Do not forget that many of the rioters were also drunk.
As much as there needs to be improvements to the condition of foreign workers, they nonetheless chose to travel to Singapore to seek employment. It would be naive for anyone to believe that they would have had equal benefits and remuneration as the Singaporean workers. Hence the built up frustration as an explanation is one that is emotionally empathised, but not necessarily a fair rationalisation, especially for Singaporeans.
Eddy nailed the issue right on the head. I grew up in Singapore and what Eddy said hits the mark on all levels. Many employers will shortchange staff in any way they can and leaving underpaid foreign workers to fend for themselves in a foreign land with little to no rights, and no one who can understand their struggles except other underpaid foreign workers like themselves. Looked down upon and working more than eight hours a day, six days or more a week; it was only a matter of time.
Is laughable to read on the part that seems to imply that the medical ambulance takes a long time to reach the accident scene. You sure u ever live in Singapore ? Have you ever been to “little India”? No doubts there are many frustrations built up among the foreign workers. But There are no excuse for violence. Even the ambulance send to help the victim were burnt up.
To the point of feeling to be in a parallel existence.
First the “Constitution” and the “referendum” and the “Election” were all fake and condemn-able and were treated as such as in your words “not that long ago”.
Since 18th August 2011 total capitulation and collusion by their own planted “Leader of the OPPOSITION”, the tone has changed. 180.
Like in WMD days (when all the journalistic and academic world shamelessly and ruthlessly conspired together to loot the oil and gas off the people of Iraq who are still dying in thousands every day), not a single word is to be found now in any publications or pronouncements by the so-called academics- real and imaginary- that goes against the grain of mainstream line which is to glorify and pamper the current iron-clad “Myanmar” ruling class which is now more palatable/ presentable and suck-up-able than before -what with all these Fake Parliament and government offices on the land after owners being evicted at gunpoint and killed (some thing the Irrawaddy used to complain in old days but not a word now), “members of parliaments” “upper house”, “lower house” and “opposition” parties- well, of sorts- Dysney Style- very American.
It does appear that, contrary to your illusion, the “West” is not so naive to believe the current more thuggish and more killing rulers (for which this article is solid point and proof)but they simply now realizes that there is more to gain to rob the Burmese public off their land and waters and dump their consumer goods after stimulating the “Desire” rather than needs* (vide infra) going along with these odious thugs. Hence the 180.
Aung San Suu Kyi now proves to be a worthy and reliable Trojan. For the so-called dissidents of various colors and persuasions, any fund-er seems right on top of thorough inability to understand the global exploitative practices and manipulation themselves being mired in their own importance.
Indeed, not only there are horrendously more deaths and destruction that makes to the news since that ominous date above, there is increasing insecurity among the populace with more and more violent crimes hitherto unheard of are committed in day to day lives of the people with easy availability and prevalence of various narcotic drugs in the streets (with avalanche of affluent white people coming in, hitherto unheard of cocaine market will explode soon)of all major cities and even in rural areas.
Apart from overwhelming force feeding to the unwary Burmese and global public of fait accompli of Great Achievement of this rotten “democracy” (which apparently can easily corrected by changing the person on the chair- ie. Aung San Suu Kyi in stead of that suitably nincompoop Thein Sein- ), there is aggressive introduction to the country of this “Desire Cuture”*.
How the wheel can be reinvented again and again!
Please see the excerpt from wikipedia.
* ^ The quote is from a 1927 article by Mazur in the Harvard Business Review. See H├дring & Douglas 2012, p. 17.
Mazur 1928, p. 24, 44, 47, 50, similarly read: “Any community that lives on staples has relatively few wants. The community that can be trained to desire . . . to want new things even before the old have been entirely consumed yields a market to be measured more by desires than by needs. And man’s desires can be developed so that they will greatly overshadow his needs. . . . Human nature very conveniently presents a variety of strings upon which an appreciative sales manager can play fortissimo. . . . Threats, fear, beauty, sparkle, persuasion and careful as well as wild-cat exaggeration were thrown at the American buying public as a continuous and terrifying barrage. . . . And so desire was enthroned in the minds of the American consumer, and was served abjectly by the industries that had enthroned it.”
