I wouldn’t have thought I would ever say that, but I kind of agree (and I said that also in above post mentioning his influence over his sister), my first point was concerning this:
So what? There is more than enough opposition, the agencies concerned with checks and balances are clearly aligned against this government, there is no possibility he could ever become the dictator/tyrant/autocrat in Thailand or even return there in the foreseeable future.
And at the moment PT seems to be the best of the bunch for the majority of the population.
My whole household had a big lunch meeting today, that included other kins from three other houses. Over lunch the debate was only about whether to vote (that means Vote NO), or to abstain.
By unanimous decision: ABSTAIN.
Consensus: By ABSTAINING, we uphold the demands by the ‘Uproot’ Protesters, that ‘Reform should precede any Elections’ period.
I think Western analysis (and just about everyone else) is well aware that the failed rice program is a huge potential chink in Pua Thai’s armour, and that the anti-democratic side is counting on it to weaken the support rice farmers have given to Thaksin’s successive parties.
However, they are also aware, as the farmers themselves are, that the proximate cause of the government’s inability to pay them is it’s caretaker status and the refusal of the EC to permit issuance of bonds.
It may well be that the farmers think that the scheme has unravelled and holds it against Pua Thai.
However, I expect that it is far more likely, as you point out yourself wants to rush to do anything they can to quickly transfer payments to them, and that it is the anti-Pua Thai side – once again – that is standing in their way.
As I noted above, time will tell. However, I am very skeptical that by standing in the way of Yinglak’s ability to follow up on her promises to pay the farmers, the anti-PT group will somehow convince the them that they are finally on their side.
Somehow Sven, you seem to have skipped the “democratic terms 101” offered by the Democrats.
– Regime – any Govt elected more than once
– Democratic – any appointed Govt that cannot win an election
Once you accept those definitions, you will begin to understand.
Frankly, I don’t see how one can have a logical discussion with anyone whose logic is based on those premise.
I suggest Kim Yong Un as the non-partisan, protector of Democracy for Thailand. He is very qualified, being the UN-elected leader of a Democratic Republic.
Thaksin is desperate to come back to Thailand, so desperate that the folly of the general amnesty came about, with the ramming through parliament, and so yes, from above Yingluck! Thaksin has a lot of power even from Dubai, but it is restricted by living outside the country.
But carried to ridiculous extremes in Thailand. Princess Chulabhorn is supposedly a doctoral level expert in biochemisty and medicine? I believe that Princess Sirindhorn has a CV with over 500 publications. How many of those articles do you believe she actually wrote?
The monarchy needs to watch out, they are losing their credibility and support among the people on a daily basis. Everytime Chulabhorn opens her mouth, another thousand Thais decide they no longer like and can no longer trust their royals.
As evidence I submit the “This country has no justice. Gu wants to split the country” banner recently displayed in Phayao. BTW, “gu” does not translate as “I” like the Bangkok Post alleges; it is the single most insulting pronoun in the Thai vocabulary and would only be used by someone who wants to incite a riot. I have been told that the closest word we have in English is the “N-word”, so it’s not a self-referrent and it is most likely directed at Suthep, i.e. “That lackey wants to split the country.”
Difficult decisions for Thais. By voting for PT, they are voting for the retention of ballot boxes but also voting for the maintenance of a Shiniwatra regime. Depends what values they place on each choice.
“All right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that they’re sick and tired! I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am!”
It’s pretty clear that Thaksin started all these expressions of emotion-based political allegiance by naming his party (i.e. the one he set up after taking over and trashing the Phalang Tham party) Thais Love Thais.
I just read that American war groupie, Michael Yon, has said sweet things about the Red Shirts.
Apparently he’s now covering the story for his Facebook fanbois.
firstly we have get over the cynicism that this is a self-serving interest for Yingluck and/or Thaksin; I am not sure anyone wants this problem on their head, unless they really believe in representative democracy and want to see the many wrongs that were made and were institutionalised since 19 Septermber 2006 corrected. It is like the amnesty bill forced on Yingluck from above and, as plotted, doomed to failure. It was not in Thaksin’s interests at all and there was no way he was coming back — as he said many times. In much the same way he declared that he was going to step down in a day, but of course the coup went ahead anyway before he could do this. There is a bigger plot behind the scenes and the orders come from an elevated level. It is time folks woke up to this, otherwise keep punching shadows.
I am surprised that very few western analysts including in this commentary above have picked up on how important the unraveling rice scheme is to the timing of this election, and the insistence by YL and PT that it happen now.
