JAG

15 hours ago, Eligius said:

By the way, am I the only one who is experiencing CONSTANT problems (for more than a week) loading and opening pages on Thaivisa? I have to click everything multiple times to get a response (even to view my Notifications) - and even then it frequently fails.

No you're not the only one. I expect that the IT wizards have"improved the functionality "once again.

What's the betting (if it were permitted of course) that you will have to go to the little bamboo hut outside, pay the chap with the antique photocopier inside to photocopy the ID card (back and front), sign and date the copy, and then hand the cipy to an official who will scan it into his computer, and then view it on his screen?

21 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

Yes, it is so painful for the well-planned, intelligent, well-thought-out, well-informed, very well organized,

well prepared and united uk negotiation team.

 

This concentrated negotiation competence is indeed frightening.

Whilst I tend to agree that this governments performance in both setting out their position and the subsequent negotiations has been less than stellar, I am not sure that will make the slightest difference. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Brussels administration is determined to do the utmost damage to the UK both economically and possibly politically. I don't think this is a position necessarily shared by all EU governments, but they also seem to be irrelevant. Any eventual settlement will be on terms dictated by them (Brussels), which seem to be effectively non-negotiable. Were we to change our mind, as many suggest we should, I suspect that the terms under which such a change would be accepted will be as damaging. Pragmatically, I think that we should accept what now is beginning to look as inevitable, and be prepared to walk away. The central plank of the argument to leave was to regain our national sovereignty. I always suspected that was going to be expensive, and I think it will be. I also happen think that we should be prepared to pay that price.

8 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/foreign-affairs/brexit/news/91242/david-davis-accused-blatant-lying-and-contempt-parliament

 

Plus:

 

Promises to the British People of redlines that will never be crossed - Now turned green. (Fishing comunities have taken note).

 

Your link concerns allegations made within the UK political 'theatre" by opposition MPs.

I also fail to see the relevance of the government's stance on fishing to the central point, which is the apparent determination of the Brussels establishment to break the UK, for having the temerity to challenge it's hegemony. If that, to you, is "the Boys Own version", so be it.

2 hours ago, The Renegade said:

Stop arguing with the Brussels clowns.

 

Walk away and no £40 billion. WTO rules from March 2019

I have to say, I'm rather coming round to that conclusion. It does seem that whatever negotiations are attempted, the (anonymous) officials who seem to speak for the EU are determined to punish the UK.

It is almost a given that they speak neither for the individual governments within the EU nor for European industry. But it is becoming increasingly clear that whatever we do or say, any deal or agreement will be entirely on their terms, and their terms seem to be first and foremost to do as much damage to the United Kingdom, and it's economy, as possible.

Well sod 'em. We will have to stand on our own. We spent our blood and treasure to free much of Europe from an evil tyranny within living memory, we then spent the next 45 years shouldering a grossly disproportionate share of the burden of defending them from another such threat, whilst they rebuilt their economies and infrastructure. Perhaps we should walk away.

6 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

i see, he is for anarchy then; quite the political platform;

 love the photo with the pretty girl seeking our money, doubtless including merit along the way

That reminds me, what did happen to all the cash demanded (sorry I meant donated) during all those 'final marches" around Bangkok?

29 minutes ago, Happyman58 said:

They were probably lovers a few years ago

An alternative scenario is that she turned him down - which possibly started things off!

3 minutes ago, Darcula said:

 

Could a persons wrist or wallet qualify as a local project? Just asking.

 

As ever it would depend on whose wallet or wrist.

But don't worry. Those whose wallets and wrists do qualify will have known from the very start, and will be fully prepared to efficiently and effectively disburse the funds. Their efficiency and probity, as "good people" means that any sort of audit process would be superfluous, and would almost certainly be a distraction, if not actually damaging to the altruistic intentions which drive this scheme, and make it so different from all the other bung generators - sorry I meant populist redistribution policies we have seen.

I hope that calms your fears...

4 hours ago, KiwiKiwi said:

Only one way to resolve the coup problem, and that's to make it unattractive for people who might be tempted in the future. Lots of options, I would start with life in prison, and confiscate the assets of the family. Should give pause for thought.

Lamp posts. There are lots of them along the road to the airport...

15 minutes ago, bannork said:

JAG, you are clearly a man with a good heart but I think you are being naive here. Thaksin has always been into domination, eliminating any competition. He did that in the mobile phone market and applied the same principles to politics, buying up any rivals- NAP,, 79 MPs for example.

He applied the same principles to the media - any newspaper, TV station that did not support him were deprived of state advertising.

As regards checks and balances, he stacked his men in every independent agency that he could.

He would never have given up power. He has never apologised for anything he has done- the killing of innocents in the drug war, the deaths in Tak Bai, the economic stupidity of the 15,000 baht rice programme. Not a word of contrition, 

a sign of a egomaniac.

Thaksin would prefer Thailand destroyed itself by infighting rather than give up the Shinawats' claim to political power.

If he really loved Thailand he would withdraw the Shinawat family entirely from politics whilst setting up an ongoing fund to develop and prosper grassroots democracy in Thailand. 

All the faults which you list, can be absolutely applied also to his political rivals, and probably more so, to the junta. That is why democracy, the people deciding who should government, not a military junta or a cabal of the immensely wealthy is the only  way to break this impasse, without bloodshed.

2 minutes ago, The Deerhunter said:

Your Avatar says it all.  And I am no lover of juntas, Military coups or other such.   My Thai family here thought the coup was great and i told them it was not the way to resolve these things.  I think most would agree with me now.   So where do we find the impossible, an honest politician,  Thailand's real Lee Kuan Yew or Mahatma Ghandi if you wish to lead this sorry country out of this repetitive bad habit of bad governments punctuated by coups?

You allow the bad government, if elected, to rule. You grit your teeth and move heaven and earth to persuade the electorate not to return them to power. Hard work, frustrating, and likely to take several electoral cycles.

As someone recently pointed out, if Thaksin had been allowed to win the election in 2006, he would probably now (four electoral cycles later) have been voted out, Abhisit could have been elected to power. Instead what have we got? A junta clinging to power, a castrated political system, a viscously divided country and simmering discontent. A classic recipe for civil war. All it needs is a catalyst.