herfiehandbag

Like you did over the debate over remaining in or leaving the EU? A plan that ended well!

I am flattered so thank you, that is an excellent if challenging film. However I am rather thinking of the "Night of the Long Knives" in June 1934, and in particular the SS raid on Ernst Rohms lakeside "resort weekend" at Bad Weissee in Bavaria!

Old rifles, old tin hats and old helicopters!

I wonder whether it will outlaw the practice of the delivery driver phoning up, shouting "krap" down the phone a couple of times and then either offloading the parcel at some random house or sending an email declaring that they were unable to deliver.

Just a, perhaps unwanted, bit of advice for this faction in the Republican Party which allegedly wishes to remove Mr Trump. Don't hold any weekend conventions in lakeside resorts, you may have some unwelcome visitors around dawn...

Screaming Lord Sutch, of the Monster Raving Loony Party (vote loony, you know it makes sense!) stood for election many many times, perhaps he like Farage should have been locked out, whilst security was sent for! And if Farage wins a seat, along perhaps with a number of other Reform candidates, what then? Lock them out and send for security? Personally I think Farage speaks sense on many issues. On Putin, (and Trump) I think he is foolish and misguided. So what to do about me, and people like me (there do seem to be quite a lot of us) - lock the doors and send for security?

The whole point of this war is that it stems directly from the savage inhuman barbaric attacks carried out by Hamas last October. It is a brutal affair, inevitably so in the light of what Hamas did. On October 7th, and subsequently, they have broken and flouted just about every convention in the laws of armed conflict, as witnessed by that photograph; laws to which Israel is adhering, rules which are very specific about how civilians, and particularly women and children should be treated, and how wounded prisoners should be treated. They (Hamas and those that harbour and shield them) are paying the price, for ignoring and deliberately breaking those rules, and you and others of your ilk are bleating about that price.

The Israelis took him away, as a wounded prisoner of war. There is no requirement, under the laws of armed conflict, that wounded enemy combatants should be handed over to the civilian medical services in the place they were captured. He was subsequently given medical treatment, and then, no doubt, as a captured fighter from Hamas, processed. They did not parade his partially stripped, raped dead body through Israeli cities so that their civilian populations could spit on, grope and further abuse him. I think that last is a reasonable comment actually!

If the trials had gone ahead, and the prosecutions had failed, because the prosecution had been unable to prove the identities of those arrested, at what or whom would the outrage be directed?

Genocide is quite simply a deliberate attempt by one race, political faction and (usually) governing faction to destroy, by killing, a particular identifiable portion of their society. The Holocaust in Europe was genocide, what happened in Rwanda ( Hutus and Tutsis) was genocide, what happens to the Yazeri people under ISIS was genocide. What happened to the Bosnian Muslims at Srebrinicia was genocide. In all these cases the principle method used was planned, premeditated and invariably brutal killing. I hold no brief for the Chinese government's treatment of the Uigars, it is foul, it is inhuman, it is wicked, it is utterly wrong, and cynically cloaked behind a tattered veil of upholding civil rights. It is not genocide. To label it a such, using qualifying adjectives such as "cultural" entirely diminishes the concept.

Possibly one of the major pillars of support for Farage and Brexit came from voters who were consistently and very publicly labelled as "stupid" for even considering voting for him. It was perhaps a major error on the part of "Remain" and perhaps tipped the balance in a close contest. Now Farage and Reform UK has emerged as a significant force in UK politics, are we hearing the same choruses starting up again? Now if that is the case, it strikes me at least, as a bit stupid!

It is quite simply a racket. A conscript battalion produces some 2 million BAHT in cash every month: 400 soldiers having 50% of their B11,000 salaries deducted every month. None of these battalions have any real military significance - most of their kit, vehicles or weapons are knackered. But lots of money, and land, infrastructure and labour which can be used for a wide variety of business activities, generating even more cash. The only units kept anywhere near "up to speed" are the few in and around Bangkok which may be used to seize and or maintain political power. Most of those are now hamstrung by competing political rivalries. There is a small ( about brigade sized) "Praetorian Guard" which has modern equipment and is deployable; the rest (some 500,000) are militarily irrelevant, untrained, no real transport or capacity, or role, other than generating cash for their commanders.