Mazur argued tirelessly that the “extraordinary and miraculous system called mass production in the United States” would, “by its very nature, . . . be a creator of unemployment in a stable economy. On the other hand, a mass-production system which works in a growing economy will show to best advantage.” Economic growth is “an absolute requirement if we do not want overproduction or unemployment. . . . I wish I could take this particular conviction, put it in a hypodermic needle and inject it where it would do the most good.” Combined with the premise that growth requires increased consumption, Mazur concluded: “We must learn to sell better and to advertise better. We must convert a basic economic desire–to acquire more and more things–which has no limitation, I assume, among human beings, into actual demand for goods.” Mazur 1955, p. 44–6.
“[I]n a system as productive as the American economy, it is vital that the levels of consumption be high and constantly rising”. Mazur 1965, p. 164.
For Mazur’s cultures of “needs” and “desires”, see also Leach 1996, which notes (p. 99) that, by 1928, Mazur was able to declare that a “staggering machine of desire” had been erected.
For an account that calls attention to, and argues for the centrality of, the role played by Broadway in the creation of this “staggering machine of desire”, see Schweitzer 2009. On p. 57, Schweitzer notes that the “construction of a mode of spectatorship intended to arouse consumer desire was hardly unique to the theater. Driven by anxieties about overproduction and labor unrest, and bolstered by statistical evidence that claimed women made 85 percent of all consumer purchases, manufacturers joined forces with advertising agents to manipulate consumer behavior. Against a backdrop of progressively violent strikes and protests, this group trained Americans to turn a blind eye to social inequities, to construct individual subjectivites around the purchase of commodities, and to view democracy as the freedom to choose between brands.”
Vichai: not a single whistle mobster is killed by the regime you hate so much. In contrast, three innocent red shirts were killed by the southern thugs that Suthep sent all the way from Ratchadamnern Avenue to Ramkamhaeng area on the 29th of November.
It would be interesting to see what the ANU gravy stained sweater brigade would think, if a Thaksin type leader ever took control in Australia, ripping the stuffing out of public finances, changing laws to suit himself and his family, ignoring court rulings that didn’t suit and sending the economy on a collision course but always throwing enough crumbs to the masses and buying enough votes to get re-elected.
In Y2006 I was merely angry l at Thaksin for all his outrageous constitutional abuses and thus he Thaksin should go. This time in Y2013 I am very very mad as hell at the whole bunch of Thaksin-servants-who-pretend-they-are-lawmakers and the entrenched Thaksin machinery, and, agreed with Suthep that all those Thaksin-servants-who-pretend-to-be-legislators are all illegitimate and they all should not be allowed to serve another day in office.
That is the difference to me personally between Y2006 and Y2013 protests.
The UDD protesters are a bunch of very violent anarchists that murder, bomb and burn. Whereas Y2013 were really very peaceful protesters with legitimate grievance against a Yingluck regime who seek to serve Thaksin and only Thaksin.
Tom, it is not only academics such as Pasuk and Baker who deny the effect of so-called “vote-buying” on election results. Two deputy leaders of the “Democrat” Party, no less, Korn Chatikavanij and Alongkorn Ponlaboot have each pointed out the absolutely minimal effect that the distribution of cash by candidates at election time has on the perceived results.I doubt if you could ask for better witnesses when the charges are most commonly laid against their opponents.
It’s a succession conflict. The Thai establishment is secretly – and desperately – battling to keep Vajiralongkorn off the throne.
Absolutely. The King is so frail that he couldn’t appoint a PM to govern even if he wanted to as he seems to be unable to function both physically and mentally. In his present condition a Rasputin like figure can manipulate the monarchy while the succession is up in the air. Furthermore the successor/s can’t be trusted to follow in the footsteps of the King. This scenario have been playing out for the past few years as the King is being kept alive while the jockeying continues.The King has been a reluctant participant in political affairs ever since he came to the throne and the role of the monarchy was usurped by corrupt politicians for decades.Now the monarchy’s function is being questioned by progressive elements.The best thing would be if the monarchy would only be of ceremonial value. As a circuit breaker for Thai politics it is detrimental to the well being of the citizens. The Monarchy should be revered but not burdened by the rough and tumble of politics. The King should only be expected to do charitable work.
Perhaps you are correct in your last paragraph, Ahmad, I see and understand the reason the Malaysian Government has taken that view and path.
To protect the majority of the population, the commerce of Malaya and to ensure peace prevails , the more moderate form of Islam is the only way they can ensure the security of the Nation.
Really? At least he got elected.. what did the Democrats do to deserve power to rule – coups. The last time I check, a coup is not equal to an election.
