Full-fledged western-inspired democracy 'unfit for Thailand'

[Muhendis]

Absolute drivel in this article. Trying to justify the ruling elite to stay in power because they can't win a majority in a democratic elected government. Also these people re as corrupt as anyone. Why don't you make populist policies and the people may vote for you. Don't use the excuse of we have had corrupt governments. This article is an embarrassment to Thai people. They know what is going on and this is just more propaganda to justify not have free elections. Thailand is ready for democracy. Get rid of corruption from all sides.

Thailand will never be ready for democracy as long as people cannot speak their minds without fear of the defamation law.

[halloween]

Yeah John, listen to the monkey. You can't criticize Thaksin's sycophants because Suthep ...............exists?

Hey, halloween. Good to have you back! Too bad you time off hasn't improved the quality of your posts, though.

The point I was actually making (and I know you find this hard to comprehend) is that Suthep is a key player in the group/faction that is currently in power so when John English, you, and the other cheerleaders do your perpetual Thaksin rants you're just a bunch of hypocrites.

There are new snouts in the trough, but they're definitively in the trough.

When you make a wrong assumption, what follows is garbage. It seems you are unable to see that most of your assumptions are wrong. Yet you continue advocating a return to the previous systems which saw abuse of office to new extreme levels, and despite proof of this, the same people being returned to office.

i suppose you are entitled to think this acceptable, after all, it's not your country's money being stolen.

[lostoday]

Winston Churchill "It is, thank heaven, difficult if not impossible for the modern European to fully appreciate the force which fanaticism exercises among an ignorant, warlike and Oriental population."

[JAG]

Democratic government has never survived in Thailand quite simply because the establishment snuffs it out if it results, or if (as is the case this last time round) it looks like it may result in a government not to their taste. It really is as simple as that.

As they will never let it evolve, then inevitably the people will eventually overthrow them. Not a happy prospect, but the eventual outcome.

Edited August 27, 2015 by JAG

[markusss]

Thai dumbocracy: If the spoiled child can never win, then no one is allowed to play anymore. Those be the rules around these parts.

[gandalf12]

Until the people can accept that the government elected represents over 50% of the population and that the rest of the people dont like it democracy will never happen. It is supposed to be defined by the majority not the individual. You cant have 60 million forms of democracy in a country only one is possible. If the party in power is not to your liking then vote against it at the next election.

[lostoday]

Democratic government has never survived in Thailand quite simply because the establishment snuffs it out if it results, or if (as is the case this last time round) it looks like it may result in a government not to their taste. It really is as simple as that.

As they will never let it evolve, then inevitably the people will eventually overthrow them. Not a happy prospect, but the eventual outcome.

Maybe you and I are the smartest people in the world and only the two of us share this secret. Or maybe the rest of the world is just ignorant beyond belief. Why don't they know this?

In another thread that is the argument I had with my wife. I said, "Thai people can't be that dumb."

[halloween]

Democratic government has never survived in Thailand quite simply because the establishment snuffs it out if it results, or if (as is the case this last time round) it looks like it may result in a government not to their taste. It really is as simple as that.

As they will never let it evolve, then inevitably the people will eventually overthrow them. Not a happy prospect, but the eventual outcome.

You don't consider the excesses of the last government distasteful? Should the rice scam and the huge loan to prop up its losses been allowed to continue, the G2G theft allowed to reap millions, and the perpetrators to enact their own amnesty?

Your lessons in democracy are fine, but at what price.

[Rykbanlor]

It's quite incredible how the JUnta, the military, has managed to fool people. My best Thai friends are very progressive and liberal, they studied in the states for 7/8 yearsand I can generally talk to them about anything political and their views are self-deprecating of Thailand and forward thinking, except they still belive the Coup was a necessary evil, which I do understand, but it's a great big wool over the eyes trick.

They also voiced the opinion that Thailand is not ready for a proper democracy, and actually they are right there - due to what other posters have mentioned - i.e. weak laws, weak judiciary, non functioning state departments and rampant corruption, but these are not the reasons which the elite will admit to being the obstructions to democracy - their excuse is basically, Thailand is extraordinary and Western democracy just won't fit, and that is utter horseshit and their weak-assed excuse to do what they're doing.

Thaksin was vile, and bad for the country, but he was NO WORSE than any of the others, despite what people keep telling you (oh,yes, they are all corrupt, but Thaksin was mooooore corrupt).

Wake up Junta fanboys, there is not serious change happening despite what you may have been told.

Wake up Thaksin fanboys, he was not the great philanthropist offering power to the people, despite what you may have been told.

The military has a stronger game because it is basically approved by some folks we all know. That also gives it much credibility in the eyes of the majority of staunch royalists.

There are currently no attractive options for Thailand because there is nobody with enough integrity or lack of self-serving interests to sort the