Harry Potter pitted against hobbits in political debate

BANGKOK: -- It started with the estranged Thai Rak Thai party advisor Sanoh Thienthong comparing the government’s proposed charter amendments to the ring in the movie adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.

But now politicians of all persuasions appear to be using movies to back up their political arguments, with Prime Minister’s Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva urging Mr. Sanoh to view Harry Potter, and Chat Thai Party MP Chuwit Kamolwisit urging Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and embattled Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit to view a Thai movie entitled ‘######’ in preparation for tomorrow’s no confidence debate.

Mr. Sanoh had originally suggested that politicians watch The Lord of the Rings to show that just as the ring could give Sauron the power to enslave the world, so could constitutional amendments put too much power into the hands of a single man.

But Mr. Sanoh, who has been ostracized for his criticisms of the prime minister, was told by Mr. Suranand today to see Harry Potter, which represented the triumph of good over evil.

Making a thinly veiled comparison between Mr. Sanoh and the forces of evil, he said: “The evil side tries to pull in its old cronies”. Mr. Sanoh, he said, was already on the right side, and should not attempt to revert to old political opinions.

For Mr. Chuwit Kamolwisit, however, the movie to view was ‘######’. Describing The Lord of the Rings as ‘rubbish’, he said that it was better to abandon science fiction for the real world.

“###### really exists”, he said. “I’ve seen (this film), and I can see that bad kharma exists”.

Mr. Suriya faces a censure motion in parliament tomorrow over his handling of the scandal surrounding the procurement of bomb detection equipment for Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi Airport.

--TNA 2005-06-27

And Now For Something Completely Different.

And Now For Something Completely Different.

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A Scotts man on a horse.

I think LOTR is a much better exmaple than Harry Potter for consitutional reforms. Harry Potter is a better topic for laws dealing with organized crime.

Edited June 27, 200521 yr by thaibebop

I can't comment having never seen the film #########; I saw ************ and thought that was slightly better than ^^^^^^^^^, but in the long run ???????????? was a classic.

bad kharma, well said.

The problem with this is, that these movies have a good and a bad party. But in Thai politics, it is two bad guys against each other. A movie about rival mafias would reflect the situation move accuretly.

Godfather than, or Goodfellas, how about Casino?