Seksan: Thai society is on the verge of a volcano

[somchai jones]

Almost every time someone wants people to sit down and be reasonable, all the other sides attack them. If it comes from the yellow side, people jump on the bandwagon to outline their current and past stupidities. If it comes from the red side, people jump on the bandwagon to outline their current and past stupidities. Neither punter ever acknowledges the legitimate complaints of the other side.....that would be a painful endeavor for some reason I cannot fathom unless it is simple pride, and which I think it obviously is. If I was a Thai reading TV posts, and there are Thais here reading our posts, I would think that farang either do not understand any obvious complications or, much worse, refuse to acknowledge them. People who try to flame a calm moderate in a dangerous situation are obviously more in love with their own opinions than any aspect of other people's lives, and which is patently and comically tragic.

Sometimes I drop a post to rile people up who adore black and white thinking like a way of life, and lampoon simplistic interpretations of Thai culture as if they are inferior, which is simply rude and untrue, but this is not a football match. This is people's lives. This is very serious, and there is no winning the Cup or finishing the Match or ending all the Troubles in one quick way here.

Compromise means it is never a win-win situation for opposing sides, because compromise means "Okay, I give up this and gain that; and you give up this and gain that".. It is only a win-win situation for the people caught in the middle. Anyone who wants to have a sit down session is a welcome voice to me. Because neither marionette in this Puppet Show can ask for any real compromise. The invisible hands that a brilliant Scotsman once wrote about are not going to talk unless someone makes them talk.

This is mushrooming. Both sides are saying, oh we need reform, but we disagree on the timing, or we disagree you should have a say, or we disagree because your skin is too dark, or we disagree because you were born on Wednesday, or, or, or, or...or, please anything but a moderate moderating. That would be unthinkable. The invisible hands would have to dial a number on their cellphones themselves.

Resume rants.

Comforting to hear the occassional words of wisdom rising above the idiotic clammer of the usual TV suspects.....

[wprime]

without corruption Thailand's economy will collapse.

Correct, but what choice does Thailand have? Borrow more money and push on with the corruption? Then in 3 years time the problem will resurface and we're back in the same boat except with a debt twice the size to service. At this point economic collapse is the only long-term solution.

[terryp]

civil war is the only way this will be concluded ....it has to happen as a powerful group needs to control the poor here…..the poor want that, they need that and in fact pray for that….this is why Thaksin is elevated to a god like status here by Poor farmers.

Quite ridicules and civil war will only start the same system again but will buy about 20 years of so called peace. Thailand can very easily become a failed state

I have no respect for the Thais they sell their votes on mass and then cry about the leaders????....well now somchai its time to pay the price

I am waiting for the baht to crash as it will balance all the money lost in FX over the past 10 years due to xenophobic elites keeping the baht high & exporting their baht into foreign banks and sod everyone one else

[Costas2008]

doremifasol, on 11 Jan 2014 - 07:51, said:

NCC1701A, on 10 Jan 2014 - 23:09, said:

without corruption Thailand's economy will collapse.

Exactly my thoughts.

As it collapsed in Europe the USA, Canada and many other countries????

[jpeg]

without corruption Thailand's economy will collapse.

And WITH the corruption PTP will undoubtedly continue to propagate to fill their already flowing coffers, Thailand's economy will collapse. So yeah! Bring it on! More baht for my buck and very hard lessons learned. Hopefully

[Ozymandias]

civil war is the only way this will be concluded ....it has to happen as a powerful group needs to control the poor here…..the poor want that, they need that and in fact pray for that….this is why Thaksin is elevated to a god like status here by Poor farmers.

Quite ridicules and civil war will only start the same system again but will buy about 20 years of so called peace. Thailand can very easily become a failed state

I have no respect for the Thais they sell their votes on mass and then cry about the leaders????....well now somchai its time to pay the price

I am waiting for the baht to crash as it will balance all the money lost in FX over the past 10 years due to xenophobic elites keeping the baht high & exporting their baht into foreign banks and sod everyone one else

Interesting post: are you the Wolf of Wall Street? You seem to have a particuarly strong conviction that you know the minds of the poor (which indicates that you have probably never set food in a field in your life).

Has it not occurred to you that the 'poor' (that terrible 'other') may actually not be so different from the middle class at all: i.e. they vote for the party that delivers the greatest improvements to their lives. The middle class don't feel that doing this constitutes their control by those that receve their vote - funny that.

