They will come in handy searching for submarines...

Would have been cheaper spending B200 on a machete to keep under the seat of his motorcycle...

Build a wall, a very good wall, a great wall, around Italy.

.And make Africa pay for it..

2 hours ago, oilinki said:

 

https://www.ft.com/content/5b3fc72e-8348-11e8-96dd-fa565ec55929

 

Matteo is just one of the Putin's little dolls, who dance to him for money. There is no surprise he tries to break the EU unity. 

 

Traitor alike Marine Le Pen, Nigel Farage,  Trump, ... 

 

A traitor to what exactly? His country, in whose government he is an elected (note that word, because it seems to have no traction in your beloved European Union) minister, or a traitor to the government of the EU, a government for which neither he ( nor anyone else in Italy -or anywhere else for that matter) has ever had the to chance to elect, a government which is unaccountable to any electorate, and which cannot be elected or ejected by any electorate.

1 hour ago, lensta said:

 

Why is this tosser still relevant?

Some sort of election is inevitable, sooner or later. However much the junta ducks and dived, bribes and bullies, wriggled and rigs things, it remains quite possible that they will not win the support needed to retain power, even allowing for the epic gerrymandering they are currently engaged in.

In the topsy turvy world of Thai politics, in the event of a government being elected which is ill disposed towards the desires and requirements of the very small cabal, and their (paid for) loyal supporters amongst the establishment, who see themselves as the entitled rulers of the country,  it is necessary to have someone to lead a movement to oust that government. Suthep has the ability to appeal to the affluent (Bangkok) middle class, and has influence and commands support amongst many in the south. He is the man seen (proven) to be able to do this.

Think of him as the political equivalent of the night soil collectors of Victorian Britain. Tainted, oderous, best kept at least at arms length but a necessary evil with useful if unsavoury skills.

If the US immigration authorities have separated children from their families, and have not managed to keep a record, and as a result are unable to reunite them within say 24 hours, then that is an utter disgrace. In any civilised country, those responsible would lose their jobs. What has happened to the United States of America?

56 minutes ago, nausea said:

To be expected I suppose. Nobody's gonna put their cards on the table until the last moment.

Frankly I don't think there are going to be any meaningful negotiations.

At the last moment we will be offered "terms". Terms which if accepted will result in the UK becoming an effective vassal state of the EU. 

A Prayut ?

10 minutes ago, jayboy said:

I don't wish to appear divisive but my impression is that many members of this forum don't have much contact with the educated Thai urban upper middle class of which Sino Thais are a major part..Let me assure all that there is a very wide spread assumption in that class that Prayuth will emerge as Prime Minister after the elections next year.I wouldn't characterize the support as enthusiastic but rather an acceptance of the inevitable, and they are generally okay with it.

I have little ( really no) contact with the class which you describe. I do have some contact with what might be described as the rural or provincial working and middle class. It is hard to exaggerate the contempt with which this regime, and by extension the groups which they serve  (geographically and demographically concentrated as you describe ) are held.

If as you suggest, and as is likely, the process (I hesitate to call it an election) results in Prayut and his junta remaining in power, then it may be accepted. Not because of any approval but because of his and his likes proven willingness to unleash military force on his opponents. That is not a recipe for sustainable or effective government in a modern developing country.

Taking the argument further, I for one don't think that he and his junta have the means or ability to actually keep physical control of the country in the face of sustained widespread opposition. If or more likely when that becomes widely understood or even suspected, then his bluff will be called.

So yes, I rather suspect that he will engineer matters so that he will stay as Prime Minister. For the time being. With the support of the Sino Thai Urban (Bangkok) middle class. That will not be anything like enough to keep him there, when his bluff is called.

1) It is the electorate who should decide, not the political parties.

2) Burma had continuity in government. Zimbabwe had continuity in government. Worked out well...

The need for continuity in government is a very strong argument when you are a member of the government.

If the government of which you are a member is a junta government, installed by a coup which forestalled a constitutional election, it is probably central to your wish and intention to engineer holding onto power.

As an argument it withers rapidly when faced with the realisation that the electorate do not wish for you to remain in power. That is why we can be sure, like Burma and Zimbabwe over past decades, the electorate will be prevented from expressing that wish, or if by some chance they do, the results will peculiarly not reflect that.

It really is all about control.

Why? 

Because we are in charge...

Now what winds me up is my wife - who cannot drive bless her - telling me what to do.

My daughter, who has just turned 13, is also an expert.

I don't know what Snowball and Cookie (dogs) in the back are grumbling about but I am sure it is in the same vein....