Phoenix Rising

Apart from Trump I can't think of a slimier human being that Cancun Cruz. He's the perfect example of why people distrust politicians.

1. Fire up the computer. 2. Open an Internet browser. 3. Enter the following search words: "DHL Pattaya".

no, there are not two or three sides to this story, only one, and that's Putin ordering Russian troops in to Ukraine in order to take over the country and in the process killing tens of thousands of people. That's the only story. Everything else is just false equivalency spread by Putin fanboys...

Do you think that a country which is attacked by another country should surrender immediately to save lives? "Nyet" or "da"?

Really, care to explain why/how that statement is untrue? And in English please, not Russian.

What's weird is you, not those who feel sickened by Russian extreme brutality. Now slink back under your bridge and stay there.

"I wasn't talking about the "good 'ol boys" - maybe I should have made that clearer. "They" in this case was about the general public, journalists, opposition parties, etc. And they gave her a chance." Yes, they gave her a chance as she won the election. That is normally how an electorate gives a politician a chance and that is the way an electorate should withdraw their support if they're displeased, not by an unelected elite using the nation's armed forces for their own political and financial gain. "One reason the two last coups could happen and could happen peacefully was because the coups were supported by lots of people, at least in Bangkok. " Yes, in Bangkok. Nowhere else matters, right? "When the military was out in the streets I saw lots of happy faces and the soldiers saw lots of happy faces. People could have opposed those soldiers, even by looking at them like they were thugs, but that wasn't the case. Many people, in my area of Bangkok definitely the majority of people, welcomed the coups and the soldiers. And they welcomed them because the soldiers removed the criminals." Again, you and your little Bangkok bubble. What's funny is that you don't even realize that the longer the Bangkok based elite keeps the oppression up the harder the pop will be when the bubble bursts again. Wouldn't wanna be in Bangkok when the inevitable happens. "I don't know if or when another coup might happen in Thailand. But IMHO it will most likely only happen if the soldiers are supported by a huge part of the population. If the population is happy then they don't welcome a coup. If they are unhappy and see no legal way to get rid of the criminal leader then what are the options? A coup! And that is what happened two times with the Shinawatras." Are you still under the illusion that the last few coups happened because the coup makers had altruistic motives and were not motivated by greed and hunger for power??? !

"It won't happen within one year. When Yingluck became PM everybody was sceptic but they gave her a chance." They gave her a chance?? BWAHAHAHAHA! Do you really think the good 'ol boys were like "Hey, let's give her a chance because we only want what's best for Thailand."? The old elite was denied unfettered access to the trough and they were chomping at the bits to kick her out from day one. But since she (as her brother) was massively popular they needed an excuse, and to their delight they found one due to the stupid rice scheme. Gave her a chance my rear end.

"We could bet." And exactly when would the bet be due? Let me fix that for you: I would bet if a Shinawatra takes over again there will be another coup within 10 years. "And without any Shinawatra I think there won't be a coup in the foreseeable future." The old elite (who control the military) won't coup themselves?? Wow, that's amazing foresight!

And you slagging off the great unwashed masses for being ignorant!! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_coup_d'état

"Does saying something against Thaksin mean you support this government? " Nope. "Things were at least starting to head towards a better direction at that time and were put into reverse by Thaksin at that time. I'm not talking about anything else." There was more freedom of the press under Thaksin than it is under the junta. I'm not excusing Thaksin's flagrant intimidation of parts of the press (I'm sure he would have loved to silence all critics) but the part of the press that was (and is) controlled by the old elite was never intimidated into silence. Unlike now, where the entire press has fallen into line, and if it weren't for social media the "Time Keeper" and all the others could have done exactly what they wanted without anyone knowing about it. But despite so many of them being caught red-handed are they being punished? Not at all, they continue with the in-your-face c machinations with total impunity. And some obsess over Thaksin......

Until the next coup....

"Thailand ranked 59 of 167 countries in 2004 and then fell to 107 of 167 countries in 2005 in Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders.[5][6] Thailand's ranking fell to 153 of 178 in 2010[7] and rose to 137 of 179 in 2011–2012.[8] In the 2014 index, Thailand ranked 130 of 180 nations,[9] falling to 142 in 2017 and to 140 in 2018.[10]" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Thailand "Thailand ranks 137 in 2021 World Press Freedom Index" https://prachatai.com/english/node/9195

And how stupid must someone be not to see that those who take power in the name of fighting corruption is at least as bad as the people they replaced?? Very, is the answer.

It's like talking to someone with an obsessive-compulsive disorder....

I'm preferring elected rulers to juntas. I know that is a really hard concept for you to judge but there you go. You seem to really want to punish corrupted officials. Tell me, what would you like to see happen to the current bunch??

Also worth remembering that there is even less freedom of the press under this j government than under Thaksin.

"Look at the infamous Ferrari cop killer, does Interpol work to arrest him?" Interpol can only try to have him arrested if Thailand requests it/really wants it. Do you believe the present bunch really want him caught. Reeeealy???? "With Thaksin lots of what he did can be easily be researched in newspaper archives - if people want to do that." Newspaper archives? Which ones are you referring to - BP and The Nation? You mean those beacons of independent journalism??

I've been living here since early in Chuan Leekpai's first stint as PM (92-95) and before that visited regularly since the 80's. I have watched one corrupt government follow the other so when noobs like you obsess over Thaksin I just chuckle and shake my head.

Their excuse is that they're a product of a class system which benefits from them being uneducated. What's your excuse?

We are all already paying the price for the killer in the Kremlin's Greater Russia dream through raised prices on a lot of commodities and reduced growth so your question is pointless. But the answer to your question would be: YES

Really. Can you list a few of this "many" analysts? PS. I'f you're gonna link to a bunch of nutters then don't bother.

Wow, that is soooo funny!

"Ukraine hasn't stopped him,NATO's weapon supplies have." What a load of rubbish. Weapons don't discharge themselves, they need brave people to fire the hand held anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons. "How long do you think it will be before the arms supplies are slowed to a few shipments of bullets." My answer would be; "Not for the foreseeable future". "For any peace to occur which should be everyone's goal,Ukraine will not be left with an arsenal of NATO weapons." Everyone's goal should be Russia withdrawing from Ukraine and Putin be tried for war crimes, and one of the consequences of Putin's/Russia's aggression will be a Ukraine filled to the brim with NATO weapons. Ukraine didn't start this, Putin/Russia did. And the aggressor, when unable to fulfill his fascist fantasies, doesn't get to dictate the terms of his defeat.

And exactly how would that be propaganda?