Has it not also occurred to you that (as is shown consistently by research) Thais do not 'sell' their votes, but some accept money from political parties and then vote for who they want anyway. They just might be thinking 'if this idiot is going to give me 500THB I'm going to pocket it, but I'm voting for the party that will improve my life to the tune of 5,000THB' Just a slight possiblity there, given that nobody is present in a Thai poll booth with a voter as far as I'm aware.

Like that other 'Wolf', I suspect you have fooled yourself into thinking you have sharp teeth and a sharp mind to go along with it. I do agree with you about the xenophobia of the elites though.

[Centrum]

Given the distance Seksan seems to have kept from colour coded politics in the past few years, I'd say that's probably right. He's criticized both (or rather all) sides but remained committed to democracy. This is what he said in his speech reflecting on the 40th aniversary of the Oct 14th uprising: “How can we, as free men, fulfil ourselves if we cannot choose the government we are satisfied with and tell the world what we want?” he said. “How can human equality be achieved if not with equal rights and votes to determine our nation’s fate?”

The “Two Yes, Two No” pictured in the OP seem to be an even more 'moderate' group than Kasien's group of academics who started the Assembly for the Defense of Democracy group (their FB page now has 550k likes last time I checked, 100k more than Bluesky Channel, not bad for something started by academics). I see that even BKK Post film reviewer Kong Rithdee is on the panel.

The overwhelming majority of society wants no part of violence, nor do they want violence to occur. The majority don't want a coup, either.

Everyone, bar TS and family and cronies, would like reform.

It's all very fine for these two groups to preach democracy and peace from their higher ground, but let's not forget the fact that had the protesting groups not taken to the streets to voice their dissatisfaction

with the Yingluck administration, there would be no serious chance of reform ever taking place. Let alone being seriously discussed.

Change has never come about through a bunch of pleasant and polite academics sitting around a table giving their opinions on the way forward.

[SouthernMan3]

Suthep has made his point, if indeed all he wants is reform,

then all he needs to do is backoff, allow elections, with the promise that if , after the election, who ever is elected does not act swiftly to implement reforms,

He and his followers will be back out in the streets again .

You just don't get it.

Reform before election !

Besides, if the election happens now there will not be enough PMs to make it legit.

Therefore it will just be a waste of A LOT of money anyway.

[celso]

A bit hyperbolic no? The protest numbers barely reach six figures. It will be interesting to see tomorrow how many actually turnout.

[sirineou]

without corruption Thailand's economy will collapse.

Exactly my thoughts.

corruption has a dragging effect in any economy, The elimination or reduction of corruption has proven to be beneficial to avery economy that has achieved it.

[sirineou]

Suthep has made his point, if indeed all he wants is reform,

then all he needs to do is backoff, allow elections, with the promise that if , after the election, who ever is elected does not act swiftly to implement reforms,

He and his followers will be back out in the streets again .

You just don't get it.

Reform before election !

Besides, if the election happens now there will not be enough PMs to make it legit.

Therefore it will just be a waste of A LOT of money anyway.

If so, then more of a reason that he back of and let the elections go forward ,

If the elections are successful and reforms take place , his agenda (if indeed reforme is his agenda) , would be carried out , If the elections take place Yingluck forms a government,and no reforms are implemented, then he comes back, say's "see I told you so" and his position is straightened,

A win win situation for him,

That's my analysis of the situation, but since "I gust don't get it" you must have a different view

Perhaps you might want to share it with as.

[SouthernMan3]

Suthep has made his point, if indeed all he wants is reform,

then all he needs to do is backoff, allow elections, with the promise that if , after the election, who ever is elected does not act swiftly to implement reforms,

He and his followers will be back out in the streets again .

You just don't get it.

Reform before election !

Besides, if the election happens now there will not be enough PMs to make it legit.

Therefore it will just be a waste of A LOT of money anyway.

If so, then more of a reason that he back of and let the elections go forward ,

If the elections are successful and reforms take place , his agenda (if indeed reforme is his agenda) , would be carried out , If the elections take place Yingluck forms a government,and no reforms are implemented, then he comes back, say's "see I told you so" and his position is straightened,

A win win situation for him,

That's my analysis of the situation, but since "I gust don't get it" you must have a different view

Perhaps you might want to share it with as.

Sure.

Be glad to though I still think that any intelligent person should see this.

1) People want to get back to their lives. It's enough already. The Thai people have let the S. gov't know that they are not wanted.

