Wonder What Thaksin's Amassing His Troops For?

[Rumfoord]

Rumfoord or whatever your name is,

are you drunk?

it's Winston Niles Rumfoord, but Rumfoord is okay.

i am not drunk. what are you?

[animatic]

i am not envy, i don't want spoil they party, it is their money. but the daily reports on the race who collected the most donations and spend them for geegaw and flitter i perceived as an outsider, as non us-american, very bizarre.

The only thing bizarre here in the US is the number of myths that are perpetuated by certain sectors to explain the election of Obama by anything other than his being elected by the free will of the majority of the public. There is no vote buying here in the US in the same manner that there is in Thailand. Local banks in the US do not run out of smaller denomination notes in the days before an election as has happened in Thailand.

Thaksin's brilliance was recognizing that by promising to throw a few crumbs to the masses from the national coffers, he could capture their hearts and minds in a more substantive manner than by having his local political lieutenants pay out baat notes on election day, not that such activities did not happen, but that tired game is played by all sides.

But the newest movements in the jockeying for position in the game are simply signs that closer to the real power there are movements and changes occurring that are not being reported. It is clear that last week some people prematurely placed some bets and lost and now must place a new wager to stay in the game.

Yes, sums up several aspects of both sides of the pond.

Add also the parallel of Obaba and Abhisit, inheriting truly ghastly financial situations,

left over by the obtuse and myopic views of their predecessors, who go to great lengths

to blame the current incumbent for hard decisions that were finally made pertaining top

things they are successfully working on, but not at a speed they would like.

The opposition which benefited from 'good times', leaving behind world wide 'bad times'

of course MUST blame the guys in there dealing with their mess, because other wise

the blame would fall on them and their friends...

The knock on affect of Bush's quid pro quo to is big oil buddies last year, kicked off the

near total collapse of the whole world financial market, and thus that is now ALSO laid

at Abhisit's feet.

But all these tough and neccesary decisions being made, are "ALL BAD",

or so says my red shirted taxi driver from most all of yesterday.

No reddened consideration is being given to Samak and Somchai, under Thaksin's directions of course,

doing NOTHING, to abrogate the coming financial storm. Thaksin himself admits he was caught

flat footed...lost big investments. I could see it coming last August...

why did these 'national leaders' drop the sack so badly?

I can of course see them blaming it on ANYONE but themselves...

[animatic]

ps. free will oohh. always good for a smile, if not a laugh. i like to discuss the behaviorist aspects of it with the cat, neutered, that shares the flat with me.

This doesn't surprise.

[hammered]

Rumfoord or whatever your name is,

are you drunk?

it's Winston Niles Rumfoord, but Rumfoord is okay.

i am not drunk. what are you?

But do you exist as wave phenomena with your dog?

[Stumbo]

"He didn't win one clean election without vote buying."

All significant Thai political parties have bought votes in all elections, h90. Back in America we have pretty clean elections compared to Thailand but overt vote buying still takes place in some areas. Example: In the inner-city Black areas Democratic politicians pass out "street money" the last few days before election. Does this mean that Obama is not a legitimate President because his party "bought" votes?

As far as I know in both Thailand and America the politicians pass out the money to "buy" votes but do not get to watch the voters cast their vote. My assumption is that many voters take the money (why not?) and then vote for the vote buyer's opponent.

I don't know the situation in USA.

In Thailand for example the record of the Democrats is almost complete clean (a few real minor cases).

The times of simply money handouts is long gone.

It started a 20-30 years ago where voter got a left "shoe" and after the party won in that area they got the right shoe. Than we had the time they wanted to see a picture with the mobile phone camera. Now latest were shops you can buy on credit, if PPP wins, you never have to pay back the credit.

But there are 100 different versions.

All governments buy the electorate one way or another, whether by outspending in BS election ads, offering more welfare, manipulating the state education ignorance of the average voter or by handing out money directly. It's all the same in the end and all politicians profit from being in government, either directly or with board positions etc later.

The West has no moral high ground over Thailand, just less obvious techniques with the same end result. To think otherwise demonstrates being oblivious to the obvious. Just take Wall Street and the corrupt US governmnet as in your face examples.

[animatic]

Inundating with advertising is not vote buying.

If the ads contain obvious lies they get pulled, but the damage can last.

It is buying the attention of the voter fopr the message of the candidate.

More often recently not what he will do good, but what his opponent has allegedly done bad.

Handing out cash in USA is rather rare and almost exclusively in backwaters or ghetos.

Sure getting pork government disbursals for jobs etc, to your area by incumbents is SOP world wide.

