Rats Waiting To Jump Thaksin's Sinking Ship

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Good point animatic. I started reading the Nation because it was the only one that dared to go against Thaksin when he blanketed the press. I am very proud of the fact that I never voted for any of Thaksin's parties, and didn't trust him from day one. It is so ironic that now the reds are accusing the Nation, and the media, of bias when so many of these papers - and freedom of press - suffered under Thaksin's rule. I just wished the reds would look back at the Thaksin era and realise that there were many whose views differed from TRT who were treated terribly and it was not democracy of the nation, it was of those who voted for TRT. To me there was no democracy from day one when the court ruled on his assets concealment case with bias because "he had just won a landslide" and not because he was innocent. From that day, Thaksin's government, to me, was illigitimate and highly suspect. Much of the rest of Thailand was not happy. Until the reds realise this and then try to reconcile and accept that our grievances then were similar to theirs now, then we will continue to talk in different languages. It is all well and good that the poor want things returned to how it was during Thaksin's era, but what about the rest of the country who suffered during that time? (Those of us paying full taxes, only to see it being stolen by TRT politicians and friends. Those of us who have friends who commit wrong and are tried in teh court of law and face their consequences only to see those in power escape it?) Can't we demand justice too? Compromise. Middle ground. Common ground.

[Plus]

Mass media accused of middle-class anti-reds bias

"Chiang Mai University law lecturer Somhai Preechasil-pakul wrote a commentary in Matichon newspaper on Monday denouncing much of Thailand's mainstream media. He thought they had double standards and that media professionals had an upper-class bias as many view poor lower-class protesters, who make up the bulk of the red-shirt movement, as people lacking "political maturity", whose votes can be bought by money or populist policies."

and

"..the fact the mainstream mass media overwhelming reflect the middle-class (and in some cases an elitist) political worldview. This is simply because editors, journalists and photographers are mostly middle class and Thai mass media is hardly a forum for the poor, less formally educated lower class, who happen to make up some 70 per cent of the Thai population.

Thus they're more middle class' media than "mass" media, which might supposedly include more voices from the poor majority. What they write or report on tells readers more about themselves than that of the poor.

The middle class' daily dealings with the lower class is marked by hierarchical and patronage relationships such as one of manager-to-worker, passenger-to-taxi-driver, master-to-maid, diner-to-waiter, sex-buyer-to-sex-worker and more.

The middle class and elite are not used to truly listening to the lower class and rather wish they remain docile as cab drivers, waiters or prostitutes instead of being active as fellow Thai citizens, capable of independent and equal political thoughts and aspirations.

If lower-class people are in the news, many of the middle class rather wish they were on the news as a "good cabbie" who returns a forgotten wad of bank notes left behind by a forgetful middle class or rich passenger. Or, as an award-winning bartender, or perhaps a maid who was a rape victim of a cruel house master. To them, the poor reds can't possibly have an independent mind and are more likely to have been duped or bribed by Thaksin and his cohorts. So it doesn't matter much which newspapers or TV channel you subscribe to."

Brought to us by the Nation.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/rea...newsid=30101578

[ThNiner]

Pheu Thai threatens to boycott tripartite reconciliation panel

The Pheu Thai Party Wednesday threatened to boycott the tripartite committee to bring about political reconciliation and study charter amendments.

Witthaya Buranasiri, chief opposition whip, said the Pheu Thai would not send it representatives to join the panel if the Parliament does not set up a panel to review the political violence during the Songkran holidays.

The tripartite panel is supposed to have representatives from the government, opposition and Senate.

- The Nation - 2009/04/29

Why would PTP want a panel to review the hours of live footage of their guys rioting and threatening to burn places down? Why would PTP want a panel to review their leaders inciting riots on TV? Or is this panel not meant to look at those things but to discuss disappeared bodies?

Hopefully if a panel is set up it will be impartial, it will look at what all sides did, it will stick to corraborated evidence and not inuendo and rumour and preferably it wont be a panel of polticians.

