Future Of Thailand 'Depends On Whether People Put The Country First': Abhisit

[Skywalker69]

Hey look guys.....

It is possible for a Thai politician to stand on a stage and make a speech without threatening someone's safety, telling a pile of historical porkies, making vacuous future promises or threatening to sue someone else.

It can be done.

(It doesn't appear to be a vote winner here though)

Exellent post!!!

[Skywalker69]

It's interesting to see him refer to Hitler and Mussolini, both of whom used the power of the military to impose their will on their own people. This on a day when it's reported that the politicians are courting the military high command again.

Surely he can see that being the beneficiary of a military coup is the ultimate anti democratic act? Hypocrite.

Hitler and Mussolini used PARAMILITARY forces to suppress political opponents and cause civil unrest which enabled them to seize and hold power. After becoming the governing parties, the military were included, in many cases with much misgiving.If you wish to draw parallels to the current Thai situation, there is only one party which has any such paramilitary force, and uses "democracy" titles to disguise their anti-democratic actions. I suppose it's only coincidence they were are known as brown shirts, black shirts and red shirts.

Good post. Thanks

[Skywalker69]

I always think that Abhisit was the right guy at the wrong time.

Give him a chance to have a "normal" term, and I am sure he's going to do a great job.

That would necessitate him having the confidence of the electorate and actually obtaining enough seats to form a government.

I don't that will happen any time soon.

Pesky thing, this democracy notion. You actually have to win enough votes, unless of course you get the other parties eliminated.

Are you alluding to the "wipe out the Democrats" speech, GK?

[Skywalker69]

It's interesting to see him refer to Hitler and Mussolini, both of whom used the power of the military to impose their will on their own people. This on a day when it's reported that the politicians are courting the military high command again.

Surely he can see that being the beneficiary of a military coup is the ultimate anti democratic act? Hypocrite.

Not a hypocrite at all. He used the system at the time to try and restore normaility to Thai politics but was outgunned by the lying cheating red mobs that did not even allow him to run a democratic election. He is a good man who did his best for Thailand and has to suffer s@@tloads of personal abuse and lies directed by the escaped convict. Open your eyes and see the truth of the situation.

Agreed.

[Emptyset]

more than a "shred of evidence"

According to Arisaman in the video, his list of targets for burning are:

Siriraj Hospital,

All Muslim Mosques,

Government House,

Important Ministries,

Airports,

Rajavithi Road,

Bridges,

Bank of Thailand,

Commercial Banks,

Military Barracks,

Court of Justice,

and NGO's

will all be destroyed.

His retort is:

"Not one of these will remain standing."

btw, there are 3,494 mosques and 56 airports in Thailand.

No info on the number of other targets like bridges and banks, etc.

Oh, the rhetoric..................

Indeed. In any case, he's reading from a list of places that the government thought might be important red shirt targets. No idea why mosques would be on the list. Perhaps it was for propaganda purposes, e.g. the lom chao thing. But in any case given that Arisman didn't select the targets himself, it'd be pretty hard to interpret this as a serious threat against Muslims. Especially as there seem to be a not insiginificant amount of Muslim red shirts...

[ttelise]

Yep. Maybe he should heed his own advice.

Edited June 27, 2012 by ttelise

[Emptyset]

.

Edited June 27, 2012 by Emptyset

[Emptyset]

Abhisit and the Democrats appeal to the middle class and educated Thais who are keen to see a true democracy and a blanced society. Unfortunately the masses of voters especially from the North and Isan are still not ready to appreciate these values and are narrow minded and focused on short term economic promises such as vote buying. The middle classes and democrats have a hard task ahead of them and that is to educate their fellow Thais to appreciate the meaning of true democracy and balanced society and where each has to work hard to gain his social standing. Unfortunately, the vote buying affects such desperate voters and polarises them to the red camp (Thaksin camp) In any case as a foreigner I can only watch. But if I could cast a vote, it would be for the Democrats.

yeaah, I have to agree!