You may think that a couple of hundred thousand people can claim to represent 80 million Thais.. and want the right to rule the country un-oppose but most rght thinking people, including 50+million do not
I am pretty sure Abhisit said “we”, as in “we” want a people’s council, but I am not 100% sure and he might have used the pronoun “they”. He did nothing to disagree with the notion.
Again this morning (December 9), in an interview on CNN, he said that Yingluck must meet the protesters’ demands. As we all know (at least in Thailand), the protesters do not want fresh elections, they want an appointed council. He definitely said she must resign and the government must be dissolved. He left unsaid who would head the caretaker government.
Meanwhile, we have another day of protests, and another day of cancelled classes at Mahidol University. I repeat, this has nothing to do with the safety of the students, and everything to do with supporting the goals of the insurrection.
“According to at least some databases, almost half of the so-called “Muslim World” (overall estimated total about 2 billion) lives in countries which are not particularly, noticeably or overtly “anti-U.S.: Indonesia(210 million plus), Bangladesh(160 million), India (248 million), China (130 million), Turkey (70 million), Ethiopia (40 million), U.S. (7 million) ”
I would like to disagree. I’m an Indian- & while most of us don’t want to wipe the West off the map- a la many Muslims fundamentalists, the over-whelming opinion here is that the West in general & the US in particular has been a threat to the rest of Humanity for centuries & the sooner they’re dealt with, the better.
I, for one, will rejoice when ‘heroes’ like Kissinger & Churchill are denounced for the monsters they were…
I am sick and tired with these people saying it is all vote buying that brings up (democratic) governments in Thailand (another one is that “they are too stupid anyway to know” referring to North and Northeast, where people, sure, are less educated which is not by choice, it is because of no opportunity. Could say before Thaksin they were not given much chances in education, health care, or civil freedoms, but they are still equally intelligent. Just supposing, in a game theory like model, all votes can be bought, Democrat party would surely win, as they have most of the money (Is Thaksin like 9th richest person in Thailand, and what about the 8 above, they all saints? Thaksin made his billions in telecoms business before – let me say that again, before, entering politics, what about politicians who made their wealth during their time in office?). But in reality, someone can offer money for your vote, but election process in Thailand is very proper and anynomous (very much like UK or Aus), you vote in a box no one else can see into, and you could in any case vote for any party you wanted even if you were “bought”. I think “vote buying” is just another lame excuse by Democrat party – why they are not winning any elections for some 20 years might have something to do with the fact they ignore the electorate and only get to power through military coups and manipulation of the legal system now and then. And the world turns…
What about arms deals with North Korea?
It was not that long ago that I saw Shwe Mann (Suu Kyi’s bff?) all over the internet sucking up to the North Koreans to help the “Tatmadaw” build caves, bunkers, rockets, even nuclear weapons in exchange for Burmese rice and some yellow cakes (uranium lol)
I don’t believe that things have changed that much inside Burma itself. Burmese generals like to play with smoke and mirrors and of course with money and power. It’s the perception of the West about Burma that has changed, but perception is everything in this shallow materialistic world.
Little by little we learn abut what is democracy for the Democrats. If you loose an election (because your vote buying has failed), mobilize the supporters you have and buy a few more (with a minimum wage of 300 this is not too expensive). Be aware that the Bangkok petty bourgoisie can easily be fooled. If this does not really work out, resign the seats you have won in the election. Then establish the Bolskevik-System.
It would be nice to learn how expensive the Suthep-campaign was (and will be) for the Thai taxpayer and the economy. Certainly, the willingness of Thai employees to go on strike and EGAT to cut doen power is relevant for tourists and travellers who might use Thai as airline. As investor, it would be really good to know that the factory might be cut of from power if a psycho thinks this is approbriate.
As nobody (except a few intellectuals) is thinking about a political solution
and “road towards democratization”, it becomes clear that excatly such a road is not at all intended.
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Stop and think: Lessons from Little India
Do not forget that many of the rioters were also drunk.
As much as there needs to be improvements to the condition of foreign workers, they nonetheless chose to travel to Singapore to seek employment. It would be naive for anyone to believe that they would have had equal benefits and remuneration as the Singaporean workers. Hence the built up frustration as an explanation is one that is emotionally empathised, but not necessarily a fair rationalisation, especially for Singaporeans.
