Undiplomatic Remarks From Foreign Office Mandarins

[caf]

Tempest in a teapot. Put the comments in context. Yes Thai music would sound odd to an Englishman, but so too would have the Beatles to a Thai. She loves you yea, yea, yea. Eloquent lyrics indeed.

Why would anyone be overly concerned about the comments diplomats coming from a country that was in steep economic decline and growing frustrated as the world passed it by? The era in which the comments were made was marked by coal stained skies, labour unrest and a society in economic distress. England was a nation that still had rationing into the 1950's. It's the time when England's hi so foreign service was distinguished by several high level betrayals.

Who cares if a bunch of English diplomats slagged Canada or Australia? We talk of losing face in Thailand. Think about it. If you were an Englishman of that era, you'd be jealous and feeling insignificant knowing that it was the Canadian 1st Army that was the only fully functioning force that stood between England and Germany after the loss in France and. You'd be resentful too knowing that Canada was the country that kept the Atlantic convoy route open during England's darkest hour and that Commonwealth troops were the difference between England's survival and death. You'd be envious of the happy Australians and their burgeoning economy and effervescent enthusiasm. The toilets flush in Australia and even though many Australians come from the UK and Eire, no one makes fun of Australian teeth or inbreeding, do they? So let the words of a bygone era be the hot air that they were.

The Canadian army was the only fully functioning force??

Alanbrooke's diaries ( the censored and uncensored versions) certainly praised the Canadians and was critical of intervention by politicians in both the US and England of matters of military detail. Other historical references now support much of his writings and confirm his lack of bias but to say the Canadian army was the only fully functioing force is way of the mark and I suspect without source.

[caf]

However, the bullshit about history, dance, and architecture...no that's just dead wrong. Because all of these have their roots set in Thai culture hundreds of years prior. Personally I think most of the historical information was made too distant for him to get off his chinless champagne loving ass to find out about. You didn't have all the cool movies about Thai history like "Suryothai" "Khun Pan, Khun Chang", and "King Narisuan" to spark one's interest in their history and liturature. This ment you would have actually had to READ THAI to appreciate the litereture that he so quickly trashed. And I doubt he spoke Thai or made a real effort to find out.

Thank you for this thoughtful and insightful post reminding us of the need for intellectual rigour.Clearly what this diplomat needed was to sit through a number of the "cool movies" you mention (which would probably make him the first to do so without expiring from boredom), and thence to re-assess his view on the modest achievements of Thai culture.One small request, could you remind us of the great works of Thai literature that are universally acknowledged to rank with the best the rest of the world has to offer.

I have already asked for that information. Thais are not great readers. Do you see them reading or even having books in their homes.

Yes Cool movies I said it, and it's true. They are great movies about Thai culture and each of them are based off of Thai books, which are in turn based off Thai Stories. Who gives cares if the rest of the world universally accepts or appreciates their stories. The Thais didn't make them for the rest of the world to appreciate, they made them for their own people. They weren't off trying to colonize and exploit the world so they didn't need to make stories so watered down and universal that everyone could get it.

No, their stories are a lil more uniquely Thai and sophisticated. Take Khun Pan, Khun Chang for exsample. It has all the qualities of Romeo and Juilet only much more gritty, erotic, and distinctly Thai. Yet with even a basic understanding of the culture you can appreciate it's beauty.

Just because you can't relate to it, dosn't mean they don't have quality literature.

"they made them for their own people." You surely are not trying to say the Thais are great readers are you?

I'm not sure about stories being so watered down that everyone could get it is accurate of most other literature and it certainly wasn't the intention of writers to produce literature for the purpose of colonising countries.

[steven100]

really !

does anybody care what these pompous gents think....

i sure don't.