theoldgit Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Come on lets be fair to the Red Shirts, they truly believe in their cause and are the best demonstrators money can buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiangMaiFun Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Too many people actually thinking a million man march means there will be one million men, the same people probably think the 100 year war lasted exactly 100 years. The Hundred Years War was an understatement. It lasted 116 years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Year_War The million man march is a huge overstatement. :-) But many of the Reds on TV said early on that they would actually get 1,000,000 or more people in BKK (as did the red leadersip!) That number was off by a factor of 10 (100 if you go by the day it was to have started!). I must confess they dont understand the 'under promise and over deliver' metaphor which is not good tactics... but... there is strength of grievance and a 'wipe the board clean' election which everyone must accept is the only way - I mean it will happen either now or later - so why not make a stand now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frodo Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Too many people actually thinking a million man march means there will be one million men, the same people probably think the 100 year war lasted exactly 100 years. The Hundred Years War was an understatement. It lasted 116 years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Year_War The million man march is a huge overstatement. A huge understatement it is at that. I know the red supporters on the forum continue to downplay what was said, but even Saturday night, Nattawut was crowing on stage that 1,000,000 will show up. Nattawut Saikua, a top leader of the anti-government Red Shirts said they had evaluated the situation and their movement's strategy and that everything had been accomplished as planned.The Red Shirts are confident there will be one million protesters attending the demonstration on Sunday, he said. "This is real, not a dream", Red Shirt leader Nattawut said emphatically. Given that, I would say that they are currently, according to the latest figures of about 100,000, about 900,000 people shy of Nattawut's reality. Maybe he should go back to dreaming, at least 1,000,000 will show up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdinasia Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 :-) But many of the Reds on TV said early on that they would actually get 1,000,000 or more people in BKK (as did the red leadersip!) That number was off by a factor of 10 (100 if you go by the day it was to have started!). I must confess they dont understand the 'under promise and over deliver' metaphor which is not good tactics... but... there is strength of grievance and a 'wipe the board clean' election which everyone must accept is the only way - I mean it will happen either now or later - so why not make a stand now? Hmmm Why not now? Let's start with the basics... 1)an election is not due right now. You are still calling for the government that you say is in power legally to step down and that is "undemocratic". 2)nobody trusts the reds or the PAD not to go back on their word even if they promise to not fight the results. 3)nobody can assure that elections would be clean and fair 4)nobody can assure that all candidates would be allowed to campaign in all areas. 5)everyone knows that Thaksin cannot be trusted to keep his word (that is the only thing assured at all!) 6)even when the courts outline EXACTLY why a decision was made and how the numbers were generated you still have people not trusting them and crying "foul" 7)How do you think people would react if the Thaksin proxy party got caught cheating yet again (and was disbanded)? Elections are due in just over a year and that time is obviously needed to assure that there are free and fair elections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckamuck Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Elections are due in just over a year and that time is obviously needed to assure that there are free and fair elections. How much blood will that year cost, and why will things be more fair in a year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rixalex Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 How much blood will that year cost, To a large degree it depends on how violent the reds become. and why will things be more fair in a year? Because then the country will be going to the polls because the government has served its term, not because a minority of reds demand it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdinasia Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Elections are due in just over a year and that time is obviously needed to assure that there are free and fair elections. How much blood will that year cost, and why will things be more fair in a year? Far less blood than a failed election would cost right now. Remember the Democrats are running things legally right now. To force them out while they can maintain the coalition would be as wrong as a coup. They have to go when they lose the coalition or elections are due. Why would things be better in the year+ that is allowed to the Democrats? For starters time to cool down is usually a good thing when people are this polarized. The year would allow time for possible charter reform and preparing the country for free and fair elections where there certainly couldn't be free and fair elections right now! Unlike the Samak and Somchai governments there has been no massive crackdown on people yet and the restraint shown by the Abhisit government is pretty impressive. I personally would not have been so lenient. I would have arrested anyone (on either side) calling for the violent overthrow of the government for sedition about as fast as the words came out of their mouths. Talk about bringing empty bottles so they could be filled with gasoline to burn BKK down ... and go to live in Bang Khwang for the rest of your natural life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhaoNiaw Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Richard Barrow on ThailandQA reckons numbers will reach 500,000 by evening. He's following the Samutprakan reds who are marching in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuckamuck Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 500k is a lot of angry people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vicco Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Richard Barrow on ThailandQA reckons numbers will reach 500,000 by evening. He's following the Samutprakan reds who are marching in. Well my guess is that if 500,000 show up the reds will claim it was 1.5 million and at least 50% of the TV posters will claim it is all big lie and there were really only 50,000...