[TAWP]

Promising handouts if elected [with the governments money] is not the same thing is not the same thing as handing out your OWN cash to get elected. How on earth could that money be recuperated unless illegal activities was performed while in office?

The salaries are crap, so...

[khonkaen man]

Maybe he's planning on being Prime Minister again?

After all, a majority of Thais will vote for him again.

Why should a military Junta decide what's best for the country?

You should ask him that. I think it's come to the point where Thaksin is willing to get into bed with those he was formerly opposed to. This is a win at any cost measure, and a dangerous one at that.

If he thinks he can get in to the PM position using military connections without the military controlling him in the end, then he hasn't payed attention to Thai history and what happened to the PAD. I've said before that TRT and PAD are similar, with different backers. Now he's trying to bridge that gap as his personal power wanes.

Maybe he thinks he can become a "Dear leader"?

Thai history is about to enter a new era. Six out of ten forum topics on the thaivisa homepage are about Thaksin, dont think anything is waning. Powerful and not so powerful figures are starting to align themselves with the likely winners of the upcoming battle.

Like it or not there may be an event( in the near future) that will prove the catalyst for the start of this war. As a Thai friend says to me ' Thaksin - coming soon'

[hammered]

Maybe he's planning on being Prime Minister again?

After all, a majority of Thais will vote for him again.

Why should a military Junta decide what's best for the country?

You should ask him that. I think it's come to the point where Thaksin is willing to get into bed with those he was formerly opposed to. This is a win at any cost measure, and a dangerous one at that.

If he thinks he can get in to the PM position using military connections without the military controlling him in the end, then he hasn't payed attention to Thai history and what happened to the PAD. I've said before that TRT and PAD are similar, with different backers. Now he's trying to bridge that gap as his personal power wanes.

Maybe he thinks he can become a "Dear leader"?

Thai history is about to enter a new era. Six out of ten forum topics on the thaivisa homepage are about Thaksin, dont think anything is waning. Powerful and not so powerful figures are starting to align themselves with the likely winners of the upcoming battle.

Like it or not there may be an event( in the near future) that will prove the catalyst for the start of this war. As a Thai friend says to me ' Thaksin - coming soon'

Kinda depends on a few other things. Thaksin comong soon is the restart of a regioanl war. A lot are aware of this and there is uncertainty over what is assumed will happen

[Johpa]

Promising handouts if elected [with the governments money] is not the same thing is not the same thing as handing out your OWN cash to get elected. How on earth could that money be recuperated unless illegal activities was performed while in office?

The salaries are crap, so...

The cash used to purchase votes was most often obtained by illegal activities, or to plagiarize A. Pasuk, "Guns, Girls, Gambling, Ganja", the cash cows of the business world. But there is also smuggling which explains the rise to power of former PMs from the south (oil & cars) , the former PM who controlled the western border (teak, gems, and drugs) , and more recently the PM who controlled the Cambodian trade. Further into the past, the PM was the heroin kingpin. Somebody runs the yaa baa trade, but they are staying behind the scenes. The simple purchasing of votes costs little relative to the profits in these trades, most of which are sent offshore.

[hammered]

Promising handouts if elected [with the governments money] is not the same thing is not the same thing as handing out your OWN cash to get elected. How on earth could that money be recuperated unless illegal activities was performed while in office?

The salaries are crap, so...

The cash used to purchase votes was most often obtained by illegal activities, or to plagiarize A. Pasuk, "Guns, Girls, Gambling, Ganja", the cash cows of the business world. But there is also smuggling which explains the rise to power of former PMs from the south (oil & cars) , the former PM who controlled the western border (teak, gems, and drugs) , and more recently the PM who controlled the Cambodian trade. Further into the past, the PM was the heroin kingpin. Somebody runs the yaa baa trade, but they are staying behind the scenes. The simple purchasing of votes costs little relative to the profits in these trades, most of which are sent offshore.

Who controls the yaa ba trade was reset relatively recently which explains certain issues. It was also rest a short time before this too. It used to be balanced but in the past half deacde hasnt been which is .....

[Rumfoord]

Rumfoord or whatever your name is,

are you drunk?

it's Winston Niles Rumfoord, but Rumfoord is okay.

i am not drunk. what are you?

But do you exist as wave phenomena with your dog?

http://www.unc.edu/depts/jomc/academics/dri/idog.html

[hammered]

Rumfoord or whatever your name is,

are you drunk?

it's Winston Niles Rumfoord, but Rumfoord is okay.

i am not drunk. what are you?

