Pad To Resume Street Protests

[jasreeve17]

MrDirk said: Sorry jasreeve....completely missed your irony.......now that I see it, I get it........You are more observant than me!

I see your point though.

One poster said with a straight face that the PAD was more peaceloving then the democracy movement. I couldn't bring myself to challenge that one......trying to challenge that one gives it credibility.

But political discussions are like that. Try listening to a Ann Coulter, a Beck or a Rush....that tests the limits let me tell you.

My Reply: No problem MrDirk. There are indeed some lunatics on ThaiVisa (I count myself in that group ). Active discussion is better than no debate at all, but it gets broing when it's just propaganda statements non-stop.

In reference to the above poster, I feel increasingly sad becasue I'm not sure they'll be an election any time soon. Indeed, I'm increasingly feeling that things are gonna significantly deteriorate before they start to improve. I hope I'm wrong.

I'd like to add that the above two posts make some very good points: the electorate need to be engaged with manifestos, policies and honesty.

MrDirk, below, makes a good point too: we don't really have party politics because the individual politicians have no ideals, so they move around following the money trail. Samak loves MrT, Newin loves Abhisit, Sondhi hates MrT, Nevin hates MrT hates... Go back a few years and the opposite was true - and this is just a tiny snippet!

Edited October 8, 2009 by jasreeve17

[Thai at Heart]

I agree with everything you say Brahmburgers.

An additional complication is that in some respect what is defined as a Political party here, is not a political party at all. .

In the true sense of the word, a 'party' has an ideology, that separates it from others.

I think that is lacking here. These so-called parties should more aptly be called "political groupings". They are identified by their allegiance to a leader as opposed to an ideology.

This explains in part why nobody makes an effort to educate the electorate about their position on political matters. Perhaps they lack these positions and can only trumpet the personage who happens to head up the group, by flooding the countryside with unsmiling faces on signs and their respective number only. There is not even a political logo which might say something about their priorities.

For that reason they can float around from one coalition to another without needing to cross an ideological chasm.

At risk of over-simplification, I guess that has something to do with a hierarchical society.

It has more to do with the complete lack of understanding of public service. Politics and business and Thailand has been interconnected together. There are so few people who want to enter or have the wherewithall to enter politics to SERVE the country.

It has always been a money game dressed up as a political charade. I hope it changes.

[Plus]

The coup triggered developments that are still very much in the process - power of ISOC, increased political involvement of a certain clique of officers from certain regiments, massively increased military budgets, etc.

These things are clearly outlined in the study i recommend. But i fear it is hopeless to hope that you may read a study that could threaten your frame of reference.

Read the postscript to that study yourself - it describes the current military involvement in politics and it has nothing to do with Prem. Goes completely against his own conclusion that Prem's network is having the time of their lives controlling Abhisit.

But go ahead, protest against Prem all you want if that's the limit of red interest. As I said - no one cares.

[jasreeve17]

I care.

Seriously: The Prem problem is very tough to discuss, but it's right at the heart of the issue. Shouldn't be ignored.

Edited October 8, 2009 by jasreeve17

[Plus]

Go and add yourself to their head count. And maybe carry a big banner in English, otherwise media will fail to mention the reason for the rally again.

[maahuanao]

what the pay for being a protester this time around?

PAD 0 Baht

Red: 500 Baht

PAD were certainly paying last time.