Be interesting to see in the coming days if those who control team PTP really are interested in talking or thwey just want more instability.

So true. How disgusting are these crooks? Abhisit's gov't wants cooperation from every side to look into the matter fairly and transparenty, and these crooks refuse to cooperate. I really don't know what to say about this. When it was their reign back in Oct 7, they didn't even bother to ask anyone to join the investigative panel they set up. Now this gov't wants it to be transparent so that everything can be accounted for. And the crooks' response is not to join. Hmmm.

[Samuian]

Referring to Post # 33 by Plus:

So what ,does he wish to tell the audience, that the middle class doesn't have to have a say because of their origine and the lower class are the better ones because they are "suppressed by the overwhelming voice the elitists have?

But they, the "Elitists" are, as "Sao chiang mai" writes, allowed to pay the bills, pay for the infrastructure and, and, get robbed by the "saviors of Thailand" and remain silent, because of THEIR origin and their money they have no rights - Come on.. that is the kind of stuff dividing the country - Commie stuff - out of this world - polarizing this nation ever more - into "poor 7 rich" or underprivileged and Elitists" which is not so - nowhere in the world, it' biased talk!

Just have a GOOD look at Zimbabwe, what did Mugabe tell the people?

Edited April 29, 2009 by Samuian

[animatic]

Mass media accused of middle-class anti-reds bias

"Chiang Mai University law lecturer Somhai Preechasil-pakul wrote a commentary in Matichon newspaper on Monday denouncing much of Thailand's mainstream media. He thought they had double standards and that media professionals had an upper-class bias as many view poor lower-class protesters, who make up the bulk of the red-shirt movement, as people lacking "political maturity", whose votes can be bought by money or populist policies."

and

"..the fact the mainstream mass media overwhelming reflect the middle-class (and in some cases an elitist) political worldview. This is simply because editors, journalists and photographers are mostly middle class and Thai mass media is hardly a forum for the poor, less formally educated lower class, who happen to make up some 70 per cent of the Thai population.

Thus they're more middle class' media than "mass" media, which might supposedly include more voices from the poor majority. What they write or report on tells readers more about themselves than that of the poor.

The middle class' daily dealings with the lower class is marked by hierarchical and patronage relationships such as one of manager-to-worker, passenger-to-taxi-driver, master-to-maid, diner-to-waiter, sex-buyer-to-sex-worker and more.

The middle class and elite are not used to truly listening to the lower class and rather wish they remain docile as cab drivers, waiters or prostitutes instead of being active as fellow Thai citizens, capable of independent and equal political thoughts and aspirations.

If lower-class people are in the news, many of the middle class rather wish they were on the news as a "good cabbie" who returns a forgotten wad of bank notes left behind by a forgetful middle class or rich passenger. Or, as an award-winning bartender, or perhaps a maid who was a rape victim of a cruel house master. To them, the poor reds can't possibly have an independent mind and are more likely to have been duped or bribed by Thaksin and his cohorts. So it doesn't matter much which newspapers or TV channel you subscribe to."

Brought to us by the Nation.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/rea...newsid=30101578

Of course the logical end product of the Reds philosophical desires

is to JOIN THE MIDDLE CLASS themselves.

But then they blame the people motivated enough to get there already with bias against them.

Two red future choice motivations:

a ) So we want to join you, but we hate you.

b ) We want to DISPLACE all of you and take over for ourselves.

As too lacking political maturity...

Well the Red Shirts have shown in spades

how maturely their philosophy is put into action.... NOT to well me thinks.

More like a snatch and grab gang beating grannies for their purses

and blaming them for their injuries. Oh, she pulled back and tried to keep her purse,

it's her fault I had to knock her down, besides she has a blue necklace on.

We need her purse to help our cause of making all Thais free to do as the please,

if WE agree that it's in our best red interests and our boss gets a big cut..