Unfortunately a lot of Dem strategists and hi-so supporters have an aloof attitude of superiority, like they have a divine right to be running things and the peons in the paddy fields should recognize this (not saying PT ppl aren't aloof either, but at least they try to pretend otherwise). The fact that they don't vote Dem, they assume, is simply down to vote buying and stupidity on behalf of the voters. Actually, it's the fact that they believe this that stops them winning elections. It's going to take a lot of hard work to get people in the N/NE to trust them again and perhaps they should just get on with it instead of hoping the courts/elite manouvering will return them to power without having to win an election.

Also, apart from the Abhisit/Korn front, many Democrat MPs are just as 'old school' in the patronage/corruption stakes as other parties are. This includes people right at the top of the party, the likes of Theptai, Sirichok, Satit and, of course, Suthep. But you won't find this in The Nation, because The Nation wants to present an image of one party being progressive and a break from the past whilst other parties maintain the corrupt status quo. It's not true. It's not just Newin that Abhisit had a problem with during his govt. It's also many people within his own party. And there were probably more corruption scandals in the first 6 months of Abhisit's govt than there have been so far during this govt's tenure. Which is interesting because most of the press is on the side of the Democrats.

Anyway, the point is, there is a reason people (mostly from lower income groups) don't vote for the Dems, and it's based on their concrete experiences of both past Dem govts and Thaksin govts. Obviously they still think Thaksin did more for them, was the first to care, and was someone who recognized their aspirations. Whilst Abhisit was still going on about 'people doing their duty' (e.g. knowing their place) when he was PM. Obviously the Democrats have begun to change, both rhetorically and policy wise to reflect what they've learned from Thaksin. But it's not enough yet. Especially after 2009/10. It would help if they clearly distanced themselves from undemocratic manoeverings by the military/aristocracy, but I can't see that happening.

[Thaddeus]

Arisman didn't select the targets himself, it'd be pretty hard to interpret this as a serious threat against Muslims. Especially as there seem to be a not insiginificant amount of Muslim red shirts...

1. of course he didn't, that would require independent thought.

2. Really?

[Time Traveller]

Abhisit and the Democrats appeal to the middle class and educated Thais who are keen to see a true democracy and a blanced society. Unfortunately the masses of voters especially from the North and Isan are still not ready to appreciate these values and are narrow minded and focused on short term economic promises such as vote buying. The middle classes and democrats have a hard task ahead of them and that is to educate their fellow Thais to appreciate the meaning of true democracy and balanced society and where each has to work hard to gain his social standing. Unfortunately, the vote buying affects such desperate voters and polarises them to the red camp (Thaksin camp) In any case as a foreigner I can only watch. But if I could cast a vote, it would be for the Democrats.

Debothai, assuming that you are not paid by the Democrat party to spill out their lies and that you're not deliberately trying to troll this forum. Can I ask the following?

Does "true democracy" mean no freedom of speech? Did you forget the number of websites including Youtube and other international news sites that were blocked by the ICT during the time Mark was the PM? Did you forget that Lese Majeste cases have now exploded in number, as any political opponent can become a target of bringing "the institution" into politics?

Do you really believe that everything is black or white and the democrat supporters are all egalitarian people from bangkok who are happy to share their wealth and the red shirts all simple minded uneducated peasants who support corruption greed and everything evil? What makes the opinion of an "educated" person more important than a "non-educated" person?

What exactly do you think "education" is? I guess it doesn't include having a different political opinion does it?

Do you believe that corruption only existed under Thaksin?

What exactly does "work hard to gain his social standing" mean? That is simply an insult to the poor people of this country. How many of your Democrat friends actually achieved status and wealth that way, and how many actually achieved it through legacy wealth and inherited titles?

And finally the most pathetic excuse used by losers everywhere: the other side cheated! Vote buying accusations when you don't win the election just demonstrate how the democrat party views most of their own citizens with such contempt that they really in essence have no relevance anymore to society so make up stupid excuses about low education of their opponents and other insults. Very mature these democrat supporters are.