PCAD to sue web editor for 'distorting' Suthep's speech

[Maybole]

"seize the assets of his opponents once he manages to topple the government"

This is a telling phrase, all along his primary intention has been to enrich himself.

[Tokay]

Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, mad, madness.

[Morch]

Not at all dramatic …………… I'm just glad I can walk out without any ties if necessary.

But what a tragedy for the country

As a rule, fascist governments are dominated by a dictator, who usually possesses a magnetic personality, appeals to strident nationalism; and promotes suspicion or hatred of both foreigners and “impure” people within his own nation,

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fascism?s=t

Not at all dramatic, how?

Suthep isn't in office, and frankly, not very likely that he personally would get there.

To a certain degree, almost all Thai governments displayed some elements of fascism.

Magnetic personality, eh? Not sure how much that's true nowadays as far as Suthep goes.

There was no persistent anti-foreigner trend, rather a childish attitude toward foreign press not playing along.

This by itself isn't unique to the PDRC, other Thai politician reacted badly to members of the press in the past.

There are outbursts of xenophobia, and nationalism - but they are not limited to this side or another. If memory

serves, during the last government's there were rumors spread about foreigners owning huge chunks of Thai

soil, for example.

Been both to Red-shirt and PDRC rallies, was pretty much the same. Maybe 2010 felt more aggression and a

little more potential threat, but can't say it was overt or anything, and anyway not directed at foreigners specifically.

So actually, yes, drama. At least for now.

It is a universal quality of Thai politics that when something goes wrong, normally, you can rattle the foreigners cage to divery everyone.

That said, the yellows are waaaay ahead in the nationalistic stages. I wonder why they haven't had a Phraer Viharn moment for a while. Thats always good for a jolly in the countryside.

The posts I was responding to were referring to anti-foreigner sentiment directed at foreigners within Thailand (at least the

way I read and understood it). Having issues with neighboring countries is another thing. Was there any serious rattling

of foreigners cage? We had changes in land ownership regulations (or rather, stricter enforcement of existing ones), changes

in company ownership (again, basically the same), changes in visa and citizenship regulations (the latter somewhat easier

nowadays), and the occasional politician/official yapping about foreigners owning too much land in Thailand.

Most of the above, while certainly effecting foreigners living in Thailand, was not directed against them (us) as such.

Changes to land and company ownership were intended to eradicate the nominee control issue, which was a fine way

to bypass existing laws. That had more to do with the ongoing domestic political struggle than with harassing foreigners.

Unless gravely mistaken, most of the issues concerning these things have to do with ASEAN or Asian individuals and

companies, rather than the average expat (like posters on this forum).

Thailand, in general, has a strong nationalistic element, promoted by the armed forces, government, and media.

But this sentiment has more to do with rivalry vs. Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia. Not exactly something

that would make expats pack up and leave.

I don't know that the border/temple issues with Cambodia was something to right home about, not as if Western nations

haven't gone on campaigns to keep hold of a few islands thousands of kilometers away. Also worth noting that the dispute

was fueled by the Cambodian side as well, for their own domestic needs. That's without getting into rumors regarding

other ulterior motives.

Edited May 20, 2014 by Morch

[Nickymaster]

People are marching in the streets, not against dictatorship, but specifically for it; to give unilateral power of life and death to some crazy eyed, megalomaniac politician.

The more I think about it the crazier it gets.

What is wrong with these people.

There will be elections soon. Just stop the thinking.

[Docno]

I wonder if it's too late for me to study law. There seems to be a lot of money to be made in the Kingdom

[Baerboxer]

People are marching in the streets, not against dictatorship, but specifically for it; to give unilateral power of life and death to some crazy eyed, megalomaniac politician.

The more I think about it the crazier it gets.

What is wrong with these people.

They're fed up with being cheated and constantly lied to by a self serving group of ineffective politicians controlled by a fugitive criminal.

Seems the old saying "any port in a storm" still old true.

[Morch]

People are marching in the streets, not against dictatorship, but specifically for it; to give unilateral power of life and death to some crazy eyed, megalomaniac politician.

The more I think about it the crazier it gets.

What is wrong with these people.

They're fed up with being cheated and constantly lied to by a self serving group of ineffective politicians controlled by a fugitive criminal.

Seems the old saying "any port in a storm" still old true.

Instead, they will be cheated and lied to by the other group of self serving ineffective politicians, totally independent, of course.

That's what democracy in most places is all about - the freedom to choose who cheats and lies to you.

[Chris Lawrence]

Sounds a little bit Pol Pot'ish.