Can Egypt learn from Thailand?

[fstarbkk]

GOD, what a an awful pack of lies and halftruths! Even coming from a seasoned and probably highly paid beltway PR hack, this is hard to swallow! And that a paper like the NYT would print such unadulterated schlock is almost beyond comprehension.

[farang000999]

Wait, the Yingluck government has been successful?

[davidstipek]

Hmmm...

It depends on which point of View you are looking from, does it not?

1: From the Goverment side... No, I think Both sides need to forget what they have done. Start over and hope no one files Liable Charges for the Massive breaches in Human Rights Offenses. Just for a Starter. I could go on, but someone will say... Prove they did that! Don't Need to "Sweet Heart" Pictures and Video's don't Lie! The pictures of Monk Wirapol proved it was him... not his Brother sharing Bed with Woman... This can go on... Recordings of speeches where certain Officials are recorded in comments made... Not taken out of context.

2. From the Offical other side (Democrat's) No nothing to learn here. except how to recognise how to and when you are Illegally Detained from Being heard. Letting your point of view be seen, correctly. Being enabled to voice objections to wrongs and Demand they be rectified! Nothing to learn from either side here as Both Egypt and Thailand apparently are not strong enough to push for these Basic, Fundimental, Rights... Human Rights... God Given Rights!

[Ricardo]

If Thailand is a booming success story, according to the author, why are we currently in recession ?

[jayboy]

GOD, what a an awful pack of lies and halftruths! Even coming from a seasoned and probably highly paid beltway PR hack, this is hard to swallow! And that a paper like the NYT would print such unadulterated schlock is almost beyond comprehension.

Here are the author's biographical details

Jonathan Tepperman was appointed Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs in January 2011. He previously worked at Foreign Affairs from 1998-2006 before moving to Newsweek International, where he was Deputy Editor in charge of Asia, Europe, Africa, and Middle East coverage, and then to Eurasia Group, where he was Managing Editor and a director. He has written for a range of publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune, The New Republic, The American Prospect, and others. He has law degrees from Oxford and New York University.

Perhaps the usual reactionary suspects have a similar glittering academic and professional record.That is a matter on which I could not possibly comment.

The main criticism of Mr Tepperman's article is that it does not sufficiently describe the hatred, gereed and selfishness of the unelected feudal and military elites with which Khun Yingluck has had to contend.

[bigbamboo]

GOD, what a an awful pack of lies and halftruths! Even coming from a seasoned and probably highly paid beltway PR hack, this is hard to swallow! And that a paper like the NYT would print such unadulterated schlock is almost beyond comprehension.

Here are the author's biographical details

Jonathan Tepperman was appointed Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs in January 2011. He previously worked at Foreign Affairs from 1998-2006 before moving to Newsweek International, where he was Deputy Editor in charge of Asia, Europe, Africa, and Middle East coverage, and then to Eurasia Group, where he was Managing Editor and a director. He has written for a range of publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune, The New Republic, The American Prospect, and others. He has law degrees from Oxford and New York University.

Perhaps the usual reactionary suspects have a similar glittering academic and professional record.That is a matter on which I could not possibly comment.

The main criticism of Mr Tepperman's article is that it does not sufficiently describe the hatred, gereed and selfishness of the unelected feudal and military elites with which Khun Yingluck has had to contend.

He's a lawyer you say?

And there was I willing to believe he could be trusted.

[Siripon]

Quotes from the article-' The formula turns out to be deceptively simple: provide decent, clean governance' -surely this is a joke, the rice mortgage scheme, the 70,000 baht clocks in Parliament- Yingluck has done nothing about corruption.

'She has avoided challenging the Constitution' Pheau Thai are doing their best to change parts of it right now.

'she has kept corruption, a perennial problem in Thailand, to a minimum. And she has ensured that her brother, whom the aristocracy still fears and loathes, remains in exile'- complete nonsense regarding the former and for the latter Pheua Thai are doing everything to whitewash his crimes.

This author has no idea!

[lee b]

Who on earth wrote this?

[jayboy]

Quotes from the article-' The formula turns out to be deceptively simple: provide decent, clean governance' -surely this is a joke, the rice mortgage scheme, the 70,000 baht clocks in Parliament- Yingluck has done nothing about corruption.