(you know with all that special inside information they have)...and nobody will ever really know because no matter what the real number is nobody will believe it... Wonder what we are going to speculate about next week when they all go home??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rixalex Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 I sense some disappointment on here with certain posters that it has been peaceful, This sense of yours reflects what you would like to believe about those who oppose the reds - ie that they are bad people who would happily see Thai people hurt or killed to prove a point. What you would like to believe doesn't happen to match the truth. I have yet to meet any foreigner, either here or elsewhere, either from the red side, the yellow side, or no side, who i believe would be disappointed if things remain peaceful. maybe this time the reds have managed to keep out infiltrators, maybe this shows that last year was a third hand, At least when the yellows did stupid things like sitting at the airport they didn't come out with these ridiculous and pathetic excuses of infiltrators and third hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtgruen Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Richard Barrow on ThailandQA reckons numbers will reach 500,000 by evening. He's following the Samutprakan reds who are marching in. Well my guess is that if 500,000 show up the reds will claim it was 1.5 million and at least 50% of the TV posters will claim it is all big lie and there were really only 50,000...(you know with all that special inside information they have)...and nobody will ever really know because no matter what the real number is nobody will believe it... Wonder what we are going to speculate about next week when they all go home??? To me democracy is waiting for the scheduled election. 100,000 people demonstrating (less than one out or 650 people nationwide), to bring down the government, is not democracy. It is a small minority, trying to force change, while the rest of the polulation either doesn't care enough about the issue to show up, or is not in agreement with them. So wait for the elections and let the people decide. And to get back to the topic of this thread...yes, I think getting only one out of 650 people to show up in Bangkok, when they were offered free transportation, etc., is a massive failure by the Thaksin/Red movement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dindong Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 500k is a lot of angry people rent a mob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humfurry Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 This sudden surge in tourism should be a gold mine for hotels and restaurants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmax Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 wheres the 1 mill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Richard Barrow on ThailandQA reckons numbers will reach 500,000 by evening. He's following the Samutprakan reds who are marching in. That is more than the original Million Man March in Washington DC got, but nobody nitpicks about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topprofile Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Richard Barrow on ThailandQA reckons numbers will reach 500,000 by evening. He's following the Samutprakan reds who are marching in. That is more than the original Million Man March in Washington DC got, but nobody nitpicks about that. Maybe you should start a separate thread for it... doesn't belong in this one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayjayjayjay Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 I own a ice-cream factory. Ice-cream is just the best desert. Discuss ....... What waste of time OP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 (edited) doesn't belong in this one... Sure it does. It is a valid fact which this thread could use a lot more of (instead of all the slanted, broken-record posts). Edited March 14, 2010 by Ulysses G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdnvic Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Lets not start a fight. Comparison with other mass protests is within the context of the discussion, be it the million man march in Washington, or the protests in Italy today. So long as we don't lose focus on the subject of the red rally and it's success, or lack thereof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merangue Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 (edited) I know a number of people who would be marching if it were not for the fear that the Army is going to crack down at some time. Also there is the fear of what happened last Songkran where a small element of various coloured shirts hijacked the mostly peaceful protests and turned it into a fight. 2 of them have actually returned to the Village from Bangkok during the marches out of fear and will not be returning until after it is all over. They marched last time and will march in their local towns but are literally scared of what will happen in Bangkok. These are peaceful women who thoroughly support the Red cause ( Not Thaksin ) who have decided it is too dangerous to travel to Bangkok. Now this is from one small village in Isaan where approx 10 women have decided not to go out of fear, even though they strongly wish to voice their beliefs. If this is a fair measure of what is happening elsewhere, how many others would be going from across the country if the ISA and other underlying perceived threats were not in place. I would think 100,000 protesters is a hel_l of a lot considering the circumstances. Edited March 14, 2010 by Merangue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
