Thailand governance has always been corrupted even before Thaksin was born. I know this because I’m four years older than Thaksin. In Thai culture, the aristocrats truly believe that it’s their birthrights to exploit the underclass similar to Europe several hundred years ago. After the revolution in 1932, the Thai military emerged as the most powerful and most corrupted faction in Thai politics. Many years ago the royalists and the military were fighting for power to control the country. Now, those two factions are united to exploit the country resources and oppress Thai people with no impunity. Just read article 48 of the interim costitution that the junta just wrote and you will see. I’m not an academic just say it from my memory.
This is not terribly fair to John Cole and Steve Sciacchitano. While their piece’s history of Thai CI is a bit muddled, and while it fails to examine the intellectual origins–and ties to royalism–of the ideas lifted from the CI experience that explain what the Queen’s Guard dictatorship is now up to, it offers a number of very important observations. And its central point, while poorly developed, is crucial.
I am sorry that you have misunderstood my sentence. I have never said that the Spantan’s state was democratic. I merely said that the story came from the ancient Greece. It means to assess individual’s courage and goal. I could have utilize the 1989 Tienanmen Square Uprising as an example, too- many might remember, on a television, a young man standing alone facing an advancing tank.
It depends how you read Banphai. I take him to mean that criticising the junta could get you into serious trouble and any Thai person who wants to get on with his life needs to consider that. Indeed, more and more stories are slowly coming out of the repressive measures being used by Prayuth’s military regime. As someone who lives in Thailand, even though I am not Thai, I am well aware of the threat that the regime poses.
A little after a minute in, the academics speaking, not sure which one, make a ridiculous assertion that Prabowo contesting the election “confirms” what they feared, that he would have brought Indonesia on an authoritarian path if elected.
Contesting the election at MK does not in anyway confirm that. I don’t think I need to remind any readers of this site that Megawati did the exact same thing, and she was beaten by a much larger margin than Prabowo. That Jokowi shills like Marcus Mietzner get apopleptic that Prabowo would have the nerve to challenge their favorite candidate shows how little respect they have for the democratic process. If you are confident Jokowi won, as I am, then relax and let the system work. Prabowo has the right to file motions just like anyone else.
Perhaps Mr. Mietzner is, in retrospect, a bit embarrassed by his silly, undergraduate-esque article, “Prabowo’s Game Plan,” also run on this website, which speculated Prabowo would attempt to steal the election, and is trying to frame the actual non-sensational events as somehow “confirming” his suspicions.
Not really, New Mandala is pro Jokowi, but there are articles here on Jokowi that don’t sing praises about the politician. In fact, they are quite critical.
There was some talk about the Yanks asking Ne Win to base their mercenaries (Hassian-ed sounds better?) in the land of Burma as part of their always miscalculated projection of this stupidest crap called “Domino” theory. Domino my foot.
[For a nation with largest proportion of university graduates among the populace, the Yanks always seem to get every thing wrong (need a list?), always! Weird} Anyway Ne Win apparently said no.
And they went next door. Thai, Thai indeed are always welcoming. To be fair, the people about in Thailand are most helpful, gracious and sweet people. Only led by mainly ethnic Chinese now in all spheres of influence, commerce, politics, education, manufacturing, farming, anything.
Was Ne Win really abhorrent of the mercenary “West” or simply being childish as any British or American bases in Burma would have made some difference in Konfrontasi? Ne Win of course was half Chinese.
Sparta (Leonidas and his 300 men) was not a democracy. It was a military-oligarchy with two kings as heads of state. Further, the Spartans were a minority in the Spartan state as they ruled over the Helots, a people they conquered and enslaved. The Helots could be described as slaves with family and property rights.
Were the Spartans exceptional warrior-soldiers, Yes.
Were the Spartans democrats fighting for equality of people and political classes, No.
Were the Spartans willing to give up their privileged life by granting political and human rights to the Helots, No.
I completely agree. ANU, please stop trolling us with your academics who are literally doing research on PDIP and will be very happy to have them in power so that their writing can actually mean something. Not to mention graduate students who run polling institutes being strutted about by the authors.
This site has been a veritable propaganda wing for the Jokowi-JK team, and ANU ought to be embarrassed that a blog on its domain has been allowed to write such tripe. Who is supposed to be editing this thing?
You’re right – ‘reform’ isn’t exclusively in the Left’s lexicon. Prabowo’s performances since the result are not those of a man who’s getting ready to concede. Unless wise heads prevail (and there’s no sign that Prabowo listens to anyone but himself) we’re heading into worrying times. I’m glad to see some down-to-earth comment on Jokowi at last. His supporters are making him a saint when he’s really the accidental president. He may well be a decent guy but he’s clearly not the ratu adil many are making him out to be. There will be tears before bedtime, I fear.