'She has avoided challenging the Constitution' Pheau Thai are doing their best to change parts of it right now.

'she has kept corruption, a perennial problem in Thailand, to a minimum. And she has ensured that her brother, whom the aristocracy still fears and loathes, remains in exile'- complete nonsense regarding the former and for the latter Pheua Thai are doing everything to whitewash his crimes.

This author has no idea!

Some of the facts in the article are wrong and some of the judgements are askew but it captures a central truth that extremists can't bear hearing - that for a novice Yingluck has done very well, somehow keeping the copuntry in one piece despite the huge political pressures.But it's paper thin as the article concedes

Ask yourself a question and try to put political prejudices to one side.Who in the circumstances could have done a better job?

(P.S If your answer is Abhisit, Suthep or Korn that really suugests you are as adrift from reality as Mr Tepperman apparently is).

[NongKhaiKid]

Bloody idiot. Still; he is an 'Expert' in 'US Foreign Policy', so that explains a lot

Exactly and all anyone needs to know about US foreign policy is that they invariable repeat the same mistakes.

[gemini81]

Quotes from the article-' The formula turns out to be deceptively simple: provide decent, clean governance' -surely this is a joke, the rice mortgage scheme, the 70,000 baht clocks in Parliament- Yingluck has done nothing about corruption.

'She has avoided challenging the Constitution' Pheau Thai are doing their best to change parts of it right now.

'she has kept corruption, a perennial problem in Thailand, to a minimum. And she has ensured that her brother, whom the aristocracy still fears and loathes, remains in exile'- complete nonsense regarding the former and for the latter Pheua Thai are doing everything to whitewash his crimes.

This author has no idea!

Some of the facts in the article are wrong and some of the judgements are askew but it captures a central truth that extremists can't bear hearing - that for a novice Yingluck has done very well, somehow keeping the copuntry in one piece despite the huge political pressures.But it's paper thin as the article concedes

Ask yourself a question and try to put political prejudices to one side.Who in the circumstances could have done a better job?

(P.S If your answer is Abhisit, Suthep or Korn that really suugests you are as adrift from reality as Mr Tepperman apparently is).

My 3 year old daughter could do better than her; she's smarter (wouldn't take much), has just as much experience, is naïve too; but cares less about shopping and escaping the country. She might show up to parliament with barbies; but at least she SHOWS UP and doesn't just think she's Barbie.

Yingluck couldn't manage an ant farm, we know it. Everyone is doing everything for her. She thinks its just a pony show.

[Robby nz]

(P.S If your answer is Abhisit, Suthep or Korn that really suugests you are as adrift from reality as Mr Tepperman apparently is).

That's a start jayboy it has got through to you that Mr Tepperman is adrift from reality.

And yes had Abhisit, Suthep or Korn had the same advantage of a majority in the house that PT has then they would have done very much better.

There would be no rice mountain to start with and the money that has been wasted on accumulating that would have been put to good use.

But of course if they had won the last election the reds would most likely have started all over again.

[arthurboy]

Question: Can Egypt learn from Thailand?

Answer: No.

[Baerboxer]

How the usual suspects rant and splutter.The New York Times op-ed isn't penned by a retired sex tourist of limited education but by a first tier foreign policy expert.Actually he does portray too optimistic a picture but there's one basic truth in it, namely PM Yingluck has held the country together very well despite the hatred of the old elite and the unruliness of red mobs.

And she's managed to do this without bothering to regularly attend parliament, spend more time out of the country than any other leader and receive instructions via skype.

Wow an interesting new model of leadership. Wonder how many other world leaders will seek to emulate this.

What next - Noble Peace Prize (some good shopping in Sweden too).

This article is about as credible as the various figures that were issued on the rice scheme in answer to Moody's downgrading. You remember - all the vague, contradictory fudged figures?

Go on then, please enlighten us as to what she has done to hold the country together - sue cartoonists, declare emergencies and mobilize police and the red storm troopers, suppress free speech and the right to criticise, tell "little white lies" ??? The infamous 'Mongolian Speech" ?? Refusal to recognize the jurisdiction of the courts, or answer Ombudsman's question ??

I try to be open minded but the article in the NYT is complete tosh and I'm really struggling to find any positive contribution to balance it.