[Samuian]

Mass media accused of middle-class anti-reds bias

"Chiang Mai University law lecturer Somhai Preechasil-pakul wrote a commentary in Matichon newspaper on Monday denouncing much of Thailand's mainstream media. He thought they had double standards and that media professionals had an upper-class bias as many view poor lower-class protesters, who make up the bulk of the red-shirt movement, as people lacking "political maturity", whose votes can be bought by money or populist policies."

and

"..the fact the mainstream mass media overwhelming reflect the middle-class (and in some cases an elitist) political worldview. This is simply because editors, journalists and photographers are mostly middle class and Thai mass media is hardly a forum for the poor, less formally educated lower class, who happen to make up some 70 per cent of the Thai population.

Thus they're more middle class' media than "mass" media, which might supposedly include more voices from the poor majority. What they write or report on tells readers more about themselves than that of the poor.

The middle class' daily dealings with the lower class is marked by hierarchical and patronage relationships such as one of manager-to-worker, passenger-to-taxi-driver, master-to-maid, diner-to-waiter, sex-buyer-to-sex-worker and more.

The middle class and elite are not used to truly listening to the lower class and rather wish they remain docile as cab drivers, waiters or prostitutes instead of being active as fellow Thai citizens, capable of independent and equal political thoughts and aspirations.

If lower-class people are in the news, many of the middle class rather wish they were on the news as a "good cabbie" who returns a forgotten wad of bank notes left behind by a forgetful middle class or rich passenger. Or, as an award-winning bartender, or perhaps a maid who was a rape victim of a cruel house master. To them, the poor reds can't possibly have an independent mind and are more likely to have been duped or bribed by Thaksin and his cohorts. So it doesn't matter much which newspapers or TV channel you subscribe to."

Brought to us by the Nation.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/rea...newsid=30101578

Of course the logical end product of the Reds philosophical desires

is to JOIN THE MIDDLE CLASS themselves.

But then they blame the people motivated enough to get there already with bias against them.

Two red future choice motivations:

a ) So we want to join you, but we hate you.

b ) We want to DISPLACE all of you and take over for ourselves.

As too lacking political maturity...

Well the Red Shirts have shown in spades

how maturely their philosophy is put into action.... NOT to well me thinks.

More like a snatch and grab gang beating grannies for their purses

and blaming them for their injuries. Oh, she pulled back and tried to keep her purse,

it's her fault I had to knock her down, besides she has a blue necklace on.

We need her purse to help our cause of making all Thais free to do as the please,

if WE agree that it's in our best red interests and our boss gets a big cut..

Point

a) didn't work - so lets work on Plan b

means "join" but undermine the credibility and then take over... it's Commie stuff under the disguise of "real democracy"

I know only one form of democracy - which is DEMOCRACY neither with attributes, sales pitches as "real" or "genuine" - Makes me always suspicious if there are attachments like 'ral" or "genuine" would anyone want to buy a fake Mercedes or Porsche?!

Political maturity?

Can't see any - it's some childish bickering because the "hard to die" old fashioned commies smell a chance that someone may listen to their antiquated BS again -it's out and over - time has ridiculed this experiment in it's due course.... that's it - OVER!

Edited April 29, 2009 by Samuian

[Plus]

I just wanted to illustrate Nation's alleged bias by quoting that article.

Pravit, the author, is simply trying to justify his own allegiance to the red cause in the face of widespread condemnation. He needs an explanation why he and the reds are viewed as pariahs by mainstream society, and he found it - it's the class issue.

Maybe it's enough for him, but if he is trying to convince everyone else that reds have real, democratic agenda of their own, he fails. People don't pay attention to red demands not because they are poor low classes, but because they don't make any sense in the face of their despicable actions.

Pravit can't accept this explanation, he put his ideology first and foremost. Red's can't be wrong, they are always right, so he needs to demonstrate how everyone else is deeply mistaken about them.

[hammered]

Pheu Thai threatens to boycott tripartite reconciliation panel

The Pheu Thai Party Wednesday threatened to boycott the tripartite committee to bring about political reconciliation and study charter amendments.

Witthaya Buranasiri, chief opposition whip, said the Pheu Thai would not send it representatives to join the panel if the Parliament does not set up a panel to review the political violence during the Songkran holidays.

