Foreigners In Thailand Closely Watching Thai 'Shirts' Reaction To Arab Protesters

[Jingthing]

If the Egyptians do install an Iranian style Islamic theocracy, there is plenty of time to oppose them then. For now, they have an opportunity to create something more tailored to their population and potentially more free than the Mubarek dictatorship. They deserve a chance and the patience and encouragement of people in the world who wish them good will. Nobody expects the joint to ever be like the Netherlands.

Also, Spee, what would you have had Obama do? Send in bombers to bomb the peaceful demonstrators? Encourage the autocrat Mubarek to break out the machine guns?

(BTW, is there anyone who uses the phrase "lamestream media" who isn't a Fox News/Sarah Palin groupie? Its kind of funny because isn't Fox the most popular US news network, so isn't Fox itself(sadly) as mainstream as it gets? Myself, I mostly watch Al Jazeera and BBC, but stop by Fox for the laughs.)

Edited February 14, 2011 by Jingthing

[tomyummer]

The only thing that may serve the Thais well is to follow what the new authorities (with the help of international banks) are now instigating with finding out about Mubarak's and his family's wealth. That'd be nice for that to happen in Thailand, track where all the politicians got their moolah and how they and their friends robbed the taxpayers for generations.

[Spee]

what would you have had Obama do?

Well, the horse is already out of the barn, but since you asked .....

Since taking office, Obama has thumbed his nose at long time allies in the region while trying to suck up to every radical element. What I and most rational people would have had Obama do, is stand behind and support long time US allies, and try to maintain some relative degree of stability in an otherwise unstable region.

The entire world knows that Mubarak is not a nice guy. He has misappropriated US funds into his own pocket. He has ruled with an iron fist, albeit one that is non-sectarian and in alignment with the US, Europe and regional allies like Saudi Arabia. Yada, yada, yada. But what is the alternative? We already know that answer, and it is the Islamo-facist state of Iran, which not only rules with a sectarian iron fist, but suppresses its citizenry with the merciless cruelty of sharia law, and heavily discriminates against those who would protest for a democratic non-sectarian Iran.

A significant percentage of the world's agricultural, energy and other forms of commerce pass through the Suez Canal. Can you imagine the repercussions of an Ayatollah Khomeni type ruler who closes or even destroys the Suez Canal as a means to damage the economy of the infidels? For starters, the global commodities market would be turned on its ear. Things are bad enough now with what Obama and Bernake are doing with the dollar and suppression of US companies harvesting US natural resources.

Now, take the above two paragraphs, remove Mubarak and Egypt and insert the King and country of Saudi Arabia. With Egypt now likely to fall into the hands of the radical element, Saudi Arabia's future is now being planned in the extremists' minds.

The bottom line is that the US and Europe would never stand for any shenanigans with the Suez Canal. There would be a large war, plain, pure and simple, and hundreds of thousands of people would die. By not supporting Mubarak and allowing the region to become further destabilized, Obama has substantially increased the probability of large military conflict in the region.

I don't even want to think about what may and probably will happen with Israel.

Can you imagine what would happen if Thailand went the way of Burma and became a military dictatorship? That type of military action is not unlike the sectarian version of what happened in Iran 30 years ago and what will likely happen in Egypt. In the case of Iran then and Egypt now, it should have been, better the devil you know.

Obama has been and remains a blundering boob and an international embarrassment to the US, just as Carter was 30 years ago. If there were any doubts before, his handling of the situation in Egypt will have removed them from all but the most diehard "hoax and chains" koolaid drinkers.

Edited February 14, 2011 by Spee

[TAWP]

The entire world knows that Mubarak is not a nice guy. He has misappropriated US funds into his own pocket. He has ruled with an iron fist, albeit one that is non-sectarian and in alignment with the US, Europe and regional allies like Saudi Arabia. Yada, yada, yada. But what is the alternative?

And that is the typical NeoCon approach.

You find someone you think you can handle and do everything to make sure they remain in power out of fear of the boogieman that may or may not come and eat all the children take power.

How about...I don't know...letting the Egyptian people decide?

What a novel concept.

[Spee]

How about...I don't know...letting the Egyptian people decide?

Do you think that's your pal Barack just did, let the Egyptian people decide? Egypt is a country of 80 million people. The demonstrations were little more than a few tens of thousands, most of whom were out of town troublemakers being paid to come in and create riots.