2) Holding an election that will not have enough PMs will be void, and a waste of billions of baht and lot's of time. The people have spent over 2 months to make their point already. Isn't it overly obvious ?

3) Why let politicians whom we already KNOW are corrupt (ie: Ms. Y.) run ? Therefore reform before elections.

I know that I'm pretty much saying what I said already but since you didn't get it the first time around, I hope you do now.

Ya fellin' me now ?

P.S. Your "win win" just ain't true.

Suthep is 64.

Give the guy a break.

He wants to retire.

And everybody wants to move forward kap

[davehowden]

Given the distance Seksan seems to have kept from colour coded politics in the past few years, I'd say that's probably right. He's criticized both (or rather all) sides but remained committed to democracy. This is what he said in his speech reflecting on the 40th aniversary of the Oct 14th uprising: “How can we, as free men, fulfil ourselves if we cannot choose the government we are satisfied with and tell the world what we want?” he said. “How can human equality be achieved if not with equal rights and votes to determine our nation’s fate?”

The “Two Yes, Two No” pictured in the OP seem to be an even more 'moderate' group than Kasien's group of academics who started the Assembly for the Defense of Democracy group (their FB page now has 550k likes last time I checked, 100k more than Bluesky Channel, not bad for something started by academics). I see that even BKK Post film reviewer Kong Rithdee is on the panel.

The overwhelming majority of society wants no part of violence, nor do they want violence to occur. The majority don't want a coup, either.

Everyone, bar TS and family and cronies, would like reform.

It's all very fine for these two groups to preach democracy and peace from their higher ground, but let's not forget the fact that had the protesting groups not taken to the streets to voice their dissatisfaction

with the Yingluck administration, there would be no serious chance of reform ever taking place. Let alone being seriously discussed.

Change has never come about through a bunch of pleasant and polite academics sitting around a table giving their opinions on the way forward.

How true you are, did America gain its independence through discussion, did Northern Ireland resolve its problems just by sitting round a table - NO.

Some kind of War, possibly with Mynmar will unite this country, something very unpleasant has to happen here before Thais start to think as one, and the power of the elite, whatever their colour, is broken for good.

Like in the UK, WW1 and WW2 brought about a great levelling of power and influence.

So the same has to happen here.

[Cnxforever]

................He urged all parties in the political conflict to exercise wisdom.............

Oh come on!! You are Thammasat educated!!

Which makes him much better than the majority.

So, maybe, listening to him is a good idea.

Although I value education, I don't think that being Thammasat-educated, or Oxford or Cambridge-educated, or Moscow State-educated, or Tsinghua-educated, or Harvard-educated, makes anyone better than the majority. Or better than any minority, for that matter.

yes you are right just look at Naresuan University lecturer Dr. Jak - this garbage is educating young Thai people and is tipped to have a bright future in Thai politics?

Edited January 12, 2014 by Cnxforever

[sirineou]

Suthep has made his point, if indeed all he wants is reform,

then all he needs to do is backoff, allow elections, with the promise that if , after the election, who ever is elected does not act swiftly to implement reforms,

He and his followers will be back out in the streets again .

You just don't get it.

Reform before election !

Besides, if the election happens now there will not be enough PMs to make it legit.

Therefore it will just be a waste of A LOT of money anyway.

If so, then more of a reason that he back of and let the elections go forward ,

If the elections are successful and reforms take place , his agenda (if indeed reforme is his agenda) , would be carried out , If the elections take place Yingluck forms a government,and no reforms are implemented, then he comes back, say's "see I told you so" and his position is straightened,

A win win situation for him,

That's my analysis of the situation, but since "I gust don't get it" you must have a different view

Perhaps you might want to share it with as.

Sure.

Be glad to though I still think that any intelligent person should see this.

1) People want to get back to their lives. It's enough already. The Thai people have let the S. gov't know that they are not wanted.

2) Holding an election that will not have enough PMs will be void, and a waste of billions of baht and lot's of time. The people have spent over 2 months to make their point already. Isn't it overly obvious ?

3) Why let politicians whom we already KNOW are corrupt (ie: Ms. Y.) run ? Therefore reform before elections.

I know that I'm pretty much saying what I said already but since you didn't get it the first time around, I hope you do now.

Ya fellin' me now ?

P.S. Your "win win" just ain't true.

Suthep is 64.

Give the guy a break.

He wants to retire.

And everybody wants to move forward kap

I apologise for not being intelligent enough to understand your superior intellect

I promise to apply my self more in the future.