The tripartite panel is supposed to have representatives from the government, opposition and Senate.

- The Nation - 2009/04/29

Why would PTP want a panel to review the hours of live footage of their guys rioting and threatening to burn places down? Why would PTP want a panel to review their leaders inciting riots on TV? Or is this panel not meant to look at those things but to discuss disappeared bodies?

Hopefully if a panel is set up it will be impartial, it will look at what all sides did, it will stick to corraborated evidence and not inuendo and rumour and preferably it wont be a panel of polticians.

Be interesting to see in the coming days if those who control team PTP really are interested in talking or thwey just want more instability.

So true. How disgusting are these crooks? Abhisit's gov't wants cooperation from every side to look into the matter fairly and transparenty, and these crooks refuse to cooperate. I really don't know what to say about this. When it was their reign back in Oct 7, they didn't even bother to ask anyone to join the investigative panel they set up. Now this gov't wants it to be transparent so that everything can be accounted for. And the crooks' response is not to join. Hmmm.

Spot on the Somchai government set up a panel including a blind guy who said he didnt know why he was on the panel and wasnt capable of doing the job assigned. Maybe that is the way ahead ofr the government. Just say well do exaclty as PPP did and assign our own panel. I rememeber when Somchai did that the soft red supporting English language blogs all argued to see the results of this panel before jumping to conclusions on what happened on Oct 7 so I am sure they would all have exactly the same line for a similarly set up panel by this government.

Reality is PTP do what Thaksin tells them and he needs the country to stop functioning. Be interesting to see if any of PTP actually will break ranks with supreme leader

[hammered]

I just wanted to illustrate Nation's alleged bias by quoting that article.

Pravit, the author, is simply trying to justify his own allegiance to the red cause in the face of widespread condemnation. He needs an explanation why he and the reds are viewed as pariahs by mainstream society, and he found it - it's the class issue.

Maybe it's enough for him, but if he is trying to convince everyone else that reds have real, democratic agenda of their own, he fails. People don't pay attention to red demands not because they are poor low classes, but because they don't make any sense in the face of their despicable actions.

Pravit can't accept this explanation, he put his ideology first and foremost. Red's can't be wrong, they are always right, so he needs to demonstrate how everyone else is deeply mistaken about them.

The pro-democracy peopel who made the deal with the devil need to recognize that this kind of deal will always result in disaster as the devil always has another agenda.

And more basically and something that any pro-democracy person or even enlightened leftists knows is that you do not advance democracy by denying the democratic rights of others and at Songkhran that is exactly what the red movement did. Now is the time for those who hold genuine beliefs to recognise their errors and rid themselves of the self serving that they made the poisoned deal with.

[Plus]

Now is the time for those who hold genuine beliefs to recognise their errors and rid themselves of the self serving that they made the poisoned deal with.

Don't hold your breath. Those people didn't have enough brains to see through Thaksin's manipulations, couldn't see the dangers of jumping on his wagon, what are the chances they'd come around now?

I suspect they simply don't exist. I suspect there are only two kind of reds - opportunists and idiots, it never appealed to the sane part of the population. Idiots are coming back to their senses, opportunists were never interested in "democracy", they have their own goals.

Oh, and there are Thaksin fans, of course, they are just groupies.

[sriracha john]

PM suspects Thaksin behind Pheu Thai's boycott of reconciliation panel

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Wednesday that he had assigned Parliament President Chai Chidchob to find out why the Pheu Thai Party would not send its representatives on the political reconciliation committee.

He said Chai would hold another meeting of the coalition, opposition, and Senate to find out why the Pheu Thai Party would not take part in the efforts to bring about reconciliation.

"I don't know whether the Pheu Thai Party changed its stand because Thaksin has announced he would keep on fighting," Abhisit said.

-- The Nation 2009-04-29

[hammered]

PM suspects Thaksin behind Pheu Thai's boycott of reconciliation panel

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Wednesday that he had assigned Parliament President Chai Chidchob to find out why the Pheu Thai Party would not send its representatives on the political reconciliation committee.

