Thailand's 'gilded age', the 'robber barons' and the 'what's next?' question

[PaullyW]

Enjoyed the article, but the biggest difference between USA then and Thailand now is what went before. America was founded on ideals of the age of reason, European ideas of equality, secularism, individualism, rule of law and representation from Britain, etc. You have to have some good soil to plant the tree of democracy in. It did not emerge full blown from nothing. We looked to our ideals "all men are created equal" and "no man is above the law" to steer us back on course during the excesses of the 19th centuary. USA seems to be slipping away from that, so don't start in on that, America bashers!

 There is none of that sort of philosophical belief system in Thailand, which may explain why they do so poorly into trying to implement these foreign ideas. Perhaps someday democratic beliefs may create that soil, but for now they are casting seeds onto stone, imho.

Wonderful post. The fact that the OP's author could not figure it out says much of the mindset here. Thais seem only able to view the world in the most superficial sense.

[spidermike007]

A courageous and timely contribution to a debate in which the whole world - not just Thailand -

to get actively involved.

Roosevelt would surely not believe what has become of his beloved country: millions homeless, jobless and living on food stamps, a puppet government controlled by private bankers and a military industrial complex so bloated that waging war has become an ongoing necessity rather than a last resort.

The New Deal gave US working people two decades of rising wages and living standards - followed by forty years of flat-

lining while the Rockerfellers the rest of the capitalist elite sucked an ever larger share from the economy.

The myth of the American dream was brutally exposed with collapse of the real estate bubble in 2007 - a classic example of market manipulation by the banking mafia with the connivance of their political foot soldiers in Washington.

Right now, with wage levels, working conditions and trade unions all in retreat and human rights and personal liberty under attack as never before, not just American but the entire West is moving dangerously ever closer to fulfilling the elite's dream of a new world order.

Imagine it: one over-weaning authority, answerable to no-one else, controlling all our lives and one army ready to enforce its wishes on a global scale.

In Roosevelt's time, this was little more than a pipe dream among the Rockerfellers, the Rothschilds and the rest of the banking cabal. His decision to take the US into the war created the conditions for the dream to become a reality.

Victory turned the US into the most powerful economic force in the world and created the military/industrial complex to impose whatever it saw as right with unstoppable might.

Eisenhower warned of the dangers in his retirement speech. But his words were largely ignored. Today, the US "defence" budget is larger than that for all other developed nations put together and plans for a global government are no longer a closely guarded secret - successive US Presidents, from George Bush Senior and Ronald Reagan to George Bush Junior,

have come out of the closet to do the cheer leading.

It is 2013, but it is starting to feel uncomfortably like 1984. Not only George Orwell, but Franklin D. Roosevelt must be spinning in his grave.

Wonderful commentary. I could not agree more. And the vast majority of my American friends, and I myself as an American, feel the same way. The US is a pale shadow of it's former self. So many of the wonderful qualities that the country emulated, and stood for are gone, replaced by greed run amok. There are simply no leaders left that represent what the country once was. At least Clinton had some principal, and stood for something. The current and last administration stand for little. They most definitely do not stand for the middle or lower classes. Blundering Barry represents the rich, and only pays lip service to the poor. I believe he despises the poor, much like Tiny George II did. So, who represents the average American anymore? Certainly no members of the house and senate, who are nearly all bought and paid for street whores. Warren may come to closest to an American politician with principals, ethics, and ideals. The days of Bill Richardson, Bill Bradley, Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and the likes are past. The glory of the empire is fading, and I am not sure how it can be revived. Certainly not with the current lack of leadership, and lack of principals he brings to the office.

It feels much the same here in the LOS. Yingbat does not seem to stand for anything except the status quo. She is not offering any effective populist policy like her brother did. The rice scheme and rubber schemes are a fiasco. Her administration appears to be a fiasco. The fiasco continues with the current protests, and her extraordinary lack of leadership, and seeming inability to handle this adult dilemma, while acting like a teenage girl, who displays on a daily basis, how in over her head she really is, and how little talent she surrounds herself with. In that way she is a carbon copy of Blundering Barry. He appears afraid to surround himself with talent, out of fear he will not be the smartest guy in the room.

[Traveler19491]

A courageous and timely contribution to a debate in which the whole world - not just Thailand -

to get actively involved.

Roosevelt would surely not believe what has become of his beloved country: millions homeless, jobless and living on food stamps, a puppet government controlled by private bankers and a military industrial complex so bloated that waging war has become an ongoing necessity rather than a last resort.

The New Deal gave US working people two decades of rising wages and living standards - followed by forty years of flat-

lining while the Rockerfellers the rest of the capitalist elite sucked an ever larger share from the economy.

The myth of the American dream was brutally exposed with collapse of the real estate bubble in 2007 - a classic example of market manipulation by the banking mafia with the connivance of their political foot soldiers in Washington.

Right now, with wage levels, working conditions and trade unions all in retreat and human rights and personal liberty under attack as never before, not just American but the entire West is moving dangerously ever closer to fulfilling the elite's dream of a new world order.

Imagine it: one over-weaning authority, answerable to no-one else, controlling all our lives and one army ready to enforce its wishes on a global scale.

