tomta

Populism has not been a meaningful term in Thailand for a long time. It is code for Thaksinism. I remember hearing well-heeled Bangkokians criticizing Thaksin's policies that were giving mobile phones and motorbikes to farmers. Populism, the screamed into their Nokias. But mobile phones and motorbiles are also agricultural tools

Plato wrote his Socratic dialogues to memorialize his mentor's ethical investigations and ideas that the unexamined life is not worth living.

Galileo wrote his great dialogue on the two world systems and even with that little bit of subterfuge got himself banged up by the catholic church for heresy.

Montaigne expanded the form and wrote dialogues posing himself as one interlocutor against other aspects of himself as the other.

And the inheritor of this honoured form is .... Tulsathit Taptim.

Jesus wept.

5 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Actually, I find this quite interesting. The FFP must be trending a great deal of support if the PTB feel that there is a need to use extra-legal measures to try to knock them out of the race; I would LOVE to see the polling data that the Junta has. And, when I say polling data, I do not mean the garbage printed in the media showing that Prayut has 89.04% 'determination', I mean data regarding polling intentions.

 

The problem is that these are not extra-legal measures - immoral, disgusting, vicious yes but quite legal The ministry of TRuth has all the facts and whatever they decide are the facts will be the facts.

I thought he wanted Reform before Elections?

On 2/18/2019 at 2:55 AM, cookieqw said:

Every country and army forms legends around certain battles and these become the anchor points of an armies history (battle of the Somme, Dien Bien Phu, Goose Green, Gallipoli etc). These battles give men a goal to aim towards..a kind of barometer of bravery and sacrifice.

 

JUST ANOTHER KIND OF INDOCTRINATION

ever heard of an army celebrating something it lost ????

Yes, ANZAC day celebrates the Gallipoli campaign that you mention. It was not an ANZAC victory. The Serbs celebrate the Battle of Kosovo back in the 14th Century , which was also a defeat. The British celebrate Dunkirk, a miraculous retreat perhaps but still a loss. Many more examples, I'm sure. I think also that neither the BRitish nor the Germans celebrate the Somme. Like Verdun, everyone lost that battle. Commemorate  is perhaps more apt than celebrate

30 minutes ago, Nowisee said:

Lead by example, otherwise you are known to be a hypocrite. 

What are you talking about. He has created and fostered the exemplary moral communities known as the army, the PDRC and the NCPO

On 2/14/2019 at 10:59 PM, Grafting Ken said:

I must be because my life in Thailand has not changed one little bit over the last 13 years no matter who is running the country!

Congratulations. You're completely stable. Possible in that most stable of all states, brain death. Well done. No new thoughts can possibly disturb your equilibrium.

On 2/14/2019 at 9:33 PM, Grafting Ken said:

Nobody here really gives a flying !

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Life is better up here with the big man in... I really like him.

The big man? Line up for a medal for sycophancy first class.

45 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

provocative move suspending a tv station dont you think?

Yes could lower morale and cause conflict in society.

36 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

"an ageing dalek" what a creative description. Excellent!

an "epauletted  dalek" was an earlier one that, I think, Parry came up with.

1 hour ago, bowerboy said:

 

This article just felt like a lot of meaningless waffle about who is who in the army...lacked analysis or insight

To form reasonable insights, we first need to be in possession of the facts. Chamber lays them out for us. He's in Thailand so he has to tread carefully. And more than just the powerplays in the army, he points to the resumption of the crown lands around the Dusit area - the racecourse, the zoo and the two rajahbat universities. This has received very little play in the Thai mass media for obvious reasons but not much even in the more openly critical banned media. I'm  not in Thailand so I don't know whether it's a subject of furtive conversation or not.. But I think of the public reaction if the Victorian government closed down and took over Flemington Racecourse, the Royal Melbourne Zoo and the Victoria University. Reaction would be absolutely massive. I'm sure people can imagine the same situation in their own home towns.

It's all over now, baby blue

An intriguing aspect of this is that in its initial photo of Hakeem the newspaper that can't be mentioned here photoshopped (very poorly) out the shackles. Terrible journalistic practice but I wonder what the reasons were? Shame? A pathetic attempt to protect Thailand's image? They have now restored the true photographic representation of the shackles but they deserve a lot of criticism for this? How can you trust any of their photos?

