Is Violence/vandalism On The Rise?

[plachon]

Another thread loses its way. Och well, can't say I didn't try and thanks by the way, to SoCal for sticking to the straight and narrow and civil path on this one. Aren't you on that tub of yours yet mate?

[Georgie-Porgie]

What is it with you guys? Thaiquila, gentleman and plachon, all you liberal p-----s. All whining and crying and making big deals about announcing your departures. "We're never coming back. Wa, Wa. Wa."

About how mean ol' Georgie-Porgie won't have you to kick around any more, and there you are, back the very next day, sniveling and begging for more .

Boon Mee Posted: Tue 2004-02-03, 16:12:34

Proof of the pudding, pie and 'mee is in their postings............I'm afraid I've had my fill of your fare. ######'s right - some people are beyond the pale and it ceases to have much point, arguing with morons to the nth degree. Bye-bye G-P and Boonmee, may the pox be incurable.

Bye Bye Plachon - don't let the door and your posterior have a collision. 

--------------------

Crapulam terribilem habeo.

[plachon]

I was referring mainly to Georgie-Porgie and Membrane. Both are unable to reply without abusing people.

Thanks for the clarification. Yeah, they can be a bit obnoxious, boring and repetitive in their postings (is that another "blah, blah, blah" I hear?), but blame it on their education system and government of the day for these subterranean specimens (at least above the neck) with sand in their eyes and soil in their ears. One has to be patient with them. I can detect subtle changes in our Membrane already, but don't tell him.

[adjan jb]

I was referring mainly to Georgie-Porgie and Membrane. Both are unable to reply without abusing people.

Thanks for the clarification. Yeah, they can be a bit obnoxious, boring and repetitive in their postings (is that another "blah, blah, blah" I hear?), but blame it on their education system and government of the day for these subterranean specimens (at least above the neck) with sand in their eyes and soil in their ears. One has to be patient with them. I can detect subtle changes in our Membrane already, but don't tell him.

I've heard that Membrane is letting his hair grow long and that Georgie-Porgie is considering smoking pot. May Jesus shut their mouths and open their minds.

MAKE LOVE NOT WAR

[Georgie-Porgie]

Weren't we were supposed to be rid of you?

plachon posted on Tues. 2004-02-04, 04:09:06

Wa, Wa, Wa! I'm never coming back here.

I am clever. Mummy told me so, but Georgie-Porgie makes me look like a dum-dum every single day! Wa, Wa, WA!

[cdnvic]

I haven't been here enough years to say, but judging from what the locals say, there is an increasing lawlessness among youth. My wife says that 20yrs ago when she was a young teen, most of her classmates were more family oriented and pious than her nieces and nephews today. Go back to the mid-sixties in the west and you saw a similar drift away from religion and more two income families leaving kids with less parental involvement. A decade or so of social upheaval followed with things seeming to start calming down toward the mid 90's. I think Thailand is headed the same way unfortunately.

I'm not preaching the virtues of religion or family values here, just pointing out that buddism and strong families used to be what kept thai society relatively relaxed and easygoing, and those moderating effects are starting to give way to more consumer oriented lifestyles. In the west we've been through this already, and it took nearly 30 years to figure it out. I hope Thailand doesn't take that long to adjust to a new kind of living. I worry that the days of sanuk culture is fast being replaced by a "Look at how much I got!" mindset.

The office next to me is owned by a woman whose 7yr old spends most of his evenings playing video games while his parents are out working. A few weeks ago he came in early and demanded loadly that his mom's assistant get off the computer so he could play video games. The woman working there did not say anything his mom because she doesn't want to cause a problem but privately told me that no kid would have gotten away with that ten years ago.

Seems those who still believe in a polite society are too polite to tell the rest of the country that they're headed for a world of shit.

cv

[plachon]

I think that you've squarely hit one nail on the head with regards to aggravating factors, CV. The rapid growth of uncontrolled or monitored computer games for kids (tempted to say "impressionable youth" but am sure will get a flood of complaints for being patronising) is I'm sure one, crucial factor in the rise in violence & vandalism, as I perceive its occuring. Not enough to passively sit for hours on end at w/ends and at nights watching uncensored violence on the telly, kids (some younger than that 7 year old) can now go and partake in virtual violence with the latest graphic video game. Whether it helps suppress violent tendencies by acting as a valid substitute for aggression, or feeds and encourages the expression of that same aggression is a moot point that could probably be debated for hours, but my observations would tend to support the latter theory. Another mitigating factor in Thailand, is that computers being new, modern, progressive, etc., are not perceived by more than a very small minority as being anything else than a "good" thing offering only benefits. The fact that content could be altering the whole world view of a generation in a very short space of time, hasn't yet seeped into the general consciousness yet, and I suspect never will.