He said Chai would hold another meeting of the coalition, opposition, and Senate to find out why the Pheu Thai Party would not take part in the efforts to bring about reconciliation.

"I don't know whether the Pheu Thai Party changed its stand because Thaksin has announced he would keep on fighting," Abhisit said.

-- The Nation 2009-04-29

It is not exactly a well kept secret that Thaksin is the real boss and his mobile wallet has also returned.

[Sandstone Art]

Those rats sailing on that sinking ship does not want to take the chances of a remote control captain that is hiding in some country giving instructions for the course of journey.

The ship might hit an iceberg or big rocks soon!

[animatic]

Because 'Political Reconciliation' doesn't include CRIMINAL ACTS.

And thus would not include Thaksin. So he must stall or stymie this move.

[Gonzo the Face]

OP When you mention Rats jumping from a sinking ship

do you mean the redshirts

and/or

are they the remenents of the THAI - RAT - THAI ?

Those rats.???

Edited April 29, 2009 by Gonzo the Face

[Orac]

Pheu Thai threatens to boycott tripartite reconciliation panel

The Pheu Thai Party Wednesday threatened to boycott the tripartite committee to bring about political reconciliation and study charter amendments.

Witthaya Buranasiri, chief opposition whip, said the Pheu Thai would not send it representatives to join the panel if the Parliament does not set up a panel to review the political violence during the Songkran holidays.

The tripartite panel is supposed to have representatives from the government, opposition and Senate.

- The Nation - 2009/04/29

Why would PTP want a panel to review the hours of live footage of their guys rioting and threatening to burn places down? Why would PTP want a panel to review their leaders inciting riots on TV? Or is this panel not meant to look at those things but to discuss disappeared bodies?

Hopefully if a panel is set up it will be impartial, it will look at what all sides did, it will stick to corraborated evidence and not inuendo and rumour and preferably it wont be a panel of polticians.

Be interesting to see in the coming days if those who control team PTP really are interested in talking or thwey just want more instability.

So true. How disgusting are these crooks? Abhisit's gov't wants cooperation from every side to look into the matter fairly and transparenty, and these crooks refuse to cooperate. I really don't know what to say about this. When it was their reign back in Oct 7, they didn't even bother to ask anyone to join the investigative panel they set up. Now this gov't wants it to be transparent so that everything can be accounted for. And the crooks' response is not to join. Hmmm.

Spot on the Somchai government set up a panel including a blind guy who said he didnt know why he was on the panel and wasnt capable of doing the job assigned. Maybe that is the way ahead ofr the government. Just say well do exaclty as PPP did and assign our own panel. I rememeber when Somchai did that the soft red supporting English language blogs all argued to see the results of this panel before jumping to conclusions on what happened on Oct 7 so I am sure they would all have exactly the same line for a similarly set up panel by this government.

Reality is PTP do what Thaksin tells them and he needs the country to stop functioning. Be interesting to see if any of PTP actually will break ranks with supreme leader

I may be reading this all wrong but I cannot see how PTP can be accused of refusing to cooperate with Abhhisit's gov't to "look into the matter fairly and transparently" when it is the Abhisit gov't that, so far, is not setting up a panel to review this in the first place. I am sure PTP are just playing politics here but the story seems to have been 'spun' into the opposite of what was being said in the first place.

[HagenvonTronje]

The Nation lost all credibilty as an impartial news reporting medium so long ago now. It really is just a propaganda tool for the powerful elite clique who really run Thailand behind the public face of "politics" in the Kingdom. As for those who continue to "cut and paste" the diatribes from it and pass it off as news; well.... nah wont waste my time.

Well if you mean the Nation was the only major paper to stand up to

Thaksin's intimidation and blatent attempts to shut down all dissenting views

then yes the Nation is NOT impartial to Thaksin and company.

The Bangkok Post got chewed up because they didn't have the where-with-all to stand up

to the Thaksin machine's the national economic attacks and frivolous legal attacks.

