Newsweek Says Thaksin Playing Risky Game

[george]

COVER STORY: Newsweek says PM playing risky game

BANGKOK: Newsweek magazine has put Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on the cover of its latest edition with a tantalising headline: "The New Mahathir". But as far as the Thai leader is concerned, the good news stops there.

The cover story is highly sceptical of Thaksin's economic success and programmes and strongly critical of his iron-handed rule. The coverage comes hot on the heels of a Washington Post editorial published just before the New Year that decried the US government's warming up to the Thai Rak Thai leader.

The magazine said the "consumer-credit driven" Thai economy is at best a double-edged sword.

"As in Japan, where the state put off reforms for a 'lost decade', debts will mount if left unresolved. Only rapid growth and asset inflation can keep debtors ahead of the game, which may explain why Thaksin last year fought off a proposal to prick the looming stock-market bubble by restraining debt financing of share purchases," Newsweek said.

"Unlike 1997, when the crash centred in Bangkok, the next downturn could hit poor villages across the country, trapping millions of poor people in debt."

The chance of success or avoiding that disaster will depend on whether the lending spree can create a new class of grass-roots entrepreneurs to sustain growth, the magazine said. Only then could Thaksin "fulfil the expectations of analysts who see him as the leader of a newly effective breed of popular reformer" and Thailand emerge "as the leading model of successful resistance to unbridled globalisation, taking over the role played by long time Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad".

It was worth recalling, the magazine added, that "Mahathir retired only last October, after 22 years of exercising tight state control over an economic miracle. Thaksin could do worse."

Newsweek's strong scepticism toward Thaksin's economic policies followed a sharp rebuke of his political moves by the Washington Post. The daily's editorial , headlined "Our Man in Bangkok", listed Thaksin's undemocratic tendencies in its swipe at the Bush administration's policy toward the Thai government.

"A US administration intent on promoting democracy might be expected to quickly distance itself from such a leader.

"Instead, the Bush administration has embraced Thaksin. Thailand was recently designated a 'major non-Nato ally' of the United States, entitling it to enhanced military co-operation, and invited to follow Singapore in negotiating a bilateral free trade agreement," the Post said.

--The Nation 2004-01-07

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Will ' Newsweek ' be banned awhile I wonder. His Excellency doesn't suffer fools gladly.

[plachon]

Will ' Newsweek ' be banned awhile I wonder. His Excellency doesn't suffer fools gladly.

No, H.E. doesn't does he? Perhaps you two should make a team, eh? Pesky Newsweek trying to steal FEER's thunder. Tsk. Tsk. Ban the lot of 'em I say. Uncle Mahatir really knew what he was doing, the crafty old fox.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

You'd make a good third for the trifecta.

[Wei]

Plssssssssssssssssssss...... H.E same same Dr. M? Still a longgggggggggggggggggggg way to go............ Besides, there can only be 1 Dr. M.

[Guest IT Manager]

Thank the Lord Buddha for small Mercies then.

[marquess]

I think that we are missing the point here. I during Mahatir reign, I never knew him to have a conflict between the state and his personal business interests. Secondly Mahatir was from a medical background and seem to set out with a genuine desire to improve the lot of the common people. I am not to sure about he common people being in the real equation here. There seems to be a more patrician approach.

[Guest IT Manager]

Don't panic Marquess, you aren't alone.

Much as I disagreed with his monied rightist politics, Dr M was, in the long run, interested in the fate of his country. I wish the same were true in our situation, but having seen the "on-the-ground" results of the 30 baht scheme, and having been to the pyre of one of the victims, and expecting to go to more, I hope the voters wake up to the real situation soon.

[Guest ka1234]

I hope the voters wake up to the real situation soon.

Won't happen. And even if it did, do you think the poll result would count? The guy already controls most of the "opposition", the police, the military etc.

Anyway, it is amazing to see all these scandals where he is over and over caught with his finger in the cookie jar (telecom, airlines etc) and noone seems to give a sh*t.

[Guest ka1234]

This looks like new Newsweek original: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3869085/

[plachon]

Don't panic Marquess, you aren't alone.

Much as I disagreed with his monied rightist politics, Dr M was, in the long run, interested in the fate of his country. I wish the same were true in our situation, but having seen the "on-the-ground" results of the 30 baht scheme, and having been to the pyre of one of the victims, and expecting to go to more, I hope the voters wake up to the real situation soon.

You do seem to have changed your tune a bit IT? Do you remember not so many months ago when I was locked in discussion with an Italian gentleman (Massein?) over the merits or other wise of the 30 Baht scheme and several other threads about the dangerous paths the PM was taking this country down, and you chipped in that you thought the Thai people would soon wake up to the real situation and hound a bad'un out of office. Do I take it that this is no longer the case and your confidence is waning? I have to admit that I haven't attended any funeral pyre's lately, but I do see on a pretty regular basis poor people denied state medical treatment, because of the present 30 Bt mess. V. sad when you see indebted people fall even further into debt, just to feed one man's ego.

[The_Eye_Of_Sauron]

People die - so what !? (Planning on living forever, eh?)

If people die because they caught diseases from infected needles, then serves them right.