[Baerboxer]

GOD, what a an awful pack of lies and halftruths! Even coming from a seasoned and probably highly paid beltway PR hack, this is hard to swallow! And that a paper like the NYT would print such unadulterated schlock is almost beyond comprehension.

Here are the author's biographical details

Jonathan Tepperman was appointed Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs in January 2011. He previously worked at Foreign Affairs from 1998-2006 before moving to Newsweek International, where he was Deputy Editor in charge of Asia, Europe, Africa, and Middle East coverage, and then to Eurasia Group, where he was Managing Editor and a director. He has written for a range of publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune, The New Republic, The American Prospect, and others. He has law degrees from Oxford and New York University.

Perhaps the usual reactionary suspects have a similar glittering academic and professional record.That is a matter on which I could not possibly comment.

The main criticism of Mr Tepperman's article is that it does not sufficiently describe the hatred, gereed and selfishness of the unelected feudal and military elites with which Khun Yingluck has had to contend.

Well it appears that Jayboy and Mr. Tepperman have something in common - they actually believe Yingluck is running the government

Remember how she kept denying the last cabinet reshuffle, obviously not included or involved till the last minute.

[TackyToo]

How the usual suspects rant and splutter.The New York Times op-ed isn't penned by a retired sex tourist of limited education but by a first tier foreign policy expert.Actually he does portray too optimistic a picture but there's one basic truth in it, namely PM Yingluck has held the country together very well despite the hatred of the old elite and the unruliness of red mobs.

Admit it you want to marry her,- right?

[Baerboxer]

How the usual suspects rant and splutter.The New York Times op-ed isn't penned by a retired sex tourist of limited education but by a first tier foreign policy expert.Actually he does portray too optimistic a picture but there's one basic truth in it, namely PM Yingluck has held the country together very well despite the hatred of the old elite and the unruliness of red mobs.

Can you please list the things Yingluck has done to hold the country together?

Try reading the article

I'm guessing Pimay1 wanted some actual facts. You're suggesting reading a fairy story to see if fairies exist. (Metaphor).

[Pimay1]

How the usual suspects rant and splutter.The New York Times op-ed isn't penned by a retired sex tourist of limited education but by a first tier foreign policy expert.Actually he does portray too optimistic a picture but there's one basic truth in it, namely PM Yingluck has held the country together very well despite the hatred of the old elite and the unruliness of red mobs.

Can you please list the things Yingluck has done to hold the country together?

Try reading the article

I'm guessing Pimay1 wanted some actual facts. You're suggesting reading a fairy story to see if fairies exist. (Metaphor).

Your guess is correct. I simply wanted a list of things (facts) Yingluck has done to hold the country together. But it looks as if I'm not going to get them from jayboy.

[jayboy]

Try reading the article

I'm guessing Pimay1 wanted some actual facts. You're suggesting reading a fairy story to see if fairies exist. (Metaphor).

Your guess is correct. I simply wanted a list of things (facts) Yingluck has done to hold the country together. But it looks as if I'm not going to get them from jayboy.

It's actually, with respect, a particularly stupid question not only because the writer's view is clearly set out in the article but also because Yingluck's success is not due to a list of doing things but ratherr keeping competing factions more or less content.However the masterly inaction approach only goes so far and it's certainly paper thin ie could end at any moment.However if you are so convinced that she has failed perhaps you would like to suggest a few names who would have done better.Two or three will do nicely.

[fstarbkk]

GOD, what an awful pack of lies and halftruths! Even coming from a seasoned and probably highly paid beltway PR hack, this is hard to swallow! And that a paper like the NYT would print such unadulterated schlock is almost beyond comprehension.

Here are the author's biographical details

Jonathan Tepperman was appointed Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs in January 2011. He previously worked at Foreign Affairs from 1998-2006 before moving to Newsweek International, where he was Deputy Editor in charge of Asia, Europe, Africa, and Middle East coverage, and then to Eurasia Group, where he was Managing Editor and a director. He has written for a range of publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune, The New Republic, The American Prospect, and others. He has law degrees from Oxford and New York University.

Perhaps the usual reactionary suspects have a similar glittering academic and professional record.That is a matter on which I could not possibly comment.