There was a case during the troubles of 2009-2010, where a journalist attacked a redshirt woman. His cameras and camera bag were photoshopped out of the picture. It was spun as "Furious local resident attacks redshirt invasion". Or words to that effect. The picture was full of high drama and went on to win a prize from the Thai Journalists Association for Best Picture. This, even though  they knew and openly admitted it was photoshopped. They gave it the prize because of the "drama".

5 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

An interesting and pertinent comment in that clip - one which we can not discuss here.

Yes indeed. Jonathan Head pushing the envelope a little?

10 hours ago, hansnl said:

Easy to blame the government of the day.

Any people will get the leadership they deserve.

And you really think the Thai public, or any other nation all over the world, will do what might be necessary?

Or follow the good example of their "leaders"?

Dream on, for many people a car is a status symbol, giving oodles of face.

Besides, do you really think it will help as authorities, army, don't use their cars for some time.

Maybe 1-2 percent of all cars in Thailand.

Get real!

Yes it is. This government came to power through extra-ordinary means. It follows that they should be able to do extra-ordinary things.

Through their usurpation and their denial of the ordinary democratic processes, the very least that can be expected of them is absolute perfection. If they do not achieve this, then they have failed miserably.

This is the yardstick which they have invited us to judge them by. 

On 2/1/2019 at 8:54 PM, Chris Lawrence said:

But, it could be interpreted as the 'head of the FISH always goes bad first'?

I would it like the : The HEAD of the fish always goe.s bad first.

I'm sorry. I wish I could speak in plain, ordinary meaningful language rather than code

On 2/1/2019 at 8:54 PM, Chris Lawrence said:

But, it could be interpreted as the 'head of the FISH always goes bad first'?

That is a very dangerous thought

7 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Does anybody understand how to solve the up-country problems?

What some politicians obviously understand is how to motivate the people to vote for them and their populist policies.

But did anybody, including Thaksin and his minions, actually solve many problems in the N and NE?

Farmers are happy to get some money. And middlemen and happier because they get even more money. And TRT politicians are happy that the people are happy because they got some money but still poor so that next time they will vote again for the corrupt with will give them a few crumbs of the cake.

I am sure the Democrats or any other party could have perfect solutions for NE and the people would still continue to vote for the corrupt...

Well yes, Thaksin did solve some problems. Like the problem of we can't afford Grannie's disease. And death. It's called universal health care. It increased waiting time for others at the hospital but ...

11 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It's obvious that Abhisit is a better choice the many of them - maybe all of them.

But somehow Thai voters can't see that...

Absolutely not obvious. If it was so obvious, the people (as despicable, stupid, lumpen as they are) would have voted for him. They don't like him much. Yes, I know, handsome, Oxford, nice voice, good manners... but...

21 hours ago, anchadian said:

Abhisit had an excellent education having attended Eton college and also has bachelor's and master's degrees from Oxford AND of course he can speak fluent English.  Unlike the current puppet.

So what? He had all these gifts, these opportunities of birth and privilege. And he blew it. He negotiated a government in a military barracks. He could have refused to take the poisoned chalice form that bit of chicanery. He is a democrat who boycotts elections. We have the pictures of him whistleblowing with that paragon of virtue, Suthep. He could a been a contender. But he's not. He's a pretender. And the years have made him less handsome which was a primary claim to fame. Years and years ago,

But he speaks nice. Oooh, such alovely accent

On 2/1/2019 at 8:49 PM, Justgrazing said:

Well as he weren't democratically erected that one don't count .. 

And making parallels with Communist leaders don't portray him in the best light when Stalin , Mao and Ceausescu are just 3 that come to mind .. 

Ahhhh, the fate of Ceausecu. Now there would be a happy ending.

18 hours ago, djayz said:

They have been raised not to ask questions, not to think for themselves, not to criticise, not to speak up, not to stand out, to always bow and be humble, be grateful for what they have, love ............ and everything will be good in the end. 

This isn't going to change in the next generation or three. 

But in 1973, 1976, 1992, 2008-2010 and 2013-2014 and many times in between and before where their leaders and followers were assassinated, exiled and suppressed they did raise questions, think for themselves, criticize, speak up, stand out... Sure, maybe not as much as us falangs might have wished but I protested in demonstrations in Australia - even a barricade raised against a freeway in Melbourne that went a bit apeshit, but there was little chance of me being killed for my participation. I have called all my leaders every sort of name , even her Maj (she's a very fine girl according to the Beatles and they're probably right) but I won't find myself dragged out of the Thames for this sort of opinion.