I have a serious question for you..

[bob smith]

If a political party in the west (UK, US, AUS, NZ/WHATEVER) managed to get the majority of the public vote and then suddenly, out of thin air, that party got disbanded - what do you think would happen?

 

Cheers.

 

bob.

Edited August 9 by bob smith

[scubascuba3]

I don't think the people would roll over but maybe people remember yellow shirts vs red shirts trouble

[bob smith]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

 but maybe people remember yellow shirts vs red shirts trouble

...in the west?

 

bob.

[connda]

People would take to the streets, the government which disbanded that party would call everyone on the street "Far-Right Extremists," then the police and military would be sent in to bust heads and kill people and round up the masses and ship them off to concentration camps. 

[Bangkokhatter]

Just like here in Thailand, it would not just disappear into thin air, there would be a build up to the event and i would think in the West there would be quite a bit of protest, but ultimately probably same result as here, people nowadays are far too apathetic to our political leaders and with good reason.

[bob smith]

1 minute ago, connda said:

People would take to the streets, the government which disbanded that party would call everyone on the street "Far-Right Extremists," then the police and military would be sent in to bust heads and kill people and round up the masses and ship them off to concentration camps. 

wow....really?

 

bob.

[bob smith]

Just now, Bangkokhatter said:

but ultimately probably same result as here, people nowadays are far too apathetic to our political leaders and with good reason.

what reason is that?

 

bob.

[impulse]

I don't know about a whole party, but if you want to see what happens when, all of a sudden out of thin air, they replace a candidate that got 14 million primary votes with a candidate that got none, look no further than the USA in 2024.

 

The MSM seems to love it.

 

 

 

[bob smith]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

I don't know about a whole party, but if you want to see what happens when, all of a sudden out of thin air, they replace a candidate that got 14 million primary votes with a candidate that got none, look no further than the USA in 2024.

 

The MSM seems to love it.

 

 

 

This topic is about a political party, not a sole candidate.

 

bob.

[Bangkokhatter]

19 minutes ago, bob smith said:

what reason is that?

 

bob.

I will take it as read that you understand what apathy means and simply say the old adage of, if you don't like something then use your vote to change it, no longer applies to the vast majority of citizens of countries around the world.

 

A major reason for me coming here was the state of the UK after the Blair/Brown years and it was obvious no matter what political party you were aligned to nothing would really change, just a never ending cycle of chancer MP's feeding from the trough and doing nothing to improve their citizens lives.

 

And thats pretty much true of most of the world unfortunately, just look at the options the American and British people have had to vote for in the previous decade. 

 

My old Tory voting nan would be turning in her grave, god bless her.

 

Apologies rant over, it's been a piss poor Friday!

Edited August 9 by Bangkokhatter

[novacova]

In the US all hell would break loose, one side or the other wouldn’t tolerate it. Australia and European countries would most likely cave.

[impulse]

5 minutes ago, bob smith said:

This topic is about a political party, not a sole candidate.

 

bob.

 

The difference being only a matter of degree.  You know the old story about how to boil a frog...

[bob smith]

Just now, Bangkokhatter said:

A major reason for me coming here was the state of the UK after the Blair/Brown years

So you think that it's better (politically) in Thailand, where coups are as common as muck and free speech is non existent, than in the UK?

 

Am I right about that?

 

bob.

[FriscoKid]

The comparison can't be made. You're asking what would happen in a real democracy in a Western country. Obviously it wouldn't be tolerated in the West. But to compare it to what goes on in a banana republic, in a mock democracy, where the majority of the population is of a peasant class, where there is no freedom of speech, where dissidents are openly silenced, and everything is actually controlled by a military dictatorship, is completely pointless. 

[bob smith]

Just now, FriscoKid said:

The comparison can't be made. You're asking what would happen in a real democracy in a Western country. Obviously it wouldn't be tolerated in the West. But to compare it to what goes on in a banana republic, in a mock democracy, where the majority of the population is of a peasant class, where there is no freedom of speech, where dissidents are openly silenced, and everything is actually controlled by a military dictatorship, is completely pointless. 