The main criticism of Mr Tepperman's article is that it does not sufficiently describe the hatred, gereed and selfishness of the unelected feudal and military elites with which Khun Yingluck has had to contend.

As one of the usual reactionary suspects, I am happy to report that I am not completely devoid of academic and professional credentials of my own.

While greed and selfishness run deep in her own family, Ms. Yingluck does a commendable job in arranging herself with some of the other constiuencies in that category, such as the military for example. She does this, by appointing herself to be their direct boss and allowing them to buy lots of expensive toys with excellent informal revenue opportunities. In this regard at least, she is no less skilled than some of her predecessors.

Edited August 23, 2013 by fstarbkk

[jayboy]

GOD, what an awful pack of lies and halftruths! Even coming from a seasoned and probably highly paid beltway PR hack, this is hard to swallow! And that a paper like the NYT would print such unadulterated schlock is almost beyond comprehension.

Here are the author's biographical details

Jonathan Tepperman was appointed Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs in January 2011. He previously worked at Foreign Affairs from 1998-2006 before moving to Newsweek International, where he was Deputy Editor in charge of Asia, Europe, Africa, and Middle East coverage, and then to Eurasia Group, where he was Managing Editor and a director. He has written for a range of publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune, The New Republic, The American Prospect, and others. He has law degrees from Oxford and New York University.

Perhaps the usual reactionary suspects have a similar glittering academic and professional record.That is a matter on which I could not possibly comment.

The main criticism of Mr Tepperman's article is that it does not sufficiently describe the hatred, gereed and selfishness of the unelected feudal and military elites with which Khun Yingluck has had to contend.

As one of the usual reactionary suspects, I am happy to report that I am not completely devoid of academic and professional credentials of my own.

While greed and selfishness run deep in her own family, Ms. Yingluck does a commendable job in arranging herself with some of the other constiuencies in that category, such as the military for example. She does this, by appointing herself to be their direct boss and allowing them to buy lots of expensive toys with excellent informal revenue opportunities. In this regard at least, she is no less skilled than some of her predecessors.

There are plenty of greedy and selfish families in the Sino Thai business world.As to Yingluck you seem to be saying she has entered into some form of pact with the Thai military.All Thai prime ministers have to do that but the current one, unlike the former one, does not owe her position to the military - nor does she have blood on her hands.

[fstarbkk]

GOD, what an awful pack of lies and halftruths! Even coming from a seasoned and probably highly paid beltway PR hack, this is hard to swallow! And that a paper like the NYT would print such unadulterated schlock is almost beyond comprehension.

Here are the author's biographical details

Jonathan Tepperman was appointed Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs in January 2011. He previously worked at Foreign Affairs from 1998-2006 before moving to Newsweek International, where he was Deputy Editor in charge of Asia, Europe, Africa, and Middle East coverage, and then to Eurasia Group, where he was Managing Editor and a director. He has written for a range of publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune, The New Republic, The American Prospect, and others. He has law degrees from Oxford and New York University.

Perhaps the usual reactionary suspects have a similar glittering academic and professional record.That is a matter on which I could not possibly comment.

The main criticism of Mr Tepperman's article is that it does not sufficiently describe the hatred, gereed and selfishness of the unelected feudal and military elites with which Khun Yingluck has had to contend.

As one of the usual reactionary suspects, I am happy to report that I am not completely devoid of academic and professional credentials of my own.

While greed and selfishness run deep in her own family, Ms. Yingluck does a commendable job in arranging herself with some of the other constiuencies in that category, such as the military for example. She does this, by appointing herself to be their direct boss and allowing them to buy lots of expensive toys with excellent informal revenue opportunities. In this regard at least, she is no less skilled than some of her predecessors.

There are plenty of greedy and selfish families in the Sino Thai business world.As to Yingluck you seem to be saying she has entered into some form of pact with the Thai military.All Thai prime ministers have to do that but the current one, unlike the former one, does not owe her position to the military - nor does she have blood on her hands.

No blood on her hands? Perhaps. But her Boss/Brother has enough blood on his hands for both of them and then some.

[PoodMaiDai]

I sure hope the Egyptians charge me double the next time I'm there to see the Pyramids. That could be one thing they could learn from the Thais.