In Roosevelt's time, this was little more than a pipe dream among the Rockerfellers, the Rothschilds and the rest of the banking cabal. His decision to take the US into the war created the conditions for the dream to become a reality.

Victory turned the US into the most powerful economic force in the world and created the military/industrial complex to impose whatever it saw as right with unstoppable might.

Eisenhower warned of the dangers in his retirement speech. But his words were largely ignored. Today, the US "defence" budget is larger than that for all other developed nations put together and plans for a global government are no longer a closely guarded secret - successive US Presidents, from George Bush Senior and Ronald Reagan to George Bush Junior,

have come out of the closet to do the cheer leading.

It is 2013, but it is starting to feel uncomfortably like 1984. Not only George Orwell, but Franklin D. Roosevelt must be spinning in his grave.

A well written post. The author of the opinion piece did an excellent job of pointing out an historical turning point in America, and using it to illustrate the needs of Thailand, but truly America's current economic and political condition is one that foreshadows a frightening potential end game. What the American Robber Barons could only fantasize about is on the threshold of becoming reality. One thing that both Roosevelts had in their favor was a Supreme Court that actually based their decisions neutrality, unlike the ideologues who currently occupy the bench. Without an impartial Supreme Court, the plutocrats will get their way every time. And on those rare occasions when the Court has the temerity to go against them, they just come back with another try until they get what they want. No, today's America wood be a pathetic example for Thailand to emulate. Until Thailand can find some individuals to enter the political arena who have the idealism, determination, and public support to challenge the rampant corruption, the status quo will remain.

[xylophone]

Quote Kondiao: "The only Thai leader who has done anything to alleviate the conditions of the poor in this country, who has stood for progress, is the man that the present rioters - supported by the rich power brokers - is so hated that they want to destroy the government structure to hurt his family - Thaksin Shinawatra".

Do you really think that Thaksin had the interests of the poor in mind when he started to dish out money and favours? He did it to buy votes to get the strong rural backing which he hoped would keep him in government for a lot longer, and thereby able to further enhance his family's fortune through his crooked deals.

Having said that, I do agree with other aspects of your post because IMO it is purely a case of removing one party which has its snouts in the trough, and putting in another one which does exactly the same thing – – all wanting to be able to suck up the cash from the corruption which is endemic in Thai society.

So there you have it, two opposing parties, one headed by the sister of a man who stole billions from Thailand through his crooked deals, and the other headed by the Bangkok elite who want to keep the money for themselves and keep getting richer.

Both as bad as one another in their own ways and I don't think things will ever change here in our lifetimes.

[bigbamboo]

Khun Pornpimol is committing the offense that Thai's will not tolerate from farangs: he is talking about politics in America. He cites a few events in American history - some of which I myself was only vaguely familiar with, I admit - and then brings up the situation in Thailand. It does not apply. The two are not parallel or similar in many respects. Pornpimol; should consider that the culture in America 100 - 150 years ago praised the INDIVIDUAL. The strong man who stood alone, was confident and competent and rose above adversities to do what he believed was right, in spite of criticism. In Thailand - and I know that everyone in this country would tell me to mind my own business and that no one wants to hear my opinions about the LOS - but I will say it anyway: people here do not stand up for what is right; they do not offer solutions. They only criticize. America in its "Gilded Age," if there ever was such a thing, was very much like a Democracy. People felt responsible for their country and believed they had the right to fix things that were wrong and they supported the courageous men who rocked the boat and upset the status quo. Thailand? It is a feudal society, modernized to the extent that criminals have gained access to the old power structure. Criminal organizations have come here and moved in on the corrupt power brokers, dealing in real estate and slaves and mining with no regard for the destruction of water resources and the exploitation of the Burmese and Kmer workers who live in sub-human conditions.

Individual Thai's just want to pretend "Mai pen rai." They smile and be passive when decisive action is called for. They follow the trend - because it is easier than to resist. In this mess how do you see any good coming out of the current rioting, sponsored by the rich with vested interests in keeping the status quo and wrecking the work of the government elected by the majority of the people? How does this situation compare to America at the turn of the 20th century? It does not.

The only Thai leader who has done anything to alleviate the conditions of the poor in this country, who has stood for progress, is the man that the present rioters - supported by the rich power brokers - is so hated that they want to destroy the government structure to hurt his family - Thaksin Shinawatra.

Didn't that last line come from another great Thai writer, ex-soldier and wannabe MP, Sunisa Lerkpaktwat ?

[RubbaJohnny]

3/10 good try could do better

US analogies however far fetched should be based on fact

The anti trust lwas were a decade before Roosevelt was president as quick glance at Wiki will reveal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt

While invading Cuba and getting your hands dirty at the front line might be character forming for draft dodging leaders little else resonates.

Thailand is emeging from feudalism not the new immigrant filled expanding USA of 1890s which did not even include some of the present states.

To be fair a cut above the average reporting fact checkin the sort of essay a 10 year old in Gainesville would earn 9/10 or in Alachua 10/10 if you were 7 years old.

There is little excuse to inaccurate about facts,as a child a long wetwalk to the library to consult the Brittanica or one of our teachers is replaced by 2 seconds online search which means as so often here journalists do not fact check.

Wishing everyone of all opinions a peaceful and compassioante resolution to the present impasse.