Not pointless.

 

Thailand likes to portray itself as a developed nation.

 

are you saying that they are, in fact, the contrary?

 

bob.

[FriscoKid]

2 minutes ago, bob smith said:

Thailand likes to portray itself as a developed nation.

It's a developing country. Big difference. But your original question was nothing about it being developed or not, nor is that the point. 

 

2 minutes ago, bob smith said:

are you saying that they are, in fact, the contrary?

Yes, very much to the contrary. And if you are speaking about democracy, Thailand is very far from being an actual democracy by any measure of democracy in the West. 
 

So it's all a very pointless comparison. Thailand doesn't have free and fair elections. The constitutional court, controlled by the military, has also wrongly dissolved 7 major political parties over the last 30 years. That isn't democracy. Case closed. 

[bob smith]

Just now, FriscoKid said:

It's a developing country. Big difference. But your original question was nothing about it being developed or not, nor is that the point. 

 

Yes, very much to the contrary. And if you are speaking about democracy, Thailand is very far from being an actual democracy by any measure of democracy in the West. 
 

So it's all a very pointless comparison. Thailand doesn't have free and fair elections. The constitutional court, controlled by the military, has also wrongly dissolved 7 major political parties over the last 30 years. That isn't democracy. Case closed. 

so the west should sanction them, surely???

 

bob.

[FriscoKid]

6 minutes ago, bob smith said:

so the west should sanction them, surely???

You tell me. 

[bob smith]

1 minute ago, FriscoKid said:

You tell me. 

I say yes they should!

 

you?

 

bob.

[FriscoKid]

1 minute ago, bob smith said:

I say yes they should!

In what way and on what basis? Is not being a real democracy a crime?

[bob smith]

4 minutes ago, FriscoKid said:

Is not being a real democracy a crime?

It ought to be.. don't you think?

 

Why don't you ask the 14 million Thais that have just had their voices stolen instead of me?..

 

bob.

Edited August 9 by bob smith

[zyphodb]

1 hour ago, bob smith said:

wow....really?

 

bob.

 

Just watych the UK in the next few months...

[BangkokReady]

1 hour ago, bob smith said:

and then suddenly, out of thin air, that party got disbanded

 

It didn't happen out of thin air.  It was all legal.  They didn't get the support of the senate.

 

You could actually, in theory, have the same thing happen in the US, as they apparently have the electoral college that chooses who is elected.

[Jingthing]

In the US its common for the party that got the most votes to lose the presidency.

Also when you add up the votes for congress, most total votes is irrelevant.

But taking it a step further and abolishing the party that got the majority of votes, in the US that would mean civil war.

[bob smith]

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

in the US that would mean civil war.

well there you go!

 

and justified too imo.

 

bob.

[JimTripper]

Breakdown in society. People stop following rules and laws because they don't respect the leadership. Crime and unruly behavior increases. Losing and disbanding is different. People still respect a loss.

Edited August 9 by JimTripper

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

I find it plausible that the Republican Party could have been charged under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) for certain Republican officials' actions towards thwarting the peaceful transfer of power on January 6, 2001 and attempts to subvert vote certification in Georgia, Arizona among other possible misdeeds. A conviction could bring about dissolution, so the OP's premise isn't too farfetched, although former president Trump did not secure the majority of votes in either 2016 or 2020.

[FriscoKid]

58 minutes ago, bob smith said:

Why don't you ask the 14 million Thais that have just had their voices stolen instead of me?..

That wasn't the question. You asked me if Thailand should be sanctioned. And I ask you how and on the basis of what? You didn't answer. I also asked you if not being a real democracy is a crime (in regards to whether Thailand should be sanctioned). The answer is no, Thailand shouldn't be sanctioned on that basis because you end up punishing an innocent population. 
 

Your 14 million Thais is a completely separate question. That problem should be handled internally. They just did it successfully in Bangladesh without any outside intervention. 
 

 

[Lacessit]

I keep my nose out of Thai politics. Best others do too.

[bob smith]

3 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Best others do too.

why is that then?

 

bob.