Some of this rice was bought over 6 months ago and its only in the past couple of months that the rice farmers are organizing against the program, potentially undermining a large constituency of PT supporters.
My guess it will take at least a while to successfully implement a bond issue to even begin paying back what is rightfully owed to the farmers. Is it any wonder YL/Thaksin wants to rush the election before this issue further implodes PT’s traditional support base? Or why this commerce ministry won’t even report the full extent of these losses?
We can debate the value of transfer of wealth through this rice program endlessly as its just that – a values judgement. I happen to agree wealth transfer is fine if it can help poor farmers, and yes, most countries subsidize agriculture and some of them very “successfully” (i.e. the US). But lets not fool ourselves into ignoring the fact that this rice subsidy program was a pretty blatant attempt at buying (literally) support from poor farmers, and now its mismanagement and corruption is becoming evident to all, except I guess the western “experts” who glorify thaksin’s policies. We can ask these rice farmers now how they feel about these empowering policies.
None of this is to say that Suthep and company aren’t a bunch of self-serving extremists either, by the way.
I deliberately chose to call it “intervention” rather than a “coup” as I believe their best course is to keep the caretaker government in its state of limbo in the hope of wearing down its voter base. However, if the elected government was to be displaced by means of judicial action, for whatever reason, that would surely constitute a coup, would it not? What else would you call it?
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Middle class rage threatens democracy
I wouldn’t have thought I would ever say that, but I kind of agree (and I said that also in above post mentioning his influence over his sister), my first point was concerning this:
So what? There is more than enough opposition, the agencies concerned with checks and balances are clearly aligned against this government, there is no possibility he could ever become the dictator/tyrant/autocrat in Thailand or even return there in the foreseeable future.
And at the moment PT seems to be the best of the bunch for the majority of the population.
Princess Chulabhorn’s politics
It was your thought on behalf of innocent people. Your own idea was selfish and ridiculous!
Middle class rage threatens democracy
My whole household had a big lunch meeting today, that included other kins from three other houses. Over lunch the debate was only about whether to vote (that means Vote NO), or to abstain.
By unanimous decision: ABSTAIN.
Consensus: By ABSTAINING, we uphold the demands by the ‘Uproot’ Protesters, that ‘Reform should precede any Elections’ period.
Thailand’s electorate deserves respect
Edit: I had meant to say anti-Pua Thai side, not anti-democratic side in the first sentence. Apologies.
Thailand’s electorate deserves respect
I think Western analysis (and just about everyone else) is well aware that the failed rice program is a huge potential chink in Pua Thai’s armour, and that the anti-democratic side is counting on it to weaken the support rice farmers have given to Thaksin’s successive parties.
However, they are also aware, as the farmers themselves are, that the proximate cause of the government’s inability to pay them is it’s caretaker status and the refusal of the EC to permit issuance of bonds.
It may well be that the farmers think that the scheme has unravelled and holds it against Pua Thai.
However, I expect that it is far more likely, as you point out yourself wants to rush to do anything they can to quickly transfer payments to them, and that it is the anti-Pua Thai side – once again – that is standing in their way.
As I noted above, time will tell. However, I am very skeptical that by standing in the way of Yinglak’s ability to follow up on her promises to pay the farmers, the anti-PT group will somehow convince the them that they are finally on their side.
Academics behaving badly
Thanks – reminds me of the Einstein quote,
‘If you can’t explain something simply,
then you don’t understand it well enough.’
Middle class rage threatens democracy
Somehow Sven, you seem to have skipped the “democratic terms 101” offered by the Democrats.
– Regime – any Govt elected more than once
– Democratic – any appointed Govt that cannot win an election
Once you accept those definitions, you will begin to understand.
Frankly, I don’t see how one can have a logical discussion with anyone whose logic is based on those premise.
Princess Chulabhorn’s politics
I suggest Kim Yong Un as the non-partisan, protector of Democracy for Thailand. He is very qualified, being the UN-elected leader of a Democratic Republic.
Thailand’s electorate deserves respect
Thaksin is desperate to come back to Thailand, so desperate that the folly of the general amnesty came about, with the ramming through parliament, and so yes, from above Yingluck! Thaksin has a lot of power even from Dubai, but it is restricted by living outside the country.
Princess Chulabhorn’s politics
But carried to ridiculous extremes in Thailand. Princess Chulabhorn is supposedly a doctoral level expert in biochemisty and medicine? I believe that Princess Sirindhorn has a CV with over 500 publications. How many of those articles do you believe she actually wrote?