There are richer people in this country than Thaksin Shinawatra and his family, If those people want to help, then they will.

[marquess]

If people die because they caught diseases from infected needles, then serves them right

This is a rather harsh view to take, no one deserves to suffer. Not even you! Would you take the same view if you contracted a potentially fatal STD? I think not!

Any was we digress, this topic is about politics Mahathir and Taksin

[plachon]

You'd make a good third for the trifecta.

Unfortuntately, though Doc, I can't just censor them at the touch of a button. Not that I'd really want to most of the time, as it dulls life immensely when you just have a bunch of people talking about the merits of baby strollers or whether to opt for Mae Sai or Mae Sot for the border walk. As much as I was glad to see that fool Tomy take a hike, I think you were too harsh with Mr Vietnam and Butterfly. These are not fools, but mass debaters who like to fan flames. As such, they're entertaining to the board. I'd even pay to see the Chonabot - Mr Vietnam exchange a few months ago, re-enacted with avatars and pictures of potential threats thrown in for viewing pleasure. Does anybody else recall this thaivisa classic golden oldie, before it was so cruelly wound up?

[maerim]

This is a rather harsh view to take, no one deserves to suffer. Not even you! Would you take the same view if you contracted a potentially fatal STD? I think not!

You can't catch a fatal STD from your right hand.

[Georgie-Porgie]

For future reference, for anyone who takes plachon's whining, politically correct posts seriously, look what he has to say about his good mate Butterfly:

I think you were too harsh with Mr Vietnam and Butterfly. These are not fools, but mass debaters who like to fan flames.

Does anyone else seriously believe that Butterfly is debating in any way, shape, form or manner? He is a raving lunatic, spewing nothing but pointless hatred. Unless you are as wacky as he is, his ranting is nothing but a waste of time.

Peas in a pod.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Birds of a feather Georgie. Funny as it seems, I never did a thing to Mr Vietnam. Not even a simple rebuke. Never mind, Mr Playschool knows better

[davidm]

Marquess, you are mistaken: Mahathir was up to his neck in it, with his family and close friends reaping the benefits. So what if DR M never signed a contract, no one would refuse a very close contact.

Malaysia would have "progressed" more or less the same as it has without him at the helm, but with fewer headline making controversies. As usual, the man at the top takes credit or blame for what happens during his watch.

[plachon]

For future reference, for anyone who takes plachon's whining, politically correct posts seriously, look what he has to say about his good mate Butterfly:

I think you were too harsh with Mr Vietnam and Butterfly. These are not fools, but mass debaters who like to fan flames.

Does anyone else seriously believe that Butterfly is debating in any way, shape, form or manner? He is a raving lunatic, spewing nothing but pointless hatred. Unless you are as wacky as he is, his ranting is nothing but a waste of time.

Peas in a pod.

wrong G-P, just a different political hue to yourself. If you had been around long enough, you'd have known that i have personally rebuked Butterfly on a couple of occasions when he stepped over the line of racism and hate. If you think that we share any more in common on this thread than our firm belief that the US was wrong to invade Iraq and has an illegitmate leader at its helm, then I'm afraid that's your problem, not mine. I defended Butterfly's and Mr Vietnam's rants, as i believe the there is a place for them on the forum, that is now quaintly called the Bearpit. However, if Mr Vietnam has never been warned, censored or god forbid it, banned by yourself, then I stand corrected Doc.

[Georgie-Porgie]

plachon, I'm afraid that we disagree on two things: Politics is obvious, but also, I strongly think that Butterfly has no place on this forum. I have said why many times.

Two examples:

1)Does anyone else seriously believe that Butterfly is debating in any way, shape, form or manner? He is a raving lunatic, spewing nothing but pointless hatred. Unless you are as wacky as he is, his ranting is nothing but a waste of time.

2)The real danger to this board are the serial filibusterers. The time and energy wasters that don't really have anything to say. They are for, or against, something, and as far as they are concerned, that is all that counts. They throw up a big negative smokescreen over every thread that they hijack and don't give others a chance to participate.

They don't have to think about what they are saying, because they are not really saying much of anything; They can just fill page after page with taunting, insulting garbage. They never answer any pertinent questions about their previous posts because that would quickly show how little they know about whatever they are going on, and on, about.

If anyone needs to be removed from this Forum permanently, it is Butterfly and his ilk who have nothing what-so-ever to offer. 

Enough said.

[plachon]

Actually, Butterfly did have a lot to say on a lot of issues, but I do agree that he often returned to one over-arching issue, that you happen to personally disagree with. Occasionally, he went a little too far and stepped over the line of "decency", but that is not that unusual in a forum of this nature. But, in his defence, he mostly did argue rationally and provided frequent links to back up his assertions, which demonstrated wide reading around the issues he's passionate about. He held long coherent arguments with lots of posters over the last six months, but you choose to dismiss these as just "nothing but a waste of time" or "nothing what-so-ever to offer". Now he's been suspended, for what I'm not sure, but the Forum is a poorer place for it.