Stop and think: Lessons from Little India
Eddy nailed the issue right on the head. I grew up in Singapore and what Eddy said hits the mark on all levels. Many employers will shortchange staff in any way they can and leaving underpaid foreign workers to fend for themselves in a foreign land with little to no rights, and no one who can understand their struggles except other underpaid foreign workers like themselves. Looked down upon and working more than eight hours a day, six days or more a week; it was only a matter of time.
Stop and think: Lessons from Little India
Is laughable to read on the part that seems to imply that the medical ambulance takes a long time to reach the accident scene. You sure u ever live in Singapore ? Have you ever been to “little India”? No doubts there are many frustrations built up among the foreign workers. But There are no excuse for violence. Even the ambulance send to help the victim were burnt up.
Myanmar’s military: Money and guns
All awfully surrealistic Tocharian.
To the point of feeling to be in a parallel existence.
First the “Constitution” and the “referendum” and the “Election” were all fake and condemn-able and were treated as such as in your words “not that long ago”.
Since 18th August 2011 total capitulation and collusion by their own planted “Leader of the OPPOSITION”, the tone has changed. 180.
Like in WMD days (when all the journalistic and academic world shamelessly and ruthlessly conspired together to loot the oil and gas off the people of Iraq who are still dying in thousands every day), not a single word is to be found now in any publications or pronouncements by the so-called academics- real and imaginary- that goes against the grain of mainstream line which is to glorify and pamper the current iron-clad “Myanmar” ruling class which is now more palatable/ presentable and suck-up-able than before -what with all these Fake Parliament and government offices on the land after owners being evicted at gunpoint and killed (some thing the Irrawaddy used to complain in old days but not a word now), “members of parliaments” “upper house”, “lower house” and “opposition” parties- well, of sorts- Dysney Style- very American.
It does appear that, contrary to your illusion, the “West” is not so naive to believe the current more thuggish and more killing rulers (for which this article is solid point and proof)but they simply now realizes that there is more to gain to rob the Burmese public off their land and waters and dump their consumer goods after stimulating the “Desire” rather than needs* (vide infra) going along with these odious thugs. Hence the 180.
Aung San Suu Kyi now proves to be a worthy and reliable Trojan. For the so-called dissidents of various colors and persuasions, any fund-er seems right on top of thorough inability to understand the global exploitative practices and manipulation themselves being mired in their own importance.
Indeed, not only there are horrendously more deaths and destruction that makes to the news since that ominous date above, there is increasing insecurity among the populace with more and more violent crimes hitherto unheard of are committed in day to day lives of the people with easy availability and prevalence of various narcotic drugs in the streets (with avalanche of affluent white people coming in, hitherto unheard of cocaine market will explode soon)of all major cities and even in rural areas.
Apart from overwhelming force feeding to the unwary Burmese and global public of fait accompli of Great Achievement of this rotten “democracy” (which apparently can easily corrected by changing the person on the chair- ie. Aung San Suu Kyi in stead of that suitably nincompoop Thein Sein- ), there is aggressive introduction to the country of this “Desire Cuture”*.
How the wheel can be reinvented again and again!
Please see the excerpt from wikipedia.
* ^ The quote is from a 1927 article by Mazur in the Harvard Business Review. See H├дring & Douglas 2012, p. 17.
Mazur 1928, p. 24, 44, 47, 50, similarly read: “Any community that lives on staples has relatively few wants. The community that can be trained to desire . . . to want new things even before the old have been entirely consumed yields a market to be measured more by desires than by needs. And man’s desires can be developed so that they will greatly overshadow his needs. . . . Human nature very conveniently presents a variety of strings upon which an appreciative sales manager can play fortissimo. . . . Threats, fear, beauty, sparkle, persuasion and careful as well as wild-cat exaggeration were thrown at the American buying public as a continuous and terrifying barrage. . . . And so desire was enthroned in the minds of the American consumer, and was served abjectly by the industries that had enthroned it.”
Mazur argued tirelessly that the “extraordinary and miraculous system called mass production in the United States” would, “by its very nature, . . . be a creator of unemployment in a stable economy. On the other hand, a mass-production system which works in a growing economy will show to best advantage.” Economic growth is “an absolute requirement if we do not want overproduction or unemployment. . . . I wish I could take this particular conviction, put it in a hypodermic needle and inject it where it would do the most good.” Combined with the premise that growth requires increased consumption, Mazur concluded: “We must learn to sell better and to advertise better. We must convert a basic economic desire–to acquire more and more things–which has no limitation, I assume, among human beings, into actual demand for goods.” Mazur 1955, p. 44–6.
