'Crackdown has curbed graft'

[rubl]

Lese Majeste is a consideration for TVF, so rules have been set to limit our discussion, which is a reasonable policy.

Accordingly, the picture painted here is somewhat incomplete.

I am sure this applies to most of the items we do discuss regularly.

Have I danced enough along this line?

Absolutely, you're ready for a prime time show.

As American you probably never had much exposure to corruption anyway as everyone knows Americans don't condone corruption and neither does their government.

In America there has never been a military coup staged by an army faction that got rich from illegal trade with the Khmer Rouge. I'm not aware of any kind of corruption that comes close to that.

Neither in Thailand.

So, crackdown on corruption. Only thing missing is the nice photo-ops with Thai pretty Ms. Yingluck.

[phoenixdoglover]

Lese Majeste is a consideration for TVF, so rules have been set to limit our discussion, which is a reasonable policy.

Accordingly, the picture painted here is somewhat incomplete.

I am sure this applies to most of the items we do discuss regularly.

Have I danced enough along this line?

Absolutely, you're ready for a prime time show.

As American you probably never had much exposure to corruption anyway as everyone knows Americans don't condone corruption and neither does their government.

Actually, when I lived in Connecticut, there was a period of about 10 years when 3 city mayors and a State governor were convicted of corruption.

However, the first time I ever witnessed a corrupt act was when my wife handed a small envelope to a government official in Bangkok...to speed up our marriage registration.

I thought it was unnecessary. She thought it was natural.

[scorecard]

"Only an elected government will force transparency on itself. It won't happen quickly, but so long as there are regular, monitored elections the politicians must respond to the demands of the people, and the people are sick of the drain on their finances and the economy that corruption causes."

The laugh of the month.

I take it you have greater faith that a corrupt junta will become transparent and govern without corruption. Or perhaps you just prefer life under a corrupt military government.

Or perhaps I / others see the junta as by far the lesser of two evils.

[heybruce]

Lese Majeste is a consideration for TVF, so rules have been set to limit our discussion, which is a reasonable policy.

Accordingly, the picture painted here is somewhat incomplete.

I am sure this applies to most of the items we do discuss regularly.

Have I danced enough along this line?

Absolutely, you're ready for a prime time show.

As American you probably never had much exposure to corruption anyway as everyone knows Americans don't condone corruption and neither does their government.

In America there has never been a military coup staged by an army faction that got rich from illegal trade with the Khmer Rouge. I'm not aware of any kind of corruption that comes close to that.

Neither in Thailand.

So, crackdown on corruption. Only thing missing is the nice photo-ops with Thai pretty Ms. Yingluck.

That is what Thailand has now. Once again, from "Foreign Policy":

"Prayuth soon became a prominent member of the Eastern Tigers, a royalist military faction based in eastern Thailand. In the 1990s, Chambers said, the Eastern Tigers amassed considerable wealth by trading gems with Cambodian Khmer Rouge insurgents based along the two countries’ border, a racket which “directly benefited” the faction and some of its commanders. Within a decade, the Eastern Tigers dominated the Thai military."

[heybruce]

"Only an elected government will force transparency on itself. It won't happen quickly, but so long as there are regular, monitored elections the politicians must respond to the demands of the people, and the people are sick of the drain on their finances and the economy that corruption causes."

The laugh of the month.

I take it you have greater faith that a corrupt junta will become transparent and govern without corruption. Or perhaps you just prefer life under a corrupt military government.

Or perhaps I / others see the junta as by far the lesser of two evils.

I see, you regard democracy as evil. That explains a lot.