Thailand: Regime is not 'Democratically Elected'

[webfact]

Thailand: Regime is not "Democratically Elected"
Tony Cartalucci

Earlier this year, the New York Times wrote in its article, "In Thailand, Power Comes With Help From Skype," “Millions of people across the globe have cut the tethers to their offices, working remotely from home, airport lounges or just about anywhere they can get an Internet connection. But the political party governing Thailand has taken telecommuting into an altogether different realm.

For the past year and a half, by the party’s own admission, the most important political decisions in this country of 65 million people have been made from abroad, by a former prime minister who has been in self-imposed exile since 2008 to escape corruption charges.

The country’s most famous fugitive, Thaksin Shinawatra, circles the globe in his private jet, chatting with ministers over his dozen cell phones, texting over various social media platforms and reading government documents e-mailed to him from civil servants, party officials say.

What sounds like the making of the next banana republic, is instead a fact now being conveniently buried, as anti-regime protesters struggle to purge the proxies of Thaksin Shinawatra, with his foreign backers throughout the Western media claiming that his proxy government, headed by his own nepotist-appointed sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, is both the legitimate government of Thailand and "democratically elected."

This is perhaps the most pervasive myth surrounding the current conflict in Thailand and is perpetuated by Western media sources and the regime itself. Elections did indeed take place, and in those elections, the current regime did garner the most votes, but the same could be said about elections held anywhere, even in nations that are decidedly very undemocratic. Despots throughout history have used elections as a veil of legitimacy behind which they hide - and hiding a despotic, hereditary regime is exactly what the Shinawatras are doing in Thailand. [read more...]

Full story: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/12/03/338078/thai-regime-not-democratically-elected/

-- GlobalTV 2013-12-19

[nowork114]

Looking forward to next NSA leak ... I bet he is on their list

[Riley'sLife]

At last, a journalist with a grasp of The Truth.

[NongKhaiKid]

And another NY Times article says the protests are undemocratic.

Am I missing something ?

[laurentbkk]

where is wiki leak when you need them ..

[Nibbles48]

Thank You Thaivisa for balancing the NYT rhetoric and showing them up as the two faced idiots that they are.

Nice balance... I like it. Goes to show they don't really understand how it works here.

[ggold]

And another NY Times article says the protests are undemocratic.

Am I missing something ?

Maybe Thaksin owns shares in the NY Times?

[xminator]

At last, a journalist with a grasp of The Truth.

Truth? Like the one where Korn admited they outspent PT and still lost? Where Korn admited that in 2011 vote buying did no have the effect from the old days?

The few observers that where allowed to observe the 2011 election was pretty clear that this was a free and fair election. It was as democratic as you could expect with a coup as backdrop, not to mention two years of violent crackdowns on street protests.

It was the feeling of injustice that fueled PT victory in 2011. Not populist policies or vote buying. The last was something PT was very much aware would give them another soft coup in courts. And that PT is still the governing party is proof enough that they did not get involved in wide spread vote buying.

Populist policies is not vote buying. Its part of a democracy. And it is not corruption. Corruption is when you implement you populist policies for the people that you eat dinner with.

[Riley'sLife]

Unfortunately, for the election observers to be capable of commenting on the fairness or otherwise of an election the observers would have had to do far more than they actually did.

Vote buying is endemic, but is also done well away from any "observers".

Thailand's version of Democracy is flawed. Thais seem to think that it is a vote for their team to gain power and rape the country for the benefit of their team only. The concept of altruistic public service is lost on most.

Not one Thai I discussed the issues with felt any form of injustice as a result of the coup. They did, however, expect to receive a minimum monthly salary of 15,000THB if they were a Uni graduate, and their kids expected a free tablet, as promised by PT in their 2011 election manifesto. They still wait for each promise to be fulfilled. Maybe because in this area the population didn't vote for the right team.

Sadly, your definition of Corruption is, in fact, the popular definition of Democracy here in Thailnd.

If you seriously believe that because "PT is still the governing party is proof enough that they did not get involved in wide spread vote buying", any further discussion with you would be futile. Such naivety is child-like.

Edited December 19, 2013 by Riley'sLife

[Issangeorge]

At last, a journalist with a grasp of The Truth.

