Thailand's PM Abhisit 'Rowing The Boat For Bandits'

[Deeral]

As hard as someone manifesting obsessive compulsive disorder may try to change the subject, the topic remains Mr. Abhisit's inability to maintain even a thin veneer of integrity. The argument goes, but oh he's so much better than Mr. Thaksin. Unfortunately, the reality is that he is not. Despite the edict on another thread not to use of the term "same, same", the term does fit in this case. This then suggests that if the governments are equally corrupt, then the illegal military coup d'etat that removed Mr. Thaksin was all for nought. One gets to the point, where one just turns off the interest in local politics, a disengagement. Waste of energy and waste of time. If the same gang wants to regurgitate the same tired excuses, whoopdeedoo. The train to life left the station and they are left behind in the land of mediocrity and nervous tics.

Ageed, not same as Thaksin but not good either.

This is not a situation of "good" versus "bad", but "out of the frying pan into the fire"

Under Abhisit we have seen the return to power of the Army - which can in no way help progress toward democracy OR "reconciliation".

Edited October 11, 2010 by Deeral

[Buchholz]

Wow the anti govt (red supporters) have really come out in force on this one.

I also note that those who are against Abhisit have resorted to abuse in several posts, what does that tell us I wonder?

and it just goes on and on

As hard as someone manifesting obsessive compulsive disorder may try to change the subject, the topic remains Mr. Abhisit's inability to maintain even a thin veneer of integrity. The argument goes, but oh he's so much better than Mr. Thaksin. Unfortunately, the reality is that he is not. Despite the edict on another thread not to use of the term "same, same", the term does fit in this case. This then suggests that if the governments are equally corrupt, then the illegal military coup d'etat that removed Mr. Thaksin was all for nought. One gets to the point, where one just turns off the interest in local politics, a disengagement. Waste of energy and waste of time. If the same gang wants to regurgitate the same tired excuses, whoopdeedoo. The train to life left the station and they are left behind in the land of mediocrity and nervous tics.

[animatic]

'Reasonably Good' in an impossible to be good job, or 'significantly not as bad'?

Have 'some control over day to day decisions', vs 'total control over all aspects'.

Sorry, NO national leader who is not a total dictator has total control.

And lets not imagine a return to the Thaksin crowd near term

would not be a turn for the worse, it will NOT be the same as before,

it will be carte blanche with no reins in any hands, nor compunctions.

Leaving aside the general incompetence regularly in display by PTP.

Edited October 11, 2010 by animatic

[Thai at Heart]

I fear the moment that he did stand up and try to run the country as he saw fit, they would find a way to get rid of him anyway.

He may win a general election although I doubt it. The way that the constitution is set up, it has been created to make sure that no party gets to an absolute majority the same way that Thaksin managed to under the 97 constitution. This suits the old businesses and the army as the politicians weave their wending way between abject corruption and complete ineffectiveness. Just as the old businesses and the army want it. They know best for the country, and who does any politician think he is to propose anything different?

The idea that what is good for large, old, protected Thai business or the bureaucracy must instinctively be good for the country is one of the biggest problems facing the country. And yet the 3g mess, bank charge reforms and Mapthaput shows that the government should not mess with business as usual. Look how far issuing a banking license, messing with the rice subsidies and flogging a phone company got Thaksin.

I doubt we will ever get to know if Abhisit could have been a really dynamic PM, because the system is set up to prevent any one party and its leader ever exercising strong leadership again. He is so much part of the system now, that I won't wait for him to come up with anything original any more. He is working to a script and it definitely isn't written by himself.

I do feel just a small bit of sympathy for him having to put up with Newin and his bunch. I bet he never dreamt of having to lead the country this way, as he went on his gilded path through the upper echelons of British education.

Edited October 11, 2010 by Thai at Heart

[Dap]

Mark has already achieved much more than all the other Dems PM put together.

(Maths quiz: What is the product of Infinity multiply by zero?)

Well said ... Hear Hear!!!

[mesohappy]

<br />

<br />Mark has already achieved much more than all the other Dems PM put together.<br /><br />(Maths quiz: What is the product of Infinity multiply by zero?)<br />

<br />

<br />A senior and highly respected figure

<br />no such animal exists<br />(infinity - 1 = the largest possible finite number)<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Not so in the realm of real numbers...

Proof:

let x = infinity - 1 +.5

QED