Is purchasing the post of PM any better than taking it by force?

Democrat said MPs of TRT/PPP/PT bought votes.

But when some of these MPs voted for Abhisit in Parliament House, Democrat didn't say anything.

Indirect purchasing?

again, an additional documentation how the red shirted people violating traffic laws. nobody wearing any crash- helmets there. ever seen that with the yellow shirts?

at least the first few rows of the yellow protestors wore helmets, showed respect to the traffic laws. here, with the reds, - no helmets, but moaning about double standards.

Good observation.

I agree, one man one vote. I also don't like PAD's "New Politic" it's even more vulnerable to manipulation than the present system.

Name me one developing country where one man one vote system has produced a stable, even relatively corruption free government? Look at the history of western democracy, not a single one started out with that principle.

To expect Thailand to be any different at this point in its political development, with lock on the majority of rural voters by feudal barons, is just not facing the reality of situation.

TH

Many times there is no perfect answer for the perfect question. But I believe ther are a lot of "relatively" corruption free gov. the best one is not perfect but sure quite better than what we have here at present.

Yes, Western demo did not start with that principle, now Thailand doesn't has much of that principle, may be we are not on the so wrong track. LOL

I don't agree on the point of changing 1 man 1 vote for I also have no better practical solution to offer for the the present real situation. With great idea I would have join political party or the public stage. HAHA

I heard some ideas like

1. Voting by personal tax paid

2. Voting by provincial tax paid

3. What PAD offer

It's risky to run the country derieving the public authority on political right base on other kind of participation/contribution to the country rather than being a Thai citizen. I can say all day I don't like this kind of result at all but the fact is that our fellow Thais LOVE ot at least OK to live with it...

-They know they vote the people who paid money.

-They know they vote people who say "Budget first to the area that voted me." (Thaksin)

-The know they vote people who say "Policies? I will tell the people after the election, now they can be assured the one they vote will do his best to be government." (Banharn)

I now am agreed with the present constitution and hope in the next few generations the people will know more of their right and duty.

I don't see Thaksin as part of the old elites but a part of the new elite emerging in 1980's as a result of massive growth in the economy. His biggest mistake not paying his dues to the old elite, and here I am not so much talking about people in the private sector but the bureacratic elite in the state aparatus and the military. Increasingly Thaksin felt so confident after two elections clearly won, that he could start to take on this bureaucracy and shuffle people around who he felt had loyalties elsewhere and I think underestimating the consequences of this. Coupled with his seemingly more and more autocratic style of leadership and the interpretation by some that he did not pay homage to the advice of a certain person, became his downfall. The Shin Corp deal sealed it, not only was he possibly abusing power he was selling something percieved as matter of national security and thus opening up for the more condemming accusation of Thaksin being "unthai" in his dealings.

Well summed up.

What an opportunity missed! He could and should have been the Great Thaksin, the Saviour of the Poor, the Special One who singlehandedly brought Thailand to the top of Asia.

Instead, he will be remembered as the one who divided and (almost) destroyed Thailand.

And for what? More money? More power?

I feel so sorry for his children.

Why is there so little focus on the way Thaksin achieved political success and what kind of lasting influence that has on the rural poor and uneducated? Most dictators know where their power lies and it is stroking this base without empowering them too much which is usually the strategy used to remain in control, all the while brainwashing the base into blind support. It seems to me that there are only three ways to deal with such an unfortunate situation; war (if the leader tries to expand beyond his borders), revolution or a coup.

What an opportunity missed! He could and should have been the Great Thaksin

Sure, I agree. Coulda, shoulda, woulda.

But he wasn't. Because he was ROTTEN. Time for the true believers to lick their wounds and regroup with another dream, and be more careful who you trust next time.

Why is there so little focus on the way Thaksin achieved political success and what kind of lasting influence that has on the rural poor and uneducated? Most dictators know where their power lies and it is stroking this base without empowering them too much which is usually the strategy used to remain in control, all the while brainwashing the base into blind support. It seems to me that there are only three ways to deal with such an unfortunate situation; war (if the leader tries to expand beyond his borders), revolution or a coup.

*****

Somethings like:

For his wealth:

- Arranged the communication monopolised contract with certain Minister of Transportation and Communication for .....just 30 years, using the property maximum standard like MKB building (later the contract was adjusted to 6 year by PM Anand Panyarachun)

- Arranged more monolised contract with Minister of the 1992 Junta.....

etc.

For politics:

- Once in Chiang Mai, Thaksin asked Dr. Jermsak Pintong:

T. "What do you think of my prospect in politics, I wanna invlove?"

P. "Well, you can join party like the Democrat."

T. "Democrat is too big, it's goona be too slow."

P. "You can do political work as civilian without forlio like Dr. Pravej Wasi."

T. "I think I should BUY one small party." (He used the word เซ้ง - SENG, normally used for buying of the remained property rental right.)

Anyone can ask Dr. Pintong, We will testify on this and actually spoke of this a lot on radio.