I wonder what would have happened if the 7 yr old kid hadn't got his way with playing those games? He's now learned that shouting and demanding his way from adults who are his parents subordinates is acceptable. That, however, is nothing new in sections of Thai society if one watched soaps 10 or 15 years ago.

[Georgie-Porgie]

They say that prune juice would really help with plachon's condition.

[plachon]

They say that prune juice would really help with plachon's condition.

Is that honestly the best you can do G-P on this thread? You wouldn't happen to have a slight chip on your shoulder, the size of a FELLED American redwood, would you?

[Georgie-Porgie]

Yes.

[meadish_sweetball]

Couldn't agree more about the kids and general and very unfortunate trend of less polite people. It is nothing peculiar to Thailand though, just a fact of a lifestyle and non-ideology which places self first in all situations. You rightie boys might call it natural and "law of the jungle" and other things.

I just think it's sad that more people don't speak out when people are rude/obnoxious.

As for increased violence, yes, sure it has to do with the erosion of the traditional society, which also, mind, was very oppressive at times. This country has seen a lot of dictators and coups d'etat.

But I think the present situation is a reflection of the massive loss of employment and opportunity caused by the '97 crisis. Had it not been for that crisis, I would argue that the deep south could be a very different place today.

As for the "samurai" here in CM, I don't know what to make of that, honestly. But "secterial" and weirdish forms of violence are also on the rise in Japan. Should we blame the mangas and video games? In the 80s it was the VCR... Is it really that simple? I don't think so.

About the kids, I reckon the major problem is loss of time with their parents.

You want polite, empathic kids? Give them your time and make the effort of explaining to them why it is important to be decent, and be a good role model. Otherwise they'll become little bastards and by way of karma will come back to kick your ass when you're too old to defend yourself.

...preach...

preach...

...preach...

[cdnvic]

When I wrote about the video games I wasn't actually trying to blame them for an upsurge in delinquency, although the content of some may contribute in a minor way. It was more one of lack of parental involvement. Video game, TV, internet, or whatever, its no substitute for parental guidence.

I suppose some may make the arguement though that kids who are distracted this way aren't out committing crimes though.

cv

[plachon]

Yes, it is primarily the lack of parental guidance, even interest in their kids development, plus poor role models around them that is at the heart of the problem, but continuously playing extremely violent and graphic, will not be doing little Somchai's mind much good, either. I don't doubt for a minute that European, American and other kids around the world are also playing these kind of games at younger and younger ages, but its only Thai 4 and 5 year old boys and girls that I see "abandoned/pacified" by their parents in front of Ragnarok, Laghaim, etc.

Our neighbour's little boy doesn't play video games (yet), but is functionally unable to speak the most simple of sentences at age 4, is prone to temper tantrums and has a violent nature. It's taken us a year to try to persuade him that throwing sand in other children's faces is not the way to go. Other mitigating factors: his father, (when around, which is rare) is totally disinterested in him and his mother leaves the TV on all day for him, while she sleeps (she has a night job). I don't think this scenario is that unusual in Thailand these days and wonder what the future for this "lost" generation holds 10 - 15 years from now?

[meadish_sweetball]

plachon, couldn't agree more with your last post, and it makes me really sad to hear the trends i have observed are apparently country-wide.

these people will realize their mistakes when their kids send them off to retirement homes (ask a thai what they think of these establishments, or the concept of not staying close to your own family in old age).

this is of course unless educators succeed in instilling the "healthy" fear of ancestral ghost revenge in the youngsters (according to a pasted news clipping in a previous post by George, although it was then being used to stop kids from having premarital sex and smoking drugs).

my advice to remedy this:

give a hoot. now.

[plachon]

plachon, couldn't agree more with your last post, and it makes me really sad to hear the trends i have observed are apparently country-wide.

these people will realize their mistakes when their kids send them off to retirement homes (ask a thai what they think of these establishments, or the concept of not staying close to your own family in old age).

this is of course unless educators succeed in instilling the "healthy" fear of ancestral ghost revenge in the youngsters (according to a pasted news clipping in a previous post by George, although it was then being used to stop kids from having premarital sex and smoking drugs).

my advice to remedy this:

give a hoot. now.

The "retirement homes" will be strictly for those that can afford to pay for them, which I suspect will be considerably less than 50 % of the popn. For the rest, when they decide to abandon their parents/grandparents, it's either a life of utter poverty at home, or ditto, but a few square meals a day at the temple. But again, this begs the question, how much longer has the admirable practice of donating food to monks going to endure? I see less and less people lining up by the roadside on a daily basis, during my early morning rounds, and the average age of those who do, increasing gradually. So, either there is going to have to be a massive swing back to traditional Buddhist practice (unlikely, when even young orange robes are packing out games rooms to have their turn at Ragnarok) OR, there is going to have to be a massive rearrangement of the national budget to support the abandoned elderly.

Yes, I agree, give a hoot now, if you love this country.