Withdrawel of several major advertising revenue contracts and HUGE lawsuits, most all proven baseless.

The Post caved, causing one editor to resign and several reporters to lose life savings

defending their true words printed in the paper.

The Nation didn't cave in. Even as The Caravan Of The Poor attacked their offices

and tried intimidation of their reporters and others as they went about their business.

So I for one are MORE THAN HAPPY The Nation is not impartial on the Thaksin issues.

When your livelyhood and veracity are attacked there is no being impartial against your agressive attackers.

They are now another source of info to be taken with a grain of salt as ANY and ALL jourals should be.

But not written off as too biased, because they come by this particular bias honestly.

And another mirror image to Thaksin's aggressive actions.

On other subjects they are much more even handed.

hagler is right.

A source said,The Nation is the central organ of the 曰Thaksin cult., the World's _Thaksin_Biggest_Daily. Only brothers in faith of the 曰Thaksin cult can take that paper seriously. And not only seriously, brothers in faith of the 曰Thaksin cult love the The Nation, the central organ of the 曰Thaksin cult, another source said.

no other newspaper has so many gossip about Thaksin per day as The Nation has it.

no other newspaper has so many ramblings about Thaksin per day as The Nation has it.

no other newspaper has so many fantasies about Thaksin per day as The Nation has it.

The Nation writes that what the readers want to hear.

The source said that article is a birthday present for someone, who asked not to be named, said a source. Now they holding all together a white magic ritual that it may come true, a source said, said the source to the source, so another sources said, said a source.

[HagenvonTronje]

OP When you mention Rats jumping from a sinking ship

do you mean the redshirts

and/or

are they the remenents of the THAI - RAT - THAI ?

Those rats.???

well spotted.

that is the surrealistic approach of the The Nation to be more funny than Not The Nation..

Rats desert a sinking ship, The Nation jumped the Shark and the Commies are waiting for Thaksin.

[animatic]

Surreal, or reality strained through lime jello.

Only your proctologist knows for sure.

Probably_Daliesque and time melts

as the keys are hit repeatedly in staccato fashion.

[sriracha john]

-- The Nation 2009-04-29

OP When you mention Rats jumping from a sinking ship

do you mean the redshirts

and/or

are they the remenents of the THAI - RAT - THAI ?

Those rats.???

If by OP you mean original poster, it wasn't I that mentioned the rats jumping; it was an article from The Nation that mentioned rats jumping.

If by OP you mean original post, The Nation is not an individual TV member that can answer you.

Disregarding the above, I took the article to be in reference to PTP MP's. That, however, does include a number of Red Shirts..... so that the "and" portion of your "and/or" question would seem to be the proper match-up.

now then, how many of PTP MP's are hold-overs from the TRT MP era and/or the PPP MP era?

Quite a few.

Edited April 29, 2009 by sriracha john

[RickBradford]

Abhisit is Thailand's best option in the short term, rightly or wrongly, because he looks and sounds so good on BBC and CNN, and us Western masters of the universe only really trust fellows who speak good English -- Old Squarehead resembles a ventriloquist's dummy by comparison.

[Thai at Heart]

Abhisit is Thailand's best option in the short term, rightly or wrongly, because he looks and sounds so good on BBC and CNN, and us Western masters of the universe only really trust fellows who speak good English -- Old Squarehead resembles a ventriloquist's dummy by comparison.

How short is short term? Two weeks or two years?

[samgrowth]

I took out my Yellow shirt (again), and keep my red shirt (in case I need it again), the night the army show up with M16. I suppose you can also call me a rat.

[TPI]

Mass media accused of middle-class anti-reds bias

"Chiang Mai University law lecturer Somhai Preechasil-pakul wrote a commentary in Matichon newspaper on Monday denouncing much of Thailand's mainstream media. He thought they had double standards and that media professionals had an upper-class bias as many view poor lower-class protesters, who make up the bulk of the red-shirt movement, as people lacking "political maturity", whose votes can be bought by money or populist policies."

and

"..the fact the mainstream mass media overwhelming reflect the middle-class (and in some cases an elitist) political worldview. This is simply because editors, journalists and photographers are mostly middle class and Thai mass media is hardly a forum for the poor, less formally educated lower class, who happen to make up some 70 per cent of the Thai population.