“[I]n a system as productive as the American economy, it is vital that the levels of consumption be high and constantly rising”. Mazur 1965, p. 164.
For Mazur’s cultures of “needs” and “desires”, see also Leach 1996, which notes (p. 99) that, by 1928, Mazur was able to declare that a “staggering machine of desire” had been erected.
For an account that calls attention to, and argues for the centrality of, the role played by Broadway in the creation of this “staggering machine of desire”, see Schweitzer 2009. On p. 57, Schweitzer notes that the “construction of a mode of spectatorship intended to arouse consumer desire was hardly unique to the theater. Driven by anxieties about overproduction and labor unrest, and bolstered by statistical evidence that claimed women made 85 percent of all consumer purchases, manufacturers joined forces with advertising agents to manipulate consumer behavior. Against a backdrop of progressively violent strikes and protests, this group trained Americans to turn a blind eye to social inequities, to construct individual subjectivites around the purchase of commodities, and to view democracy as the freedom to choose between brands.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Century_of_the_Self
Thailand’s 2013 protests in comparison
Vichai: not a single whistle mobster is killed by the regime you hate so much. In contrast, three innocent red shirts were killed by the southern thugs that Suthep sent all the way from Ratchadamnern Avenue to Ramkamhaeng area on the 29th of November.
Who can stop the Thaksin system?
They may well campaign against him in elections.
Stop and think: Lessons from Little India
Excellent article! Good analysis of the reasons that led to the outbreak of violence.
Who can stop the Thaksin system?
It would be interesting to see what the ANU gravy stained sweater brigade would think, if a Thaksin type leader ever took control in Australia, ripping the stuffing out of public finances, changing laws to suit himself and his family, ignoring court rulings that didn’t suit and sending the economy on a collision course but always throwing enough crumbs to the masses and buying enough votes to get re-elected.
Thailand’s 2013 protests in comparison
In Y2006 I was merely angry l at Thaksin for all his outrageous constitutional abuses and thus he Thaksin should go. This time in Y2013 I am very very mad as hell at the whole bunch of Thaksin-servants-who-pretend-they-are-lawmakers and the entrenched Thaksin machinery, and, agreed with Suthep that all those Thaksin-servants-who-pretend-to-be-legislators are all illegitimate and they all should not be allowed to serve another day in office.
That is the difference to me personally between Y2006 and Y2013 protests.
The UDD protesters are a bunch of very violent anarchists that murder, bomb and burn. Whereas Y2013 were really very peaceful protesters with legitimate grievance against a Yingluck regime who seek to serve Thaksin and only Thaksin.
Thailand’s stark choice
Tom, it is not only academics such as Pasuk and Baker who deny the effect of so-called “vote-buying” on election results. Two deputy leaders of the “Democrat” Party, no less, Korn Chatikavanij and Alongkorn Ponlaboot have each pointed out the absolutely minimal effect that the distribution of cash by candidates at election time has on the perceived results.I doubt if you could ask for better witnesses when the charges are most commonly laid against their opponents.
Thailand’s stark choice
It’s a succession conflict. The Thai establishment is secretly – and desperately – battling to keep Vajiralongkorn off the throne.
Absolutely. The King is so frail that he couldn’t appoint a PM to govern even if he wanted to as he seems to be unable to function both physically and mentally. In his present condition a Rasputin like figure can manipulate the monarchy while the succession is up in the air. Furthermore the successor/s can’t be trusted to follow in the footsteps of the King. This scenario have been playing out for the past few years as the King is being kept alive while the jockeying continues.The King has been a reluctant participant in political affairs ever since he came to the throne and the role of the monarchy was usurped by corrupt politicians for decades.Now the monarchy’s function is being questioned by progressive elements.The best thing would be if the monarchy would only be of ceremonial value. As a circuit breaker for Thai politics it is detrimental to the well being of the citizens. The Monarchy should be revered but not burdened by the rough and tumble of politics. The King should only be expected to do charitable work.
Islamist conservatism in Malaysia
Perhaps you are correct in your last paragraph, Ahmad, I see and understand the reason the Malaysian Government has taken that view and path.
To protect the majority of the population, the commerce of Malaya and to ensure peace prevails , the more moderate form of Islam is the only way they can ensure the security of the Nation.