The monarchy needs to watch out, they are losing their credibility and support among the people on a daily basis. Everytime Chulabhorn opens her mouth, another thousand Thais decide they no longer like and can no longer trust their royals.
As evidence I submit the “This country has no justice. Gu wants to split the country” banner recently displayed in Phayao. BTW, “gu” does not translate as “I” like the Bangkok Post alleges; it is the single most insulting pronoun in the Thai vocabulary and would only be used by someone who wants to incite a riot. I have been told that the closest word we have in English is the “N-word”, so it’s not a self-referrent and it is most likely directed at Suthep, i.e. “That lackey wants to split the country.”
Middle class rage threatens democracy
Difficult decisions for Thais. By voting for PT, they are voting for the retention of ballot boxes but also voting for the maintenance of a Shiniwatra regime. Depends what values they place on each choice.
Good article by Marc
Who can stop the Thaksin system?
Neptunian’s post is so (Monty) Python-esque:
“All right-thinking people in this country are sick and tired of being told that they’re sick and tired! I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am!”
Who can stop the Thaksin system?
It’s pretty clear that Thaksin started all these expressions of emotion-based political allegiance by naming his party (i.e. the one he set up after taking over and trashing the Phalang Tham party) Thais Love Thais.
Bangkok’s last Red Shirt fortress
I just read that American war groupie, Michael Yon, has said sweet things about the Red Shirts.
Apparently he’s now covering the story for his Facebook fanbois.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Some-of-my-best-friends-are-red-says-PDRC-sympathi-30225646.html
Thailand’s electorate deserves respect
firstly we have get over the cynicism that this is a self-serving interest for Yingluck and/or Thaksin; I am not sure anyone wants this problem on their head, unless they really believe in representative democracy and want to see the many wrongs that were made and were institutionalised since 19 Septermber 2006 corrected. It is like the amnesty bill forced on Yingluck from above and, as plotted, doomed to failure. It was not in Thaksin’s interests at all and there was no way he was coming back — as he said many times. In much the same way he declared that he was going to step down in a day, but of course the coup went ahead anyway before he could do this. There is a bigger plot behind the scenes and the orders come from an elevated level. It is time folks woke up to this, otherwise keep punching shadows.
Thailand’s electorate deserves respect
Chester Bowles famously said government is too big and too important to be left to the politicians.
Well, some of us obviously think it’s too important to leave it to the swinish multitude.
I guess it’s a choice between respect my vote and respect my superior opinion.
And I guess that’s where the military in our part of the world faithfully adheres to Mao’s famous dictum about power.
Thailand’s electorate deserves respect
I am surprised that very few western analysts including in this commentary above have picked up on how important the unraveling rice scheme is to the timing of this election, and the insistence by YL and PT that it happen now.
Some of this rice was bought over 6 months ago and its only in the past couple of months that the rice farmers are organizing against the program, potentially undermining a large constituency of PT supporters.
My guess it will take at least a while to successfully implement a bond issue to even begin paying back what is rightfully owed to the farmers. Is it any wonder YL/Thaksin wants to rush the election before this issue further implodes PT’s traditional support base? Or why this commerce ministry won’t even report the full extent of these losses?
We can debate the value of transfer of wealth through this rice program endlessly as its just that – a values judgement. I happen to agree wealth transfer is fine if it can help poor farmers, and yes, most countries subsidize agriculture and some of them very “successfully” (i.e. the US). But lets not fool ourselves into ignoring the fact that this rice subsidy program was a pretty blatant attempt at buying (literally) support from poor farmers, and now its mismanagement and corruption is becoming evident to all, except I guess the western “experts” who glorify thaksin’s policies. We can ask these rice farmers now how they feel about these empowering policies.
None of this is to say that Suthep and company aren’t a bunch of self-serving extremists either, by the way.
Thailand’s electorate deserves respect
Then the big question will be: who do the rice farmers blame for the inability to pay them?
I am guessing that they will hold the courts and EC responsible.
But agree that we may well find out soon.
Princess Chulabhorn’s politics
The practice of granting ‘honorary degrees’ is accepted practice around the world.
Thailand’s electorate deserves respect
I deliberately chose to call it “intervention” rather than a “coup” as I believe their best course is to keep the caretaker government in its state of limbo in the hope of wearing down its voter base. However, if the elected government was to be displaced by means of judicial action, for whatever reason, that would surely constitute a coup, would it not? What else would you call it?