[Baerboxer]

GOD, what an awful pack of lies and halftruths! Even coming from a seasoned and probably highly paid beltway PR hack, this is hard to swallow! And that a paper like the NYT would print such unadulterated schlock is almost beyond comprehension.

Here are the author's biographical details

Jonathan Tepperman was appointed Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs in January 2011. He previously worked at Foreign Affairs from 1998-2006 before moving to Newsweek International, where he was Deputy Editor in charge of Asia, Europe, Africa, and Middle East coverage, and then to Eurasia Group, where he was Managing Editor and a director. He has written for a range of publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune, The New Republic, The American Prospect, and others. He has law degrees from Oxford and New York University.

Perhaps the usual reactionary suspects have a similar glittering academic and professional record.That is a matter on which I could not possibly comment.

The main criticism of Mr Tepperman's article is that it does not sufficiently describe the hatred, gereed and selfishness of the unelected feudal and military elites with which Khun Yingluck has had to contend.

As one of the usual reactionary suspects, I am happy to report that I am not completely devoid of academic and professional credentials of my own.

While greed and selfishness run deep in her own family, Ms. Yingluck does a commendable job in arranging herself with some of the other constiuencies in that category, such as the military for example. She does this, by appointing herself to be their direct boss and allowing them to buy lots of expensive toys with excellent informal revenue opportunities. In this regard at least, she is no less skilled than some of her predecessors.

There are plenty of greedy and selfish families in the Sino Thai business world.As to Yingluck you seem to be saying she has entered into some form of pact with the Thai military.All Thai prime ministers have to do that but the current one, unlike the former one, does not owe her position to the military - nor does she have blood on her hands.

She owes her position to her brother, who also controls her 'government".

[surangw]

not really, the public of egypt finally figured out their religious and political leaders have been duping them all these years, the thais still have to come to this reliziation

[mikemac]

Sounds like jayboy is the only one who swallowed this crock of shit.

And there are two things I am trying to understand - Whether or not he is a troll, and who he has a crush on, Yingluck or the pseudo "expert" Tepperman.

[jayboy]

Sounds like jayboy is the only one who swallowed this crock of shit.

And there are two things I am trying to understand - Whether or not he is a troll, and who he has a crush on, Yingluck or the pseudo "expert" Tepperman.

So no serious points to make then.

[EyesWideOpen]

This is a silly headline. It should read what can Thailand learn from Egypt...... Meaning with a long term crap

government , the people will rise up and actually seize real power. Thailand's coups are a joke. The military

steps in, gets rid of the current hogs lined up at the feeding trough, organizes things briefly, and then puts

in a new set of hogs who now understand they have to funnel the correct amount of money to the 1700

Thai generals. And the well being of the general population is of no concern whatsoever to the people at

the top. So yeah, Thailand should fear an Asian Spring where power returns to the people. I think this fear

can be seen in the crackdown on social media, which was a cornerstone of the Arab Spring.

[ridkun]

Correction: August 30, 2013

An Op-Ed article last Friday about Thai politics contained several errors. Thailand’s economy is in recession, not “booming.” Antigovernment protests in 2010 occurred in the spring, not in January, and protesters were killed by the military, not the police. The prime minister since 2011, Yingluck Shinawatra, has proposed establishing a fully elected Senate and making it harder for courts to disband political parties; she has not “avoided challenging the Constitution.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/23/opinion/tepperman-can-egypt-learn-from-thailand.html?_r=1&

If the article has to be corrected this much, I really doubt the writer know anything at all about Thai politics.

[johnnie20110]

Correction: August 30, 2013

An Op-Ed article last Friday about Thai politics contained several errors. Thailands economy is in recession, not booming. Antigovernment protests in 2010 occurred in the spring, not in January, and protesters were killed by the military, not the police. The prime minister since 2011, Yingluck Shinawatra, has proposed establishing a fully elected Senate and making it harder for courts to disband political parties; she has not avoided challenging the Constitution.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/23/opinion/tepperman-can-egypt-learn-from-thailand.html?_r=1&

If the article has to be corrected this much, I really doubt the writer know anything at all about Thai politics.

Of course he doesn't. That is blatantly obvious to most posters from the very beginning. I wonder if the usual suspect that defended this nonsense will be willing to also make similar corrections as the New York times has done.