Thus they're more middle class' media than "mass" media, which might supposedly include more voices from the poor majority. What they write or report on tells readers more about themselves than that of the poor.

The middle class' daily dealings with the lower class is marked by hierarchical and patronage relationships such as one of manager-to-worker, passenger-to-taxi-driver, master-to-maid, diner-to-waiter, sex-buyer-to-sex-worker and more.

The middle class and elite are not used to truly listening to the lower class and rather wish they remain docile as cab drivers, waiters or prostitutes instead of being active as fellow Thai citizens, capable of independent and equal political thoughts and aspirations.

If lower-class people are in the news, many of the middle class rather wish they were on the news as a "good cabbie" who returns a forgotten wad of bank notes left behind by a forgetful middle class or rich passenger. Or, as an award-winning bartender, or perhaps a maid who was a rape victim of a cruel house master. To them, the poor reds can't possibly have an independent mind and are more likely to have been duped or bribed by Thaksin and his cohorts. So it doesn't matter much which newspapers or TV channel you subscribe to."

Brought to us by the Nation.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/rea...newsid=30101578

And the problem is??

Of course the middle class are more influential than the so called lower class, and, its obvious that the print media aims at these more affluent citizens than your ordinary rice farmer, who do you think it is who buys what the newspapers sell??

The lower class generally finish school at P6 or at best M3, they can't read, they can't calculate, they generally don't use logic in their everyday lives, what do you expect?

They are the product of the education system that has been put in place by the very people you rail against!

I would say that the elite has done a fantastic job in creating a perpetual motion money machine, don't knock it, you're taking advantage of it every day in every way. To whinge about the poor oppressed working class is fine...just don't expect a rush anytime soon by the elite or the middle class to improve their lot! IMVHO

[Thai at Heart]

Mass media accused of middle-class anti-reds bias

"Chiang Mai University law lecturer Somhai Preechasil-pakul wrote a commentary in Matichon newspaper on Monday denouncing much of Thailand's mainstream media. He thought they had double standards and that media professionals had an upper-class bias as many view poor lower-class protesters, who make up the bulk of the red-shirt movement, as people lacking "political maturity", whose votes can be bought by money or populist policies."

and

"..the fact the mainstream mass media overwhelming reflect the middle-class (and in some cases an elitist) political worldview. This is simply because editors, journalists and photographers are mostly middle class and Thai mass media is hardly a forum for the poor, less formally educated lower class, who happen to make up some 70 per cent of the Thai population.

Thus they're more middle class' media than "mass" media, which might supposedly include more voices from the poor majority. What they write or report on tells readers more about themselves than that of the poor.

The middle class' daily dealings with the lower class is marked by hierarchical and patronage relationships such as one of manager-to-worker, passenger-to-taxi-driver, master-to-maid, diner-to-waiter, sex-buyer-to-sex-worker and more.

The middle class and elite are not used to truly listening to the lower class and rather wish they remain docile as cab drivers, waiters or prostitutes instead of being active as fellow Thai citizens, capable of independent and equal political thoughts and aspirations.

If lower-class people are in the news, many of the middle class rather wish they were on the news as a "good cabbie" who returns a forgotten wad of bank notes left behind by a forgetful middle class or rich passenger. Or, as an award-winning bartender, or perhaps a maid who was a rape victim of a cruel house master. To them, the poor reds can't possibly have an independent mind and are more likely to have been duped or bribed by Thaksin and his cohorts. So it doesn't matter much which newspapers or TV channel you subscribe to."

Brought to us by the Nation.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/rea...newsid=30101578

And the problem is??

Of course the middle class are more influential than the so called lower class, and, its obvious that the print media aims at these more affluent citizens than your ordinary rice farmer, who do you think it is who buys what the newspapers sell??