Well, actually, what Barack and Mu-Barak really did was turn the insane asylum over to the lunatics.

What do you think the over/under is for the next ramp up in hostilities against Israel? 3-months? 6-months? My money is on less than one year.

What do you think the over/under is for Egypt becoming a theocratic wack-job regime like Iran? 1-yr? 2-yr? My money is on 2-yrs, right about the time ol' Barack is getting his butt kicked back to Chicago.

The only thing that has a chance of preventing these things is the military remaining as the de-facto head of state, ie, a military dictatorship.

[Spee]

How about...I don't know...letting the Egyptian people decide?

Don't know about the Egyptian people, but the Muslim Brotherhood has.

Compare the MB's claptrap editorial in the lefty liberal-elite New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/opinion/10erian.html

... with the then DEMOCRAT controlled Senate Subcommittee on Homeland Security report from 2008. This panel was controlled by uber-liberal lefties at the time. So it must be accurate, right?

http://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/testimony/353.pdf

Can't have it both ways. The MB is either out for pro-citizen growth and peaceful co-existence with regional and world neighbors. Or it is out for blood, to wipe out all of the infidels, destroy Israel and move the world closer to global sharia rule.

History is full of evidence of the MB's real track record, isn't it? If the MB had their way, Thailand would also go the way of universal sharia law. Is that what people really want? Can't happen, you say? Wouldn't happen?

BTW, while we're at it .... if Obama is much in favor of a free democratic Egyptian state where the people have their say, then why didn't he back similar movements recently in both Iran and China? Why won't he go hardline against the repressive Burmese junta and demand their resignation and exit.

[sbk]

Totally off topic bickering and a request to stop the off topic bickering has been deleted. Keep it relevant to the topic at hand or I will simply suspend the posters involved since they are all long term enough to know better.

[carenot]

Yes I was in Bangkok during the demonstrations thanks, a stones throw away as it happens

For your information one of the definitions of a police state "A police state is a political condition where the government maintains strict control over society"

So your point about the police has absolutely no bearing as the army was used to control instead.

Maybe you have been living in your ivory tower for too long if you fail to see many so called free countries the UK being one of them slowly eroding civil liberties and heading towards a police state..

He may not have taken up his right to a British passport but when your family is wealthy and has the means for you to attend schools such as Eton your nationality really does become meaningless.

He was however born and educated in England and also worked for a major part of his life in England so one has to assume that some form of indoctrination will have occurred.

Bagwan

If you have nothing constructive to say then don't say anything you make yourself look foolish.

Only in your myopic eyes and inside your fuddled mind. Your remark leads me to consider whether or not you are a not a supporter of free expression. Unlike your misguided self I would encourage you to post your desperate mis-truths further since, for some, it is good sport to see you and your ilk being metaphorically beat up here by more sentient and informed persons. Incidentally I consider your viewpoint to be the very antithesis of constructive; it surely lends itself to further unrest in this troubled country.

Your contention that you believe that England (but not apparently Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) is morphing into a police state is laughable. I might give some support to the notion that the UK, like the rest of Europe is, moving gradually into becoming a Muslim state. Would you be offended if I sent, under plain cover of course, an atlas so that you may acquaint yourself with the land mass of the United Kingdom and its constituent countries? I did consider a globe but then, as another poster has pointed out, there is a danger that you may use it to play football.

One aspect of the Egyptian situation that encourages me is that the populace is now engaged on clearing up the mess created during their legitimate protests. Red shirts please note. Yet another difference to the situations of both Thailand and Egypt.

Nice attempt at ridicule and trying to not look fatuous but I believe your ilk are less than sentiant, myopic and ill informed if you do not belive the erosion of civil liberties is not heading counties towards being police states.

Please feel free to send me the globe once you've finished kicking it but do keep the atlas and acquaint yoursef with Europe and the United Kingdom, "Muslim state" pure fantasy!!

My comment was not meant to be constructive nor was it intended to lend itself to cause further unrest and at the moment he is the best Thailand has to offer but I stand by what I said.

Lastly please read a post before replying I said UK but if you still want to be pedantic then yes it should read United Kingdom and its constituent countries.

I do hope the politics in Thailand can find a way forward as this is the country I choose to live in and only time will tell if things in Egypt work out but there really is no comparrison between the two.