[Georgie-Porgie]

I will admit that I only paid attention to Bitterfly on the US bashing issue, but he was useless enough, and obnoxious enough on that one issue to get him kicked off Thaivisa.com for life. I would say that he almost never answered questions rationally, and most of the time, his links had very little to do with the issue that was being discussed on the forum. They were just more Bush jokes or smears that don't leave room for a rational answer.

I feel that "Nothing but a waste of time" and "Nothing what-so-ever to offer" are the perfect description of his posts.

The forum would be much better off if he were never allowed to return.

[Guest IT Manager]

People die - so what !? (Planning on living forever, eh?)

If people die because they caught diseases from infected needles, then serves them right.

Sauron, on this occasion I will assume you are just a little bit of a dumbie. In fact it may be worse, but there is a cure.

FYI there are many reasons for people to use/abuse drugs. You smoke? Drink? Why, if you do? Both are addictive, they just don't need a needle.

I would like you to pop i to see me in Chiang Mai sometime, and I will show you how easy it is to become death affected, without knowing what was happening when it happened.

Don't say anything like that again. Not just because it makes people think you are cold and have no heart, it also makes them wonder if you are equipped with a thought process.

[Guest IT Manager]

Don't panic Marquess, you aren't alone.

Much as I disagreed with his monied rightist politics, Dr M was, in the long run, interested in the fate of his country. I wish the same were true in our situation, but having seen the "on-the-ground" results of the 30 baht scheme, and having been to the pyre of one of the victims, and expecting to go to more, I hope the voters wake up to the real situation soon.

You do seem to have changed your tune a bit IT? Do you remember not so many months ago when I was locked in discussion with an Italian gentleman (Massein?) over the merits or other wise of the 30 Baht scheme and several other threads about the dangerous paths the PM was taking this country down, and you chipped in that you thought the Thai people would soon wake up to the real situation and hound a bad'un out of office. Do I take it that this is no longer the case and your confidence is waning? I have to admit that I haven't attended any funeral pyre's lately, but I do see on a pretty regular basis poor people denied state medical treatment, because of the present 30 Bt mess. V. sad when you see indebted people fall even further into debt, just to feed one man's ego.

Plachon, no I haven't changed my tune. Maybe woken up to the reality of state sponsored grief that is being managed by H.E. and friends.

Soon is a matter of "what is soon"? Mr Clinton perfected it in a country where accountability is King. H.E. uses "his" press to present his reality view.

If you live for long enough with nothing, eventually the little bits you get mean a lot. Lets face it, the people in my village really didn't understand the IMF involvement after they were asked to rescue the economy, which they did, and placed a few ideas in place to ensure that the country would not be a basket case like Laos, forever.

The rules have enabled the country to get back on it's' feet and unfortunately, the "collateral damage" was the capacity of one man to get up and say "I fixed it", when he did exactly nothing to achieve the result that IMF had written into the credits which H.E. called a "loan". FEER had it right I'm afraid. Now it continues.

[plachon]

Generally agree with your sentiments IT, but would be hard pressed to make any firm comparisons between the state of the Thai & Lao economies in the past 2 decades. It's like comparing the US and say, Jamaican economy (I'm tempted to say Haiti, but that's even further along the scale of opposites) which have so radically different GDPs, base conditions (esp. access to world markets) and the infamous "head start" factor (so well explained by Jared Diamond in his book "Guns, Germs & Steel"), that the only real commonalities are geographical and cultural similarities. You write Laos off as "a basket case", but I'm not so sure I agree, but this is really for another thread.

What was it exactly that "woke you up" to the present realities being orchestrated by The Emp, bar the forementioned upsurge in pyres? My reading of present situation, is that despite the clear and obvious warning signals about the path being trodden, the ordinary Thai punter is not waking up to the dangers, but rather being sucked further down into the mire. Like a Pied piper, the mass populace are dancing to his tune and following his seductive music, wherever it will lead. Just not enough Burin Kantabutr's with good critical thinking ability, to sort fact from fiction, achievable promises from wild fantasies I'm afraid. Sad, but that's the rub. Just look at the present Municipal elections for further proof of the failure of "democracy" to serve the people.

[SoCal]

I think you were too harsh with Mr Vietnam and Butterfly. These are not fools, but mass debaters who like to fan flames.

Doc,

mental mass debators = mental mastabators ?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I think you were too harsh with Mr Vietnam and Butterfly. These are not fools, but mass debaters who like to fan flames.

Doc,

mental mass debators = mental mastabators ?

Mrs Bates little boy ...young Master Bates

[plachon]

I think you were too harsh with Mr Vietnam and Butterfly. These are not fools, but mass debaters who like to fan flames.

Doc,

mental mass debators = mental mastabators ?

Mrs Bates little boy ...young Master Bates

So glad to see someone was paying attention and the baht has finally dropped. You weren't a young naval rating from Staines in a previous incarnation were you Doc?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Seaman Stains in an earlier incarnation. Awarded VD and scar

[plachon]

Seaman Stains in an earlier incarnation. Awarded VD and scar

Hope it was an honourable discharge after receiving the VD for "valour and daring on the high see" (there's a pun in there somewhere if you think long enough doc) and no member was seen weeping with shame at the clearing clinic.