators and guest (and in the case of Rose’s “ghost writers and collaborators) shoehorn idden agandas into someting resembling that of academia (and fair, responsible, and balanced journalism) to lend legitimacy.
I would say the same for your guest writer Rose – who personally is in no way able to write in the English language so proficiently. Her diatribes and prevarications are the real fakery that is being eaten up by hard-core NMites.
NM is a site made up of like-minded individuals whose only goal is to try to goad and influence further instability in Thailand.
Democracy without reform will only bring back the likes of self-serving politicians.
I wouldn’t know, and i don’t really care either. It doesn’t make any real difference in the argumentation if one writes these diatribes or uses them to quote from as either disqualifies from any reasonable debate.
Those NM few who are awed by little Rosie’s serial anti-monarchy posters are dense and naive. Little Rosie’s video clips rant about dead babies, murdered Arabs, missing Saudi jewels, etc interspersed with mentions of her favored reptiles-pets when she’s coherent, hee hee.
Her tongue’s of the fresh-market ranting style.
She’s paid alright to stamp her notorious name to many NM anti-Thai monarchy venom. But there are NM fools to cheer little Rosie hee hee.
A pointless, vacuous piece that proceeds from the premise: what could happen if all participants abandoned their self-interest, perhaps for the good of the nation? But it is the self-interest of the elite that led to the anti-democracy mob as a prelude to the military coup. These people have no intention whatsoever of abandoning their self-interest. Quite the contrary. Nor are the interested in reform, reducing corruption, reconciliation, compromise, or democracy in any but a completely castrated form. What is the point of naively supposing they are?
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The end of symbolic protest in Thailand
‘Democracy’, which is not practiced in the USA:
Jimmy Carter: US “has no functioning democracy” – Salon.com
BBC News – Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy
The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act upheld by the US Supreme Court a year ago now permits the US military to invade our homes without warrant, arrest us without charges, and imprison us indefinitely without trial, legal representation or due process.
CNN Poll: Trust in government at all-time low
Princeton Study: U.S. No Longer An Actual Democracy
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/princeton-scholar-demise-of-democracy-america-tpm-interview
Why on earth foist ‘democracy’ on a developing country like Thailand? Democracy has never helped a country develop. In fact, it’s been a terrible hindrance, as we see in India.
Give up this silly sloganeering and start looking to places like, say, Singapore or China, for a developmental model that suits Thailand’s culture and stage of evolution.
Thai democracy’s waiting game
Sam Browning, this is for those who want to see Thailand coming out of the quagmire. Problem with a conflict is that both sides think they are winning and any talk of some compromise is dubbed as “Naive”. If we exclude the bunch of old hats currently determining the destiny of the country it is possible to see a solution. Most of the Bangkok middle class who supported this regime are definitely tired of the regime and they need a honorable way out. Masses who want democracy are also ready to wait till they get something which is good for the country. If someone thinks that things will automatically fall in place and Thailand will overcome the problems quickly I consider that as naive. What is the problem in considering options to prevent Thailand joining the league of Burma?
Social media, Rohingya and damn lies
The population of Australia has also changed quite substantially over the last 500 years (and no one knows what will happen in the next 500). Humans do move around this planet and often kill each other for “Lebensraum” and because of racial/religious prejudices. History is full of such examples. The question is: do we continue behaving like this or do we try to share this planet earth fairly and peacefully in a sustainable rational manner without greedily destroying the fragile ecosystem (sometimes I feel like I’m ready for Mars!)
Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
You are right about Cartalucci, Nick. I just (tried, could go through all of them) his crazed rantings about some imaginary conspiracy.
He seems to have some kind of personal vendetta against an imaginary Nick Nostitz and his secret army.
Social media, Rohingya and damn lies
Following is the translated extract from an old Myawaddy Magazine published in 1980.
“Back then in 1942 the large village of Ah-le-than-kyaw, now the biggest Rohingya village with a large UNHCR supply depot and their area-HQ, was the main Buddhist village with a small police station.
On that day in May 1942 twenty thousand armed-Bengali-Muslims raided the Ah-le-than-kyaw police station and brutally killed all the policemen who surrendered and then all the Yakhine men from the villages.
The blood-thirsty Bengali-Muslims then burned down the village monastery together with more than 500 Buddhist women, children, elders, young Buddhist novices, and the Buddhist monks taking refuge inside the main monastery building. All 500 odd Buddhists inside were burned alive that day by the Bengali-Muslims who want their village and their fertile land and their fishing ground for good. The same fate had fallen also on the nearby village of Tart-htone-byin.