I think this man love to write bad thing about Thailand to make him look cool or may be his bad attitude. Thailand will never be like Western ,don’t make us look bad because we don’t think like you. Western don’t own this world. To me, Nick is a provocator , I think not only his trying to get into the scence or restricted gathering area but may be he was intended to take photos and pointed a target,may be that was the reason he was push, If that the case I don’t blame the guard at all . If someone got killed from their photo pointing the target or the writing piece full of hate speech will & how these noble people stand up to take the false? I can not help to think like that because all his comment benefit only the Red shirt, same as few others within Amsterdam network. It was not normal that hundred thousand or million of people risking their lives and career, out of fear and rising up against their powerful Government . It must had some reasons. Democracy & Election is not paracetamol. Nick can not make my country comfortable for him. We will judge what best for us not them…. Just my personal point of view as a Thai who would like and always stand on my own feet.
On second thought, toch, you might be labouring under the impression that the “West” might not have been the original thinker here. And the rest simply copy them.
Definately whereever the Yanks and Co. go people seemingly “welcome” them, such is the power of illusion- easy when yuou own all the media outlets- eg. WMD, and every little bit of land they have been in the Middle-East, in the Central Americas, in the South Americas, in the Carribeans, in Africa, In Indochina, in Thailand, in Phillipines,in Sri Lanka, almost forgot- there was also Vietnam and indeed Laos are now in smouldering ruins, where the people od the land whoi have lived together peacefull for millenia are now buying up guns- from the Yanks mainly- to kill each other more and more spectacularly. Now of course such thinmgs are happing in Burma and going to get worse. Exponentially.
Surprise!
Chinks have a lot of catching up to do. By the look of it, they fully intgend to. The world has never been better for EVIL to prosper.
Duncan, Prabowo IS pushing reform. Just not the sort that his opponents want. He wants reform of the mining industry to place more control and wealth in nationals’ pockets, including his own. It doesn’t seem to have won him any votes though in Kaltim and Papua where he’s been pushing it. As you point out, he’s unlikely to go away having spent so much, running a party with reps across the country, and having come within a whisker of winning. If you saw his youtube video, which I’m sure you did, it was pure Whitlam, something the Goughster would have done himself if youtube had been around then. We were cheated. Nasty foreigners. We’ll be back grrrr…
btw you sucked my dad in totally, next day he was ringing his mates to find out where he could get some Blackbui.
Honestly, if I was going to write something as foolish as that, I wouldn’t have a picture of myself (even such a small one) in the top left of the message. Or are you joking? If so, apologies.
I think Giles Ungpakorn recently referred to the interim constitution as something akin to ‘bog paper’ in one of his posts. Fair comment I’d say but wouldn’t want to actually put it to the ‘wipe’ test.
These are grim times for the opponents of authoritarianism. And speaking of resurgent Thai paternalism is there a Field Marshallship in the offing for junta numero uno Prayut? The man himself appears to be brimming with brown matter as evidenced by a comment made as something of an aside while talking about a new approach the vexed issue of Thailand’s southernmost three provinces. According to the Bangkok Post – [http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/423647/prayuth-southern-talks-need-more-players] he ‘also used his address to reiterate the NCPO’s tough stand against those who commit lese majeste. “I won’t let any person use the royal institution to destroy each other,” he said. . “Foreigners don’t understand our royal institution and I ask all Thais to explain this to them.”
How many times does one have to hear this sort of arrant nonsense? As far as I can determine ‘Thais’ and ‘foreigners’ are one and the same species – understanding is not all that difficult, but it does require some effort. Plently of us ‘foreigners’ understand the ‘royal institution’ all too well although none of us, like the general, are willing to get down and grovel at the feet of an old man in a chair. One needs the requisite life long conditioning to do so. The deep symbiotic relationship between the throne and the men in green needs ever more emphasis. As for the mass of the people, one thing to always remember – these guys are not your friends.
Are we all foreigners in here, insignificant foreigners definitely, venting our frustrations at how easily Thailand coupists could succeed?
Had Thaksin/Yingluck truly corrupted Thailand’s democracy to the extent that the Thais had not only totally given up on politicians and opened their arms to the military to sort things out?
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Open Letter Condemning the Thai Constitution
Thailand governance has always been corrupted even before Thaksin was born. I know this because I’m four years older than Thaksin. In Thai culture, the aristocrats truly believe that it’s their birthrights to exploit the underclass similar to Europe several hundred years ago. After the revolution in 1932, the Thai military emerged as the most powerful and most corrupted faction in Thai politics. Many years ago the royalists and the military were fighting for power to control the country. Now, those two factions are united to exploit the country resources and oppress Thai people with no impunity. Just read article 48 of the interim costitution that the junta just wrote and you will see. I’m not an academic just say it from my memory.