473geo Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Richard Barrow on ThailandQA reckons numbers will reach 500,000 by evening. He's following the Samutprakan reds who are marching in. Well my guess is that if 500,000 show up the reds will claim it was 1.5 million and at least 50% of the TV posters will claim it is all big lie and there were really only 50,000...(you know with all that special inside information they have)...and nobody will ever really know because no matter what the real number is nobody will believe it... Wonder what we are going to speculate about next week when they all go home??? To me democracy is waiting for the scheduled election. 100,000 people demonstrating (less than one out or 650 people nationwide), to bring down the government, is not democracy. It is a small minority, trying to force change, while the rest of the polulation either doesn't care enough about the issue to show up, or is not in agreement with them. So wait for the elections and let the people decide. And to get back to the topic of this thread...yes, I think getting only one out of 650 people to show up in Bangkok, when they were offered free transportation, etc., is a massive failure by the Thaksin/Red movement. To me if the goverment is confident......why not lay the ghost for good arrange an election date!!!!!........because if only 1 in 650 are disillusioned.....true democratic walk over......yes??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhaoNiaw Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Richard Barrow on ThailandQA reckons numbers will reach 500,000 by evening. He's following the Samutprakan reds who are marching in. That is more than the original Million Man March in Washington DC got, but nobody nitpicks about that. Well, I wouldn't quote it as a fact yet. I think Mr. Barrow does a very good job but he's not 100% objective, and can get a bit overexcited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rixalex Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Richard Barrow on ThailandQA reckons numbers will reach 500,000 by evening. He's following the Samutprakan reds who are marching in. That is more than the original Million Man March in Washington DC got, but nobody nitpicks about that. Back to the old, "others have done it so that makes it alright" line of defence once again. If they can't even muster half of what the name promises, they deserve for it to be nitpicked on and the source of ridicule. As ChaingMaiFun said earlier, how much smarter it would have been for them to under-estimate and predict a figure of something like 50,000 people. Then they could have impressed us all when 100,000 or so turned up. Instead they give it a BS name and make themselves look silly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KhaoNiaw Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 France 24 live reporter estimates 100-150,000 at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiangMaiFun Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 France 24 live reporter estimates 100-150,000 at the moment. Oh so now the French are an authority? maybe they are used to counting onions so they are expert on crown predictions? we all know the facts - reds will say 1m - Army will say 50,000 truth is somewhere in the middle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiangMaiFun Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Richard Barrow on ThailandQA reckons numbers will reach 500,000 by evening. He's following the Samutprakan reds who are marching in. That is more than the original Million Man March in Washington DC got, but nobody nitpicks about that. Back to the old, "others have done it so that makes it alright" line of defence once again. If they can't even muster half of what the name promises, they deserve for it to be nitpicked on and the source of ridicule. As ChaingMaiFun said earlier, how much smarter it would have been for them to under-estimate and predict a figure of something like 50,000 people. Then they could have impressed us all when 100,000 or so turned up. Instead they give it a BS name and make themselves look silly. Yes... it would have been smarter and Im not exactly sure why they over estimated - but 500,000 sure is a big number and under estimates the real feeling against not holding elections - you can fool some of the people some of the time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Too many people actually thinking a million man march means there will be one million men, the same people probably think the 100 year war lasted exactly 100 years. The fact that the 100 year war didn't last exactly 100 years was something of a long-standing joke in history classes at school. Did it go into extra-time ? I always used to fall asleep in History. The million man march is a huge overstatement. Very true. Last night I told my wife I was going to give her hours of " sweet luvin' " but finished in the time it would take to soft boil an egg. Hopefully this was an ostrich-egg, and your gas-cylinder was about to run out, mon vieux. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 Im not exactly sure why they over estimated - but 500,000 sure is a big number and under estimates the real feeling against not holding elections - you can fool some of the people some of the time... Do the Thai people care if 1 million people demonstrate or "only" 500,000? That is what is important, not the opinion of some farang looking for meaningless things to quibble about on Thai Visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawthorne Posted March 14, 2010 Share Posted March 14, 2010 the good news is people can protest. They are protesting for something and as long as they are peacefull the law or military has done nothing to cause harm. I think this is a great step in the right direction for the country. Free speech to some degree any way. It is good to have people interested in politics. Make the slimy bast'ds accountable for their actions. go thailand!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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