stephen tracy

4 hours ago, Darcula said:

 

Motorcycle taxis are now a national security issue.

Yeah, but in terms of threats to the state security apparatus they rank second after twerking while reading Orwell. 

4 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Nice videos with the op article! 

 

And who ever said Thailand isn't an eminently civilized place! 

That's nothing. Try the UK on a Friday night. 

9 hours ago, greenchair said:

You don't know if I have gay friends or not, my own nephew is gay ,so since it's non chattable issue I shan't bother. I have never said gay people should not raise children that are their own. I have expressed my opinion that I am against gay couples adopting other people's children  (except if it is an express wish of the parents ).

I am against marriage, but support civil union with equal rights. This LGBTIQQ stuff is rediculous so I continue use the universally understood word of gay for same sex couples. Which I believe the gay community will eventually go back to. It's a time waster and irrelevant to the cause. I do believe and statistics show a majority of gays were molested as children or were raised in drug addicted or abusive families. It's not a criticism, it's a sad fact. 

I don't believe religion, or homosexuality should be taught in schools, both are confusing and not necessary for my family. 

I strongly am against the promotion of drugs, cigarettes, homosexuality and radical brainwashing of religion to children. 

None of these things are critical of the gay community, nor homophobic, nor racist. They are serious issues and if the gay c continue to bury their head in the sand and refuse to accept or even discuss the issues in a rational way, then expect the fight for equal rights to be long. 

 

"statistics show a majority of gays were molested as children or were raised in drug addicted or abusive families. It's not a criticism, it's a sad fact. "  What utter nonsense. Show your sources for this "fact". 

31 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

that is calling him a liar

abuse

I called it like I saw it. 

2 minutes ago, KiwiKiwi said:

Well, to be fair, Stephen, it is a forum in which comment and opinion are invited. To take the heat out would be a good idea, so... if this thread were about footballers, someone would not have to have footballer friends in order to make a valid comment or have a valid opinion. Room for all surely?. It's also not necessary to be intimately familiar with the activities of footballers in order to have a lack of empathy, or even hostility towards footballers.

 

And I strongly suspect that most support or tolerance for footballers is largely based on not having a close proximity to the game of football or satisfying themselves that the close proximity of the footballing lifestyle is not something they should worry about.. I can't demonstrate this, but I was in Australia during the i960's and 70's, and again during he 1980's. The active hostility demonstrated towards footballers in personal conversations was pretty consistent and apperently unrelated to legislation passed in the interregnum. This and similar situations in the UK, leads me to believe that tolerance of and support for footballers has more to do with a perception of what enlightenment means today, than it does any form of genuine tolerance and belief in personal choices.

 

Don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but, setting aside what we might want to believe for a moment, people are generally not to be trusted to express opinions if there is any law or social convention that may bring them into scorn or ridicule. Most people care about social inclusion. I personally don't give a damn, but most people do, and honesty in the face of the possibility of social exclusion for having non-politically-correct views, is a very rare occurrence.

 

Things are not always as clear-cut as our own preferences might suggest. For this reason, I predict that the whole 'live and let live' culture we find ourselves in a a result of intensive lobbying by a community with vested interests, will pass as the cycle of social trends comes full circle. As history suggests it surely will.

"Well, to be fair, Stephen, it is a forum in which comment and opinion are invited": So I commented. And expressed my opinion that he doesn't have any gay friends, as he claimed. 

You can't bring about reform if you're the very obstacle to that reform. It's a non-starter. 

“If we have elections today, but no one respects the law, then having democracy would be in vain.” Absolutely spot on! Now go tell that to Man-Child and Dumbo. It would probably go over their heads though, especially Dumbo's. Good 'ole Dumbo. 

1 minute ago, Unsane said:

Let's elaborate.  A red light is not a suggestion, it's an order.

Having once been hit by a taxi running a red light in BKK, I agree with your sentiment (100 percent) but I like the first one better. I think it might make the motorist in question stop and think a little. Although I don't know if will sound as good in Thai as it does in English. Member rkidlad could probably land a job in advertising or PR. That was inspired. 

10 hours ago, rkidlad said:

If true, a nice lengthy prison sentence. Send a message loud and clear - a red light is not a suggestion!

"a red light is not a suggestion!"  I must admit, I really like that. It should be sign-posted in Thai at all traffic lights. It's a great slogan. 

https://www.facebook.com/Prakammanu/

The page has 202k followers. Let's up the media attention get's it more. 

Man-Child and Dumbo will be livid. 

7 hours ago, SABloke said:

And I love this photo caption from the Bangkok Post: 

 

At the recent Australia-Asean summit in Sydney in March, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha showed off two rings and a watch, but had no significant contribution to the meeting. 
 

Even the local press doesn't pretend to like him anymore. 

It was a great photo. It showed just how completely out of his depth he is in the international arena. He looked scared and lonely and wishing his two right-hand men, good 'ole Dumbo and his pet frog, were there to hold his hand. He didn't even have a banana peel within arms reach. Sad, sad little man. A far cry from the smug, arrogant, thuggish buffoon that basks in his own perceived glory before the local media in Thailand. 

Anywhere you go in the world conservative = backward. Look at the US, for example. It seems to qualify as a conservative there you have to be a Christian, gun-toting, angry pervert. 

2 minutes ago, robblok said:

We will see so far you have no proof, i think article 44 will be gone together with the PM's power, the only power he then has are his friends in the appointed senate. (just assuming he will be an outsider PM). I wonder how that is going to work (or not work). The political party makes the policy and Prayut has to help with that.. or does he think he can still decide what will happen ?

"or does he think he can still decide what will happen ?"... that's what I'm assuming. I hope I'm wrong though. 

3 minutes ago, robblok said:

How do you know so sure.. because i did not read anything about this ?

I wasn't basing it on any recent specific report or commentary, just my observations of the junta since it was installed. No one can say for sure what the outcome of all this will be after February but if I were to walk into a bookmaker's, I know how I'd place my bet, and I don't think the bookie would give me anything outside of than 8:1 odds. 

8 hours ago, baboon said:

I must say that my first reaction was 'I don't see how it could get worse'. More of the same, certainly, but not worse. What is the basis behind your reasoning, Stephen?

Like Muhammd Morsi in Egypt, once he prevailed in the dubious elections in Egypt, he thought that meant he could do what he wanted and ignore everyone that didn't vote for him (or was prevented from doing so). Because he had no clue of what it meant to win a democratic election (I use the term loosely) or what democracy he is, he simply assumed that democracy means winner takes all. Prayuth, in his infinite arrogance and stupidity, like those who installed him, will assume that the international community will interpret him becoming PM again as  the result of the will of the Thai people because of the "elections". Like Sisi, who ousted Morsi, Prayuth will use the pretext of national security to throw journalists in jail if he doesn't like what they report, after all, he was elected by the people. Erdogan does the same. I don't see S44 being put back in the box, I think it will just be wielded under a different name. I think the only thing that could throw Prayuth off his trajectory to becoming supreme leader is the Thai people themselves. 

5 hours ago, robblok said:

I would think that article 44 will go once he is a prime minister, nothing comes close in power to that.. so I still think there is less power.

It will go but it will be replaced by the same thing with a different name. 

9 hours ago, robblok said:

I disagree, but then I often do. If he gets to become an outsider PM he will have a lot LESS power then now. He can't do as he pleases anymore he will be far less dangerous then now. He will be stressed out a lot as he can't rule with absolute power anymore. 

As long as he has the backing of those that installed him he can do anything he wants with a revamped S44 at his disposal. The only thing that can really stop him - not even sanctions can do that - is the people of the country.