Open Letter Condemning the Thai Constitution
This is not terribly fair to John Cole and Steve Sciacchitano. While their piece’s history of Thai CI is a bit muddled, and while it fails to examine the intellectual origins–and ties to royalism–of the ideas lifted from the CI experience that explain what the Queen’s Guard dictatorship is now up to, it offers a number of very important observations. And its central point, while poorly developed, is crucial.
Open Letter Condemning the Thai Constitution
I am sorry that you have misunderstood my sentence. I have never said that the Spantan’s state was democratic. I merely said that the story came from the ancient Greece. It means to assess individual’s courage and goal. I could have utilize the 1989 Tienanmen Square Uprising as an example, too- many might remember, on a television, a young man standing alone facing an advancing tank.
Assault on Nick Nostitz
“We will judge what best for us not them”
Who is “we”?
(its certainly doesn’t sound like it is the Thai people as a whole, represented by the electorate)
Taktik Permainan Prabowo
EXACTLY that the purpose of language – tools of communication. It’s more than enough as long as both parties are understood! As simple it is!.
Open Letter Condemning the Thai Constitution
It depends how you read Banphai. I take him to mean that criticising the junta could get you into serious trouble and any Thai person who wants to get on with his life needs to consider that. Indeed, more and more stories are slowly coming out of the repressive measures being used by Prayuth’s military regime. As someone who lives in Thailand, even though I am not Thai, I am well aware of the threat that the regime poses.
Jokowi vs Prabowo: tight-run race a turning point
A little after a minute in, the academics speaking, not sure which one, make a ridiculous assertion that Prabowo contesting the election “confirms” what they feared, that he would have brought Indonesia on an authoritarian path if elected.
Contesting the election at MK does not in anyway confirm that. I don’t think I need to remind any readers of this site that Megawati did the exact same thing, and she was beaten by a much larger margin than Prabowo. That Jokowi shills like Marcus Mietzner get apopleptic that Prabowo would have the nerve to challenge their favorite candidate shows how little respect they have for the democratic process. If you are confident Jokowi won, as I am, then relax and let the system work. Prabowo has the right to file motions just like anyone else.
Perhaps Mr. Mietzner is, in retrospect, a bit embarrassed by his silly, undergraduate-esque article, “Prabowo’s Game Plan,” also run on this website, which speculated Prabowo would attempt to steal the election, and is trying to frame the actual non-sensational events as somehow “confirming” his suspicions.
Presidential election a page turner
I notice they rehash some of the points (quotes and words) from earlier articles.
Presidential election a page turner
Not really, New Mandala is pro Jokowi, but there are articles here on Jokowi that don’t sing praises about the politician. In fact, they are quite critical.
But overall, I agree with you and Ken.
Open Letter Condemning the Thai Constitution
There was some talk about the Yanks asking Ne Win to base their mercenaries (Hassian-ed sounds better?) in the land of Burma as part of their always miscalculated projection of this stupidest crap called “Domino” theory. Domino my foot.
[For a nation with largest proportion of university graduates among the populace, the Yanks always seem to get every thing wrong (need a list?), always! Weird} Anyway Ne Win apparently said no.
And they went next door. Thai, Thai indeed are always welcoming. To be fair, the people about in Thailand are most helpful, gracious and sweet people. Only led by mainly ethnic Chinese now in all spheres of influence, commerce, politics, education, manufacturing, farming, anything.
Was Ne Win really abhorrent of the mercenary “West” or simply being childish as any British or American bases in Burma would have made some difference in Konfrontasi? Ne Win of course was half Chinese.
Open Letter Condemning the Thai Constitution
Sparta (Leonidas and his 300 men) was not a democracy. It was a military-oligarchy with two kings as heads of state. Further, the Spartans were a minority in the Spartan state as they ruled over the Helots, a people they conquered and enslaved. The Helots could be described as slaves with family and property rights.
Were the Spartans exceptional warrior-soldiers, Yes.
Were the Spartans democrats fighting for equality of people and political classes, No.
Were the Spartans willing to give up their privileged life by granting political and human rights to the Helots, No.
Presidential election a page turner
I completely agree. ANU, please stop trolling us with your academics who are literally doing research on PDIP and will be very happy to have them in power so that their writing can actually mean something. Not to mention graduate students who run polling institutes being strutted about by the authors.
This site has been a veritable propaganda wing for the Jokowi-JK team, and ANU ought to be embarrassed that a blog on its domain has been allowed to write such tripe. Who is supposed to be editing this thing?
Assault on Nick Nostitz
No, Mr. Nostitz just published the facts. You might not like them, but they remain facts. They are true.