But do you exist as wave phenomena with your dog?

http://www.unc.edu/depts/jomc/academics/dri/idog.html

I enjoyed that

[hammered]

Has anyone seen this asian correspondant nonsense? it is truly awful. TV devoid of serial criminal Lefevre could put up something better with posters here. A business opportunity?

[canoncam]

Rumfoord or whatever your name is,

are you drunk?

But do you exist as wave phenomena with your dog?

ww.unc.edu/depts/jomc/academics/dri/idog.htm

I enjoyed that

A bigger version is available on the Thaivisa profile page of Rumfoord's previous nickname, HagenvonTronje

[animatic]

But do you exist as wave phenomena with your dog?

ww.unc.edu/depts/jomc/academics/dri/idog.htm

I enjoyed that

A bigger version is available on the Thaivisa profile page of Rumfoord's previous nickname, HagenvonTronje

Not forgetting Permant_Disorder....

[Rumfoord]

"On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog" is one of the old, old proverbs of the internet. read more about it in the New York Times

one of the old rules of the internet discussion boards is: don't jump on an author or a users screen name and use that as solely argument. it is the written text that counts. if you have nothing add or cannot comment on the content of another entry, if you cannot aim at the text than better shut up and don't be a heckler.

that is also a basic rule for situations outside the internet.

[Siripon]

Maybe he's planning on being Prime Minister again?

After all, a majority of Thais will vote for him again.

Why should a military Junta decide what's best for the country?

You should ask him that. I think it's come to the point where Thaksin is willing to get into bed with those he was formerly opposed to. This is a win at any cost measure, and a dangerous one at that.

If he thinks he can get in to the PM position using military connections without the military controlling him in the end, then he hasn't payed attention to Thai history and what happened to the PAD. I've said before that TRT and PAD are similar, with different backers. Now he's trying to bridge that gap as his personal power wanes.

Maybe he thinks he can become a "Dear leader"?

Thai history is about to enter a new era. Six out of ten forum topics on the thaivisa homepage are about Thaksin, dont think anything is waning. Powerful and not so powerful figures are starting to align themselves with the likely winners of the upcoming battle.

Like it or not there may be an event( in the near future) that will prove the catalyst for the start of this war. As a Thai friend says to me ' Thaksin - coming soon'

Thaksin's been saying he's coming back for a long time. Peter and the wolf,baaaaaaa

A group of retired police and army generals nearly all class 10, Thaksin's group joining Pheua Thai does not signify much, and as for Chavalit?! The number of Thais who like Hun Sen can be counted on one finger, Thaksin being his buddy further underlines suspicions of Thaksin's vested interests.

Thaksin will never come back unless he's absolutely sure of his safety, don't forget he's often shown his cowardly rhetoric-" I'll be at the front of the people once the first shot's been fired''-Songkran 2009

[seri thai]

It was my understanding that a lot of the officers concerned were quickly promoted under Thaksin but put out to grass when he was overthrown. Maybe its time for them to show their support for him. It can't really harm them as they are all retired now and whatever power base they had has long gone. With Thaksin back in power they may find themselves in a stronger position or at least have some influence over military affairs.

they are all retired now and whatever power base they had has long gone

Can someone tell me where the rolling on the floor, helpless with laughter smiley is please?

[somluck]

"He didn't win one clean election without vote buying."

All significant Thai political parties have bought votes in all elections, h90. Back in America we have pretty clean elections compared to Thailand but overt vote buying still takes place in some areas. Example: In the inner-city Black areas Democratic politicians pass out "street money" the last few days before election. Does this mean that Obama is not a legitimate President because his party "bought" votes?

As far as I know in both Thailand and America the politicians pass out the money to "buy" votes but do not get to watch the voters cast their vote. My assumption is that many voters take the money (why not?) and then vote for the vote buyer's opponent.

I don't know the situation in USA.

In Thailand for example the record of the Democrats is almost complete clean (a few real minor cases).

The times of simply money handouts is long gone.

It started a 20-30 years ago where voter got a left "shoe" and after the party won in that area they got the right shoe. Than we had the time they wanted to see a picture with the mobile phone camera. Now latest were shops you can buy on credit, if PPP wins, you never have to pay back the credit.

But there are 100 different versions.

All governments buy the electorate one way or another, whether by outspending in BS election ads, offering more welfare, manipulating the state education ignorance of the average voter or by handing out money directly. It's all the same in the end and all politicians profit from being in government, either directly or with board positions etc later.

The West has no moral high ground over Thailand, just less obvious techniques with the same end result. To think otherwise demonstrates being oblivious to the obvious. Just take Wall Street and the corrupt US governmnet as in your face examples.

I have to agree with this...fellow Asean countries like Malaysia and Singapore are good examples.