Diminished Cobra Gold ends with less 'explodinating' excitement

[webfact]

Diminished 'Cobra Gold' ends with less explodinating excitement
By Coconuts Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- Instead of F/A-18C Hornets sweeping through the sky while MV-22 Ospreys hovered over soldiers conducting live fire exercises, Cobra Gold 2015 was, by all accounts, a much duller affair this year.

BANGKOK: -- The largest annual Asia-Pacific military exercise ended Friday with little of the fanfare that’s come to signify the 33-year-old event which serves as a massive military bro-fest between the Thai and U.S. military, along with other participating forces from the region.

If the stream of press materials coming from the U.S. Army’s media outfit was any indication, Cobra Gold 2015 was indeed drastically “scaled down” as promised by the U.S. military following last year’s coup.

There were fewer breathless reports such as “Thai, U.S. Marines Advance Across the Battlefield Together” and “U.S. Marines Secure Friendships by Securing Rooms with Thai Marines." Indeed the scaled-down coverage. [read more...]

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co//2015/02/23/diminished-cobra-gold-ends-less-explodinating-excitement

-- Coconuts Bangkok 2015-02-23

[Strangebrew]

The coup wasn't only reason of the scaled down Cobra it was the fact that China was to join in on it. Why give access to the tech, of US to China? It may be used on them later on. Besides next year hopefully Thailand will be back on track to Democracy which by the way the people deserve. Then the US will open up the toy box for Thailand. Anyway time will tell.

[Bluespunk]

explodinating

New word to me.

[Sviss Geez]

explodinating

New word to me.

You live and learn.

[Bluespunk]

explodinating

New word to me.

You live and learn.

In this case not really.

Though to be fair, I have learned that coconuts needs a better spell check.

Edited February 23, 2015 by Bluespunk

[Jingthing]

explodinating

New word to me.

I thought George W. Bush had retired from making up funny words to be a painter.

[noitom]

"Explodinating" is substandard English. It's in the same class as "irregardless" or "ain't." The Thai press shouldn't use substandard English, no newspaper should.

[jdinasia]

I met observers from multiple countries this year. Quite a fun group.

Did kinda suck for most, as they were ordered not to do so many things ; including ride in/on anything with less than 4 wheels etc

Several expressed interest in test riding my Tricity but couldn't.

Edited February 23, 2015 by jdinasia

[Jingthing]

"Explodinating" is substandard English. It's in the same class as "irregardless" or "ain't." The Thai press shouldn't use substandard English, no newspaper should.

Irregardless is just incorrect.

Ain't is a well established word in some regional dialects so not the same kind of wrong as irregardless.

Is it "substandard" to say y'all in Alabama? No. It's just part of the dialect.

Edited February 23, 2015 by Jingthing

[JAG]

And explodinating, whilst substandard is quite amusing.

[jdinasia]

And explodinating, whilst substandard is quite amusing.

I rather like Coconut 's stylish word choice for the headline

[JAG]

It does rather convey the sense of utter confusion and imminent catastrophic disaster which inevitably accompanies any multi national military activity!

Edited February 23, 2015 by JAG

[IMA_FARANG]

"Explodinating" is substandard English. It's in the same class as "irregardless" or "ain't." The Thai press shouldn't use substandard English, no newspaper should.

----------------------------

The word ain't is actually an old English word, a contractioin for the term I am not.

It is of the same origin as the word aren't for the term we are not

For other social class reasons the term ain't was regarded as improper English .... a sign you blonged to a lower class background, and therefore you were socially inferior to the those who spoke "proper English".

The word Ain't has a perfectly valid origin as the contraction of I am not ..... as in I ain't going.

[harryfrompattaya]

Thailand must understand that Obama has roots in Indonesian and he shall give special attention their no mater who is in Charge of Thailand. Also the rich Republican Corporations are in bed with China already

No room at the inn

Also the Chinese tourist and Chinese students in USA are the very rich and elite Chinese

Edited February 23, 2015 by harryfrompattaya

[MisterTee]

Thailand must understand that Obama has roots in Indonesian and he shall give special attention their no mater who is in Charge of Thailand. Also the rich Republican Corporations are in bed with China already

No room at the inn

Also the Chinese tourist and Chinese students in USA are the very rich and elite Chinese

How do the points you make relate to Cobra Gold 2015?

Just curious.

[Stan7444]

"Explodinating" is substandard English. It's in the same class as "irregardless" or "ain't." The Thai press shouldn't use substandard English, no newspaper should.

Irregardless is just incorrect.

Ain't is a well established word in some regional dialects so not the same kind of wrong as irregardless.

Is it "substandard" to say y'all in Alabama? No. It's just part of the dialect.