Islamist conservatism in Malaysia
[…] By Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid New Mandala 7 December 2013 […]
Who can stop the Thaksin system?
Really? At least he got elected.. what did the Democrats do to deserve power to rule – coups. The last time I check, a coup is not equal to an election.
You may think that a couple of hundred thousand people can claim to represent 80 million Thais.. and want the right to rule the country un-oppose but most rght thinking people, including 50+million do not
Thailand’s stark choice
I am pretty sure Abhisit said “we”, as in “we” want a people’s council, but I am not 100% sure and he might have used the pronoun “they”. He did nothing to disagree with the notion.
Again this morning (December 9), in an interview on CNN, he said that Yingluck must meet the protesters’ demands. As we all know (at least in Thailand), the protesters do not want fresh elections, they want an appointed council. He definitely said she must resign and the government must be dissolved. He left unsaid who would head the caretaker government.
Meanwhile, we have another day of protests, and another day of cancelled classes at Mahidol University. I repeat, this has nothing to do with the safety of the students, and everything to do with supporting the goals of the insurrection.
Counterpunch: Pol Pot wasn’t so bad
“According to at least some databases, almost half of the so-called “Muslim World” (overall estimated total about 2 billion) lives in countries which are not particularly, noticeably or overtly “anti-U.S.: Indonesia(210 million plus), Bangladesh(160 million), India (248 million), China (130 million), Turkey (70 million), Ethiopia (40 million), U.S. (7 million) ”
I would like to disagree. I’m an Indian- & while most of us don’t want to wipe the West off the map- a la many Muslims fundamentalists, the over-whelming opinion here is that the West in general & the US in particular has been a threat to the rest of Humanity for centuries & the sooner they’re dealt with, the better.
I, for one, will rejoice when ‘heroes’ like Kissinger & Churchill are denounced for the monsters they were…
Thailand’s stark choice
I am sick and tired with these people saying it is all vote buying that brings up (democratic) governments in Thailand (another one is that “they are too stupid anyway to know” referring to North and Northeast, where people, sure, are less educated which is not by choice, it is because of no opportunity. Could say before Thaksin they were not given much chances in education, health care, or civil freedoms, but they are still equally intelligent. Just supposing, in a game theory like model, all votes can be bought, Democrat party would surely win, as they have most of the money (Is Thaksin like 9th richest person in Thailand, and what about the 8 above, they all saints? Thaksin made his billions in telecoms business before – let me say that again, before, entering politics, what about politicians who made their wealth during their time in office?). But in reality, someone can offer money for your vote, but election process in Thailand is very proper and anynomous (very much like UK or Aus), you vote in a box no one else can see into, and you could in any case vote for any party you wanted even if you were “bought”. I think “vote buying” is just another lame excuse by Democrat party – why they are not winning any elections for some 20 years might have something to do with the fact they ignore the electorate and only get to power through military coups and manipulation of the legal system now and then. And the world turns…
Myanmar’s military: Money and guns
What about arms deals with North Korea?
It was not that long ago that I saw Shwe Mann (Suu Kyi’s bff?) all over the internet sucking up to the North Koreans to help the “Tatmadaw” build caves, bunkers, rockets, even nuclear weapons in exchange for Burmese rice and some yellow cakes (uranium lol)
I don’t believe that things have changed that much inside Burma itself. Burmese generals like to play with smoke and mirrors and of course with money and power. It’s the perception of the West about Burma that has changed, but perception is everything in this shallow materialistic world.
The king’s birthday speech
Nice to see a thoughtful response like this get a good number of thumbs ups.
Thailand’s stark choice
Little by little we learn abut what is democracy for the Democrats. If you loose an election (because your vote buying has failed), mobilize the supporters you have and buy a few more (with a minimum wage of 300 this is not too expensive). Be aware that the Bangkok petty bourgoisie can easily be fooled. If this does not really work out, resign the seats you have won in the election. Then establish the Bolskevik-System.
It would be nice to learn how expensive the Suthep-campaign was (and will be) for the Thai taxpayer and the economy. Certainly, the willingness of Thai employees to go on strike and EGAT to cut doen power is relevant for tourists and travellers who might use Thai as airline. As investor, it would be really good to know that the factory might be cut of from power if a psycho thinks this is approbriate.
As nobody (except a few intellectuals) is thinking about a political solution
and “road towards democratization”, it becomes clear that excatly such a road is not at all intended.