A citizen’s president
You’re right – ‘reform’ isn’t exclusively in the Left’s lexicon. Prabowo’s performances since the result are not those of a man who’s getting ready to concede. Unless wise heads prevail (and there’s no sign that Prabowo listens to anyone but himself) we’re heading into worrying times. I’m glad to see some down-to-earth comment on Jokowi at last. His supporters are making him a saint when he’s really the accidental president. He may well be a decent guy but he’s clearly not the ratu adil many are making him out to be. There will be tears before bedtime, I fear.
Assault on Nick Nostitz
I think this man love to write bad thing about Thailand to make him look cool or may be his bad attitude. Thailand will never be like Western ,don’t make us look bad because we don’t think like you. Western don’t own this world. To me, Nick is a provocator , I think not only his trying to get into the scence or restricted gathering area but may be he was intended to take photos and pointed a target,may be that was the reason he was push, If that the case I don’t blame the guard at all . If someone got killed from their photo pointing the target or the writing piece full of hate speech will & how these noble people stand up to take the false? I can not help to think like that because all his comment benefit only the Red shirt, same as few others within Amsterdam network. It was not normal that hundred thousand or million of people risking their lives and career, out of fear and rising up against their powerful Government . It must had some reasons. Democracy & Election is not paracetamol. Nick can not make my country comfortable for him. We will judge what best for us not them…. Just my personal point of view as a Thai who would like and always stand on my own feet.
Open Letter Condemning the Thai Constitution
On second thought, toch, you might be labouring under the impression that the “West” might not have been the original thinker here. And the rest simply copy them.
Definately whereever the Yanks and Co. go people seemingly “welcome” them, such is the power of illusion- easy when yuou own all the media outlets- eg. WMD, and every little bit of land they have been in the Middle-East, in the Central Americas, in the South Americas, in the Carribeans, in Africa, In Indochina, in Thailand, in Phillipines,in Sri Lanka, almost forgot- there was also Vietnam and indeed Laos are now in smouldering ruins, where the people od the land whoi have lived together peacefull for millenia are now buying up guns- from the Yanks mainly- to kill each other more and more spectacularly. Now of course such thinmgs are happing in Burma and going to get worse. Exponentially.
Surprise!
Chinks have a lot of catching up to do. By the look of it, they fully intgend to. The world has never been better for EVIL to prosper.
A citizen’s president
Duncan, Prabowo IS pushing reform. Just not the sort that his opponents want. He wants reform of the mining industry to place more control and wealth in nationals’ pockets, including his own. It doesn’t seem to have won him any votes though in Kaltim and Papua where he’s been pushing it. As you point out, he’s unlikely to go away having spent so much, running a party with reps across the country, and having come within a whisker of winning. If you saw his youtube video, which I’m sure you did, it was pure Whitlam, something the Goughster would have done himself if youtube had been around then. We were cheated. Nasty foreigners. We’ll be back grrrr…
btw you sucked my dad in totally, next day he was ringing his mates to find out where he could get some Blackbui.
Open Letter Condemning the Thai Constitution
Honestly, if I was going to write something as foolish as that, I wouldn’t have a picture of myself (even such a small one) in the top left of the message. Or are you joking? If so, apologies.
Open Letter Condemning the Thai Constitution
I think Giles Ungpakorn recently referred to the interim constitution as something akin to ‘bog paper’ in one of his posts. Fair comment I’d say but wouldn’t want to actually put it to the ‘wipe’ test.
These are grim times for the opponents of authoritarianism. And speaking of resurgent Thai paternalism is there a Field Marshallship in the offing for junta numero uno Prayut? The man himself appears to be brimming with brown matter as evidenced by a comment made as something of an aside while talking about a new approach the vexed issue of Thailand’s southernmost three provinces. According to the Bangkok Post – [http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/423647/prayuth-southern-talks-need-more-players] he ‘also used his address to reiterate the NCPO’s tough stand against those who commit lese majeste. “I won’t let any person use the royal institution to destroy each other,” he said. . “Foreigners don’t understand our royal institution and I ask all Thais to explain this to them.”
How many times does one have to hear this sort of arrant nonsense? As far as I can determine ‘Thais’ and ‘foreigners’ are one and the same species – understanding is not all that difficult, but it does require some effort. Plently of us ‘foreigners’ understand the ‘royal institution’ all too well although none of us, like the general, are willing to get down and grovel at the feet of an old man in a chair. One needs the requisite life long conditioning to do so. The deep symbiotic relationship between the throne and the men in green needs ever more emphasis. As for the mass of the people, one thing to always remember – these guys are not your friends.
Open Letter Condemning the Thai Constitution
Are we all foreigners in here, insignificant foreigners definitely, venting our frustrations at how easily Thailand coupists could succeed?
Had Thaksin/Yingluck truly corrupted Thailand’s democracy to the extent that the Thais had not only totally given up on politicians and opened their arms to the military to sort things out?