heybruce

How to troll: 1. Post a conspiracy theory. 2, Have it rebutted. 3. Wait a while. 4. Repeat. Example above.

I hope everyone is aware that the three nations have a history of closely working together for mutual benefit since the early 20th century, if not longer.

I've asked that question many times about Trump refusing to release any kind of financial and tax records. Perhaps the Bidens should use the same answers that Trump provides; you know, it's a witch-hunt, it's all political, they're fishing, they've got nothing, etc.

"What I can say is when the last two coups happened in Thailand many people were not surprised. Because the pressure was rising, and the feeling was something had to happen. At that time there didn't seem to be a clear democratic way forward." There was a democratic way forward: Elections. The people would have voted for the candidates and parties that they thought would improve their lives. Maybe the majority would have stuck with the Shinawatras, maybe they would have chosen another party. However they would not have chosen a party that the military and other Bangkok elites wanted, so they had Suthep organize the protests and election interference. Even the lame protests were rapidly losing steam, so the military acted before their excuse of restoring order lost all credibility. In your time in Thailand, have you noticed that the military never takes actions against protesters undermining elections and elected leaders, but cracks down hard on protesters objecting to unelected leaders? The nation isn't that divided, the majority want democracy. Even Prayut and company know that, so they pretend the military installed government is a democracy even though it clearly isn't. The only division is between the minority that benefit from the corrupt status quo, and everyone else. Unfortunately the minority controls the guns.

Trump also told the mob to go to the Capitol and fight like hell. He then watched what was happening on TV and did nothing to call of his mob until it was clear that they wouldn't succeed.

Actually we don't ignore it, we're aware that we aren't allowed to post about it.

Really? There were no coups in Thailand before Thaksin? I guess all the history books are wrong. The coups happened because the Thai people elected people who threatened the established order. The fact that that is what the Thai voters wanted didn't matter to the elites. The current constitution was written to weaken democracy and strengthen the hand of the elites, but if it proves insufficient to the task there will be another coup. Coups will continue until democracy is allowed to survive long enough to become established and the military experts at overthrowing governments age out. Have you ever considered what might have happened if the 2014 coup had not happened? The popularity of the Shinawatras was in steep decline and other parties promising a better democracy were being formed. The coup put the Shinawatras back on the pedestal as martyrs for democracy and eliminated the opportunity to get rid of them democratically.

Yes! Yes! Yes! A thousand times Yes! Better corrupt elected leaders than corrupt unelected coup leaders. That's a no-brainer; elections allow unpopular leaders to be removed. There is no such mechanism for military rulers.

Any proof that Thaksin paid for all those protesters? Don't you think the judicial coup that installed Abhisit as PM had something to do with the protests? Most important: Why don't you address the obvious corruption of the military coup leaders in the unnecessary coups?

Putin's beloved Soviet Union had its origins in a mutiny in the February Revolution.

Clearly the voters should have been allowed to decide if that was to be the end.

I realize that it's a typo, but I find it ironic that you posted "Democracy which depends on uniformed people...." instead of "uninformed people". There's no denying that democracy lives and dies at the whim of uniformed people in Thailand. Thailand's government derives income from many sources, and everyone pays directly or indirectly the property registration taxes, VAT taxes, import taxes, etc., not to mention the mandatory envelopes handed over to the police and civil servants. So if you're arguing that only people who pay taxes should vote, you are opening the vote to a lot of people, not all of them Thai citizens. BTW: Your reply to my post didn't address anything I posted.

Shouldn't these international courts first deal with the coup leaders? I agree that the Thai courts are too subject to political influence regardless of whether the government is elected or appointed by the military. However I think that is a problem more likely to be dealt with by a democratic government than a military government.

Redshirts were protesting the overthrow of democracy. Never forget! Besides, it was Suthep and his minions on the street in 2014, though their protests were dying of apathy when Prayuth decided to launch his coup to preserve the peace.

Once again you show that you only approve of democracy when people vote for people you approve of. I hope you realize that the generals who stage the coups acted illegally, and are guilty of breaking many laws before, during and after. Just because they are above the law doesn't mean they aren't criminals.

I was in Chiang Mai at that time. Martial law, soldiers on the streets, a military road block a short distance from where I lived and a strictly enforced curfew that lasted weeks and hurt a lot of businesses. As usual, there is one set of rules for the Bangkok elite and different rules for the rest of the country.

Millions of Thai people support the military? Great. Let's have a free, fair, internationally monitored election and see if they are in the majority.

How is Thailand a better place under the coup leaders? Is the economy better? No. Has corruption declined? No. Are human rights being better respected? H*ll no!

Seriously? You object to an elected PM who is dishonest about his wealth and enriches himself in office, but you are OK with coup leaders who do the same? It's clear you have the Bangkok perspective, and only support "democracy" when the people vote the way you think they should vote. Don't feel bad, there are a great many faux democrats like you. However, have you ever lived outside of Bangkok and learned the perspective of the majority of Thai people?

Do coup leaders honor the laws?

The military will attempt a coup against any party that threatens its power and privilege. Do you think voting for the Move Forward party would provide some kind of guarantee against a coup? From another topic: "“We need to take concrete steps to see to it that the military will be practically kept from undermining democratic rule by way of a coup,” said Thanathorn, leader of the court-dissolved Future Forward which has been practically resurrected as the Move Forward. " https://aseannow.com/topic/1288979-thanathorn-insists-military-be-kept-out-of-politics-for-good/ Also, people voted for Shinawatra dominated parties because they looked after all of Thailand, not just the Bangkok elite. If you were in Thailand in 2000 you know that Bangkok was building first world infrastructure while the north and northeast of the country were living in third world conditions. Thaksin was enormously popular because he built roads, schools and clinics that served the neglected majority in Thailand. Honest politicians would be nice, but there seems to be a severe shortage of them. The fact that Thaksin was corrupt was not a factor in past elections because there were no non-corrupt candidates. At least with democracy the Thai people can choose to kick out corrupt leaders. That isn't an option under military rule. People in Bangkok celebrated the fact that the coup would preserve Bangkok as the center of economic and political power in Thailand and protect the established, ossified elites. Is that surprising?

"The west, IMO, is carrying out a war against Russia using Ukrainian bodies, which is intolerable to me." Don't worry, when Ukraine stops asking for military assistance from the west I'm sure the west will stop providing it. "Either go all in and risk WW3, or stop interfering and force Ukraine to the negotiating table, IMO." Why do either? The current approach is keeping Russia from invading other countries, showing the rest of the world the benefits of having western allies when they are faced with aggressive neighbors, and giving the countries that want to build empires at their neighbor's expense something to think about.

Do you see China's claiming of water and islands that lie within internationally agreed territorial boundaries of other nations as being a friendly gesture?

The way to prevent coups is to vote the way the military wants you to vote? Is that really democracy?

That in no way refutes anything I posted.