Populist policies is not vote buying. Its part of a democracy. And it is not corruption. Corruption is when you implement you populist policies for the people that you eat dinner with.

And exactly how many Isaan rice farmers got rich if any money at all from the rice pledging scheme, when most of them have plots under 10 rai and only grow enough rice to feed their families. The farmers with 100 rai plus were the ones who benefited, and not only do they already have money a lot of them would have connections with Thaksin.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ X using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited December 19, 2013 by Issangeorge

[kimamey]

At last, a journalist with a grasp of The Truth.

Truth? Like the one where Korn admited they outspent PT and still lost? Where Korn admited that in 2011 vote buying did no have the effect from the old days?

The few observers that where allowed to observe the 2011 election was pretty clear that this was a free and fair election. It was as democratic as you could expect with a coup as backdrop, not to mention two years of violent crackdowns on street protests.

It was the feeling of injustice that fueled PT victory in 2011. Not populist policies or vote buying. The last was something PT was very much aware would give them another soft coup in courts. And that PT is still the governing party is proof enough that they did not get involved in wide spread vote buying.

Populist policies is not vote buying. Its part of a democracy. And it is not corruption. Corruption is when you implement you populist policies for the people that you eat dinner with.

It's not the election that's the problem but the alledged involvement of Thaksin and amnesty bills made for his benefit afterwards

[anon467367354]

And another NY Times article says the protests are undemocratic.

Am I missing something ?

Yes, you must understand the New York Times is corporate run for interests of the corporatacracy that

is acting as a government. "All The News Fit To Print" is not an accident, but rather what they see as

what is fit to print and what is not. Doesn't have to be the truth, they just have to see it as fit to print.

[chainarong]

Whilst you have Thaskin out on the run, this will how the PTP will be perceived to be run, why deny the obvious, all those people associated with the PTP have a common thread , Thaskin, without him they would not be there, one wounders if the risk that Thaskin would have considered when jumping bail whether it was ever envisaged that the Mr big of Thailand would end up like this, but then the statute of limitations expires in four years time for him , he'll be back.

[Nickymaster]

One of the best pieces ever. Thaksin's regime in a nutshell.

read and learn

Edited December 19, 2013 by Nickymaster

[MaxLee]

Thailand: Regime is not "Democratically Elected"

Yep, there are only two choices:

1. Vote-bought aka red

2. Coup-ousted aka yellow

Which one do you prefer????

[Greer]

This is an excellent article.

At last revealing what is going on, and why the scumbag governments of the west keep supporting a criminal evading capture by being protected by the thieving governments of the UK and US, and many more.

Saying that the 2011 election was fair and there was no vote buying is total rubbish, and indicates that the poster has not read the article and has not been paying attention at all to what has been going on.

The bigger picture has a very simple question written in capitals for all to see : Do you want ever greater corruption, more rape of the land for the enrichment of a criminal, and to eventually, in the guise of "democracy" to live under a dictator.

Remember that so very many of the nastiest places in the world like to use the word "democratic" in their official title... "Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea" for example...

[lostinsurin]

And the Bangkok yellow shirt farangs come out to worship the article.

[sawadee1947]

Tony Cartalucci ??? Who is thsi? A friend of Silvio Berlusconi? Too much alcohol already? Or just to near to Suthep??

[comeondoit]

the governement got a poeples mandate democratically, no question about that, but they were and are abusing this mandate to favour some groups of the population and to fill their own pockets, so by that abuse they lost their legimity, however better educated peopel would see the truth, so the governement does nothing to educate the people better. with the polls we will get the same shit again.

anyway this would be a chance for a new party which should fight for votes

[Thaddeus]

And the Bangkok yellow shirt farangs come out to worship the article.

I do not live in Bangkok and I am not yellow, I live in a rural village but I am not red.

But if you can find an article that gives an alternative reason as to why the country is currently in this unenviable position, I will gladly read it.

[rotary]

It is not only Thailand with a government not democratically elected. There is North Korea, the USA, and a few others.

[londonthai]

the news is, this article is from "Tue Dec 3, 2013 6:21PM GMT".

it comes from the iranian government news agency based in tehran - the bastion of democracy.

thanx very much for heads up, editors, and for my lost time

Edited December 19, 2013 by londonthai

[Ulic]

At last, a journalist with a grasp of The Truth.