In Chiang Rai a lot of investment was put into various flood relief schemes, canals, holding ponds etc over the last few years. These are now utterly clogged with vegetation and rubbish. When the rains really start, and the flood prevention channels overflow resulting in floods, then the disaster mitigation people in their brand new orange pick ups and trucks ( which have been parked up "resting" in the shade for the last six months) will leap into action and ineffectually attempt to deal with the floods - as they do every rainy season. Keep the drains clear of vegetation. No don't be silly!

I understand that at a recent Command Post Exercise ( wargames sound so much more glamorous) the question arose of whether a counterattack into Russia was possible. The Finns reckoned they could be at Saint Petersburg in 3 days, but it would be messy 'cos the Poles would get in the way after day 2!

Ah yes, in that yacht built from (oil based) carbon fibre!

And nothing will change. If you assume that there are say 400 conscripts in a battalion then that is a cool 2 million BAHT cash sloshing around every month; they are not going to turn off that tap! My stepson did his national service some 8 years ago. I don't think that he was ever formally paid, just the occasional irregular handout of what was effectively pocket money. Certainly nothing like B11000 a month. Mind you, once he had finished his very sketchy basic training, he never went on exercise or touched a rifle; the one he did use (M16A2) twice on a 30m range, had gas parts so abjectly knackered that it had to be cocked by hand for every round. Because he could use a computer he was assigned to the orderly room, where he spent his time on Facebook and U Tube! Most of his mates were employed growing vegetables on the land surrounding the barracks. There again, he had parachute wings, a red beret and all the superficial paraphernalia of a lean mean steely eyed airborne warrior! The nearest he got to being airborne was when the pick up truck hit a speed bump too fast!

I'm quite surprised that the woman and then the man who ran and grabbed them weren't done for assault! It was a blatant display of unprovoked political violence!

Chrome pole dancing platforms probably occupy a mere few per cent of the floor space of "Nana Plaza" but they are the central reason for it's existence. Who does he think he is kidding if he thinks people will flock to these casinos for "hotels and various entertainment facilities

However: the electoral system is so open to gerrymandering on an epic scale ( the electoral college - a system put in place 250 years ago to ensure that wealthy land and slave owning people continued to run the system, and enthusiastic manipulated by Trump's team) and the utter irrelevance of the popular vote ( quite bizarre in a country which puts itself forward as the great democracy ) then it is entirely possible that Trump ends up in power. Once he is in, there will be no getting rid of him or his acolytes. That is what America is facing. The rest of us are facing having to live with a petulant teenager, albeit with immense military power and a crush on autocratic fascism. For those of us who value freedom and democracy on both sides of the Atlantic a disturbing prospect. For some (think Hispanic people) within America a terrifying prospect! Diluting blood, camps, poisoning society and all that - it has been said, it is out there!

I hope that you don't mind me pointing out but Mr Trump has not been elected yet, indeed he might not be!

It's just not fair is It - people not voting the way you want them to! Well done for highlighting Obama - you didn't even need to mention that he is black - everybody knows. I'm not sure how North Korea fits in - camps for dissidents and punishing their families is It seems, rather more in line with Mr Trump's style. Take a pause, step back and wipe the froth from your mouth!

Or a Grab Ki Yang?

No, no one else would pay him a fraction of what he gets from the BBC. He would have to go back to advertising Salt and Vinegar Crisps!

I don't deny it happens in "all denominations". But to tar the entire Christian faith with the same broad brush, and hold it up as a principal feature of those faiths, is a stretch. More formal ordination requires significant periods in training, with considerable religious and personal formation, and rigorous assessment. That makes it less likely that undesirable " dodgy" individuals will slip through and become clergy. Not guaranteed but less likely. "Pastors" such as this fellow are largely self qualified and self appointed, and their churches, which largely rate or judge them by their ability to raise funds, are largely unregulated. I am at a loss as to why my views, which I think I have expressed succinctly and cogently make me "adorable"! Oddly enough this is the second time I have posted this reply - the first post some three hours ago simply disappeared - I can't imagine why!

If there is a need to present and explain the results of a report stemming from a meticulous investigation into multi facetted allegations of criminal, legal, financial and disciplinary malfeasance by senior officials, all without losing sight of the underlying power struggle between the various factions and establishing and maintaining the status quo, then Wissanu Krea-ngam is definitely your man! No one will believe, and quite possibly understand, what he has to say, but we will all be left in no doubt that it has been thoroughly explained!🧐