Basically none of the hundreds of thousands of Yakhin-Buddhist living in the villages at the South of Maungdaw Town escaped the warlike wholesale slaughter. Not even a single mongrel dog escaped the slaughter let alone a human being. And all their properties and lands taken by the newcomers from the Islamic-land now called Bangladesh.”
Thai democracy’s waiting game
Sad to note that in a nominally buddhist society the concept of “enlightened” self interest has yet to take root. Presumably because the state still operates under a not so subliminal Brahmin theocracy?
Social media, Rohingya and damn lies
I wanna know how government treat if they catch illegal entering to their country? (Any country Europe or Asia) I believe they put in jail and even stroke in Singapore.
Why so special about Rohingyas whether they come from Myanmar or Bangladesh?
Does international human rights care for origin people’s human right scenario?
Thai Coup: A normal way of life
If NM censors your comments it is probably because they are as banal and shallow as the one you’ve just written.
Social media, Rohingya and damn lies
@Marayu, Yes, it is hypocritical of the elite and their supporters to speak of racism and colonialism as soon as they receive criticism. The anti-colonial rhetoric, the idea that the international communities push for democracy and human rights is an act of neo-colonialism, is practically only used by those that support authoritarian governments, and believe in limitations on freedom of speech and democracy. They tend to ignore the fact that there are large groups of people within their country that are fighting for democracy and political reforms. In their narrative, democracy, freedom of speech and human rights are foreign concepts that are imposed on Asia by outsiders. The argument is used by the conservatives to legitimize various forms of human rights abuse and state-sponsored violence.
@Jake, I think the refugee situation in Southeast Asia and Europe is very different. In terms of cultural differences, Thailand already has a large Muslim population, and the Rohingya have lived in an area that is culturally not that much different from Thailand. Therefore, I believe the “integration issue” might not really be a problem. The situation in countries like Norway or the United States is naturally very different. Why do you think the Rohingya would become terrorists? Is it because they are Muslim? I haven’t come across any reasonable arguments to why the Rohingya should be viewed as a threat to Thailand.
Social media, Rohingya and damn lies
You’re right. A lot of refugees from places like Burma have a hard time adapting to the “local culture” in places like Bergen, Norway or Fort Wayne, Indiana, etc. (I don’t know how well they adapt to Australia). UNHCR should stop “displacing” asylum seekers (many of them fake) to far away places where the culture is so different, LOL
Donald Trump is saying the same thing about all these “illegal” Mexican immigrants in the US, but pretty soon Latinos will form the majority in California!
Social media, Rohingya and damn lies
Credit is due to Mr Talcoth for indicating the social media as a factor as well as human trafficking, for present quagmire.
Hopefully your next article will examine the contribution of the Kalar in Yakhine not as victims but as co conspirator albeit in a minor way, as well as more indepth look at human trafficking.
The camps b/t Myanmar and Malaysia require considerable effort, from the traffickers and trafficked.
Considering the distance b/t the camps and Upper west Yakhine which almost all claimed they are from.
Truthfulness of placing blames where due:
1) The glaring truth of truth of “Bangladesh” “Malaysia” responsibility must also be made clear.
2) The original of all sins, the colonization and unmitigated promotion of Indian must be made known and emphasized.
Last of all but the most important is the possible solutions, to begin solving this quagmire.
As example, instead of re litigating the now western inspired useless careless “Legitimacy of ROhingya” issues research and BOLDLY advocate for statue to have the stateless have a status with stipulations, backed by the west and all others (EU, USA and OAS) economic power.
Hopefully this will help present untenable situations. toward a better objective other than throwing good money toward the bad, the NGO (UN HRW included) that benefit from status quo.
Social media, Rohingya and damn lies
So Europe has got its Muslims fleeing Libya and other North African countries and Thailand/Malaysia has got its Rohingya Muslims doing the same.
Like Europe, Thailand does not want these people because they are of a different culture and a culture that does not wish to integrate into the host environment.
They may not be terrorists today but you can bet the farm that once they have their feet through the door, the jihadists will be converting them to terrorism. Lot’s of fertile experience to work on.
If they want to leave Burma then the Rohingya should be heading north not south. Back to their roots in Bengal.
Thailand’s stance, as much as I loathe the Junta, is the correct one.
Thailand’s thieves in uniform
I agree with R.N. England that the ‘regime’ is indeed posting on this site. Prayuth knows about this site, he hates it, and to some degree even fears it I suspect.
Now her’s the thing: He dares not act to close the ‘Falang’ site or otherwise deny the public access to it.
Actually it wouldn’t surprise me is F, G and XX are just such Prayuth goons.
Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
Unfortunately there isn’t much to trace in terms of my financials and funding. The claims that i have some sort of shady financial backers are simply insane. I wish i would have some sort of financial backing. But i don’t. I just do what i love to do – and that is to take pictures and to write about what i am interested in – that is here in Thailand street politics of the color coded conflict, and, in a more creative style of photography – Bangkok’s fascinating nights. I was never very talented in making money.
But for the sake of transparency: late 80’s to early 90’s i was a backpacker (or ‘Traveler’ – how we called ourselves back then). When i started here in Bangkok i made most of my money as a model ( i wasn’t always fat 😉 ). From the mid 90’s until the early 2000’s i made a somewhat OK living as a photojournalist and occasional writer, mostly doing reportage assignments and corporate jobs all over Asia.
When the business changed – less magazines with space for large photo spreads – my financial situation turned for the worse. To my shame, my father had to help me more and more. This got then only compounded when my once very wealthy family lost everything due to a very bad investment.
When my father died in late 2011, i inherited a small sum, from which i lived on until recently, when it ran out as the adoption of our son had massive delays, and due to the attacks and the hate campaign of the PDRC and the Democrat Party i could only do a fraction of the assignments i could otherwise do. This then forced me to ask for donations in late 2014, which went unexpectedly well, giving me some financial breathing space, and we hope that we get the adoption soon so we can move to Germany to start a new life, hopefully financially a bit more successful.
I live here with my family in a small wooden house (no aircon) in a normal Thai neighborhood, my furniture is semi-antique teak furniture i bought over the years cheaply in street markets and restored myself (i like wood working), i ride an old two stroke motorcycle (no beamer hidden in the backyard, i am afraid), my son goes to a normal Thai private school (nothing fancy). No holidays in the Maledives (i don’t even remember my last holidays), last time i was in Europe is almost 3 years ago.
Anybody who knows me can confirm everything i have stated here. But of course, that won’t put the idiotic rumors to rest that i am corrupt, somewhat financed by i don’t know who. It’s just so much more sexy to libel and discredit an opponent instead of factually debating the issues.
Why is it that whenever i have a public talk, such as during my book openings or recently, at my exhibition of the FCCT, none of these idiots appear to confront me with their accusations in public and in a moderated space, and instead only engage in snide attacks and rumor mongering in cyberspace?
So, briefly stated – you are an idiot if you think that i am financed and involved in some sort of non-existent conspiracy to destabilize Thailand.
Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
BTW, any and all of you can google the facts and connections between Phrachathai, ANU/New Mandala with NED. Easily done, that is unless you’d rather keep your collective heads in the sands of liberal (or is that socialistic) democratic outrage. And I’ll bet that there may be people who are tracings the financials of Baron Nick to see where he receives and funding.
Cheers!
Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
Like I said let’s pile it on, as though ‘majority’ of NMites actually make your half-truths true.
It’s true I’m not good at “argumentation” and prevarications as Nick and other posters are. Your attempts to influence the public’s sentiments falls flat because you all are emotionally and culturally biased. Balance reporting is not de riguer. Since as I said: NM commentators and guest (and in the case of Rose’s “ghost writers and collaborators) shoehorn idden agandas into someting resembling that of academia (and fair, responsible, and balanced journalism) to lend legitimacy.
I would say the same for your guest writer Rose – who personally is in no way able to write in the English language so proficiently. Her diatribes and prevarications are the real fakery that is being eaten up by hard-core NMites.
NM is a site made up of like-minded individuals whose only goal is to try to goad and influence further instability in Thailand.
Democracy without reform will only bring back the likes of self-serving politicians.
Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
I wouldn’t know, and i don’t really care either. It doesn’t make any real difference in the argumentation if one writes these diatribes or uses them to quote from as either disqualifies from any reasonable debate.
Solidarity with imprisoned Thai students
You’re quite right Nick.So is Not Disappointed a disciple or a nom de plume for land destroyer….?
Thailand’s thieves in uniform
Those NM few who are awed by little Rosie’s serial anti-monarchy posters are dense and naive. Little Rosie’s video clips rant about dead babies, murdered Arabs, missing Saudi jewels, etc interspersed with mentions of her favored reptiles-pets when she’s coherent, hee hee.
Her tongue’s of the fresh-market ranting style.
She’s paid alright to stamp her notorious name to many NM anti-Thai monarchy venom. But there are NM fools to cheer little Rosie hee hee.
Thai democracy’s waiting game
A pointless, vacuous piece that proceeds from the premise: what could happen if all participants abandoned their self-interest, perhaps for the good of the nation? But it is the self-interest of the elite that led to the anti-democracy mob as a prelude to the military coup. These people have no intention whatsoever of abandoning their self-interest. Quite the contrary. Nor are the interested in reform, reducing corruption, reconciliation, compromise, or democracy in any but a completely castrated form. What is the point of naively supposing they are?