In fact, irregardless IS a word in the dictionary. It was first printed in the US in the year 1795. How does a word become a word? By repeated usage, such as the word "computer" was not a word prior to it's invention. Although due to my own education I would never use thi word irrelevant due to the harse slap of a ruler on the back of my hand by the schoolmarm. Check out the histroy of this word at WikepediaL:

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

[Paulc01]

Moving Cobra Gold to Vietnam would sure send a shot over the bow.

[ggold]

"Explodinating" is substandard English. It's in the same class as "irregardless" or "ain't." The Thai press shouldn't use substandard English, no newspaper should.

Irregardless is just incorrect.

Ain't is a well established word in some regional dialects so not the same kind of wrong as irregardless.

Is it "substandard" to say y'all in Alabama? No. It's just part of the dialect.

In fact, irregardless IS a word in the dictionary. It was first printed in the US in the year 1795. How does a word become a word? By repeated usage, such as the word "computer" was not a word prior to it's invention. Although due to my own education I would never use thi word irrelevant due to the harse slap of a ruler on the back of my hand by the schoolmarm. Check out the histroy of this word at WikepediaL:

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

Yes but that is still not English. irrespective, regardless to the meaning maybe!

[harryfrompattaya]

Moving Cobra Gold to Vietnam would sure send a shot over the bow.

It is the cards Vietnam or Indonesia

[jdinasia]

Moving Cobra Gold to Vietnam would sure send a shot over the bow.

It is the cards Vietnam or Indonesia

No, it is not in the cards.

Cobra Gold is a joint military exercise established with Thailand and the US. Other countries are allowed to participate. In theory Malaysia would be acceptable to create a similar program but would not likely be interested. Currently both Malaysia and Indonesia are participating in Cobra Gold without the baggage of being predominantly Muslim countries inviting the US to hold wargames in their countries.

US ties to Indonesia are far weaker than the ties to Thailand and ASEAN participation would be smaller due to logistics.

[Robby nz]

The coup wasn't only reason of the scaled down Cobra it was the fact that China was to join in on it. Why give access to the tech, of US to China? It may be used on them later on. Besides next year hopefully Thailand will be back on track to Democracy which by the way the people deserve. Then the US will open up the toy box for Thailand. Anyway time will tell.

From what I read elsewhere there were 6 Chinese officers actively taking part.

In past years China has been there as an observer so would have observed all they wanted to know in that time.

Perhaps it is just a matter of China safeguarding their investment, after all the own a fair share of the US debt don't they.

[jdinasia]

The coup wasn't only reason of the scaled down Cobra it was the fact that China was to join in on it. Why give access to the tech, of US to China? It may be used on them later on. Besides next year hopefully Thailand will be back on track to Democracy which by the way the people deserve. Then the US will open up the toy box for Thailand. Anyway time will tell.

From what I read elsewhere there were 6 Chinese officers actively taking part.

In past years China has been there as an observer so would have observed all they wanted to know in that time.

Perhaps it is just a matter of China safeguarding their investment, after all the own a fair share of the US debt don't they.

There were Chinese observers. I also met observers from Australia, Canada, and the UK.

[harryfrompattaya]

Moving Cobra Gold to Vietnam would sure send a shot over the bow.

It is the cards Vietnam or Indonesia

No, it is not in the cards.

Cobra Gold is a joint military exercise established with Thailand and the US. Other countries are allowed to participate. In theory Malaysia would be acceptable to create a similar program but would not likely be interested. Currently both Malaysia and Indonesia are participating in Cobra Gold without the baggage of being predominantly Muslim countries inviting the US to hold wargames in their countries.

US ties to Indonesia are far weaker than the ties to Thailand and ASEAN participation would be smaller due to logistics.

I have stated before close members of my family work for the rich and powerful as maids cooks gardens and etc

I they knew how close Obama is with Indonesia many Obama childhood friend and in power in Indonesia

[jdinasia]

Moving Cobra Gold to Vietnam would sure send a shot over the bow.

It is the cards Vietnam or Indonesia

No, it is not in the cards.

Cobra Gold is a joint military exercise established with Thailand and the US. Other countries are allowed to participate. In theory Malaysia would be acceptable to create a similar program but would not likely be interested. Currently both Malaysia and Indonesia are participating in Cobra Gold without the baggage of being predominantly Muslim countries inviting the US to hold wargames in their countries.

US ties to Indonesia are far weaker than the ties to Thailand and ASEAN participation would be smaller due to logistics.

I have stated before close members of my family work for the rich and powerful as maids cooks gardens and etc

I they knew how close Obama is with Indonesia many Obama childhood friend and in power in Indonesia

Your claims to inside info based on relationships to cooks doesn't carry much weight.

Obama is riding out his last 2 years in office and while he has some power, you won't find him spending what little political currency he has left pushing a shift to Indonesia. The military itself would rebel at the idea of Vietnam. (if you served and have seen their museums... You'd understand)

There's not really another option in SEA for these exercises. Look above for the reasons.