The lower class generally finish school at P6 or at best M3, they can't read, they can't calculate, they generally don't use logic in their everyday lives, what do you expect?

They are the product of the education system that has been put in place by the very people you rail against!

I would say that the elite has done a fantastic job in creating a perpetual motion money machine, don't knock it, you're taking advantage of it every day in every way. To whinge about the poor oppressed working class is fine...just don't expect a rush anytime soon by the elite or the middle class to improve their lot! IMVHO

Oh absolutely. Unfortunately there was also an essence within the PAD of "no taxation, no representation".

I wouldn't worry, not many people read newspapers here anyway whether Thai or English language. They are essentially writing to no one. I have to laugh when the Thai channels are on in the morning, and the male presenter reads the morning news headlines from the papers, then proceeds to put the relevant editorial spin on it, to which the female presenter simply nods her head and says "ka, ka, ka, ka, ka" in typically submissive fashion. The all knowing, all seeing Thai male espousing his considered opinion.

When was the last time anyone saw someone reading a newspaper on a BTS station in the morning?

[Koo82]

If Abhisit wins after a general election, that is fair and nice. His position now is so difficult as he has to please PAD, army and Newin group for helping him to climb up.

Khun Thaksin won 2 elections with no one blocking airports and with no one instructing MPs to switch votes. A lot nicer than Abhisit. If I were Abhisit, I would be shy to death to become PM like that.

If he still feels he comes democratically, let's review:

Step 1: knocked the current PM by a coup

Step 2: made new Constitution Law, not to let PM have too much power, to dissolve parties, to ban politicians of competitor

Step 3: when competitor lost about 150 members after being dissolved twice, instruct people to vote for the man you like in Parliament House, and announced "any PM is voted in Parliament the same".

In Feb this year, the reds protested with 4 demands:

1. Bring PAD to judge.

2. Fire Kasit as he was with PAD to block GH and airports and his personality is not suitable for FM position. Anyone who did not join PAD can be FM. We have no problem.

3. Bring back 2540 Constitution Law as it was made by people, or amend 2550 CL as it was made by army.

4. Dissolve the house and call for new election.

All demands are so reasonable, but those holding power do not want to lose. It took them more than 3 years to gain power after so many plans and meetings. They can't give up that easily.

[grandpops]

Fantastic post as ever Koo.

Problem with PAD falangs is that they think corruption started with Thaksin.

I remember from the Thaksin days that the biggest topics of whingeing from falangs was about the crack downs on pole dancing, nudity and bar opening hours. Thats what really got their goats and now they are so self righteous and indignant that Thaksin might have been as corrupt as all other Thai politicians before him.

Most expats here have a vested interest in the poor remaining poor. How else could these dregs of society live like kings on the pittance they have? The villification of Thaksin and the pathetic references to his being convicted (as if the Juntas appointed courts could possibly ever have not convicted him) are their increasingly shrill inputs into an argument they can never possibly hope to understand.

The only group more deluded, are the PAD themselves. They on their minute salaries at the bank, office or department stores see themselves as part of the Hi-So elites ruling the country. If fact, they are virtually as poor as the farmers they so despise when you compare their wealth to the real elite!

Keep it up Koo.

[MaiChai]

I asked my gf if I could get my yellow shirt out on Monday (as was the tradition before). She said 'Hmmm', maybe that is now dangerous...

What is the choice, go back to Taksin the Dictator, or go forward with Abhisit the Educated? I suppose it depends if you like being told what to do (lower class) or to think for yourself (lets say middle class since there arn't that many 'elite' class around). What a circus.

True democracy is where parliment can overide a government decision which is what has just happened in the UK regarding the Gurkhas residence rights. That could not happen in Thailand when Taksin was in power. Taksins democracy is him in power with everyone doing as he says.... True democracy?

[Journalist]

Purachai for Prime Minister !

[webfact]

Purachai for Prime Minister !

with Chalerm as Justice or Interior Minister...

GOD HELP US if that ever will become reality.