Not really sure if this journalist has any grasp of the truth. Comparing Thailand to other countries that claim to be

democracies but who have only have one party rule and no press freedoms is not accurate at all and borders on a

bald face lie. Thailand has two equally corrupt parties with diametrically opposed views on how the country should be run.

One corrupt party seeks to fleece the country by collecting kick backs on government mega contracts while

implementing populist agricultural policies that will steadily bankrupt the country. The other will collect the same

kick backs and transfer valuable public land to its party faithful but have no interest in helping the poor farmers

only themselves. If this is at the expense of democracy, so be it. There are various newspaper and media

groups that support both sides. Both sides pay protesters to march in various demonstrations. A far

cry from the countries the "journalist" alludes too. The fare and balanced truth the way I see it any way.

[lostinsurin]

And the Bangkok yellow shirt farangs come out to worship the article.

I do not live in Bangkok and I am not yellow, I live in a rural village but I am not red.

But if you can find an article that gives an alternative reason as to why the country is currently in this unenviable position, I will gladly read it.

You are not yellow and not red and you don't live in Bangkok,

the comment does not refer to you, so whats your problem with it?

Edited December 19, 2013 by lostinsurin

[bombax]

I read the entire article and entered a comment. It needs to be said; that Thaksin has been a big and continuing problem for Thailand. One of the article's main premises (of the article) is how the 'world' tends to look kindly on Thaksin - though the article shows how it's big money conglomerates who have helped boost that wrong-headed view. More articles like that, showing the real Thaksin, will help people (who are interested) get a clearer view of the crazy politics of Thailand during the past 8 years.

[FRR]

This is an excellent article.

At last revealing what is going on, and why the scumbag governments of the west keep supporting a criminal evading capture by being protected by the thieving governments of the UK and US, and many more.

Saying that the 2011 election was fair and there was no vote buying is total rubbish, and indicates that the poster has not read the article and has not been paying attention at all to what has been going on.

The bigger picture has a very simple question written in capitals for all to see : Do you want ever greater corruption, more rape of the land for the enrichment of a criminal, and to eventually, in the guise of "democracy" to live under a dictator.

Remember that so very many of the nastiest places in the world like to use the word "democratic" in their official title... "Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea" for example...

Maybe you want to go an investigate who PressTV are!. They Iranian!!!!! Of course they want to present the US in the best light possible.

Anything Tony Cartalucci writes is not worth the ink he has used.

[FRR]

And the Bangkok yellow shirt farangs come out to worship the article.

I do not live in Bangkok and I am not yellow, I live in a rural village but I am not red.

But if you can find an article that gives an alternative reason as to why the country is currently in this unenviable position, I will gladly read it.

Can point you in another direction. try looking for a wesite from the Australia national University dealing with Asai Pacific issues. Also have a google for the writings of Andrew McGregor Marshall. They may help you form a view on what is currently happening in Thailand.

[theslime]

the news is, this article is from "Tue Dec 3, 2013 6:21PM GMT".

it comes from the iranian government news agency based in tehran - the bastion of democracy.

thanx very much for heads up, editors, and for my lost time

The truth can come from anywhere, perhaps not from murdochstein,s papers though.

[WISteve]

This is an excellent article.

At last revealing what is going on, and why the scumbag governments of the west keep supporting a criminal evading capture by being protected by the thieving governments of the UK and US, and many more.

Saying that the 2011 election was fair and there was no vote buying is total rubbish, and indicates that the poster has not read the article and has not been paying attention at all to what has been going on.

The bigger picture has a very simple question written in capitals for all to see : Do you want ever greater corruption, more rape of the land for the enrichment of a criminal, and to eventually, in the guise of "democracy" to live under a dictator.

Remember that so very many of the nastiest places in the world like to use the word "democratic" in their official title... "Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea" for example...

Maybe you want to go an investigate who PressTV are!. They Iranian!!!!! Of course they want to present the US in the best light possible.

Anything Tony Cartalucci writes is not worth the ink he has used.

I was wondering about the sources of the news articles around here.............?

Press TV Iran is hardly an unbiased source for anything in my opinion................

The Wiki read on them:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_TV

[tingtongteesood]

Thank you Tony for your efforts to try and spread the truth ! I wish more people would do the same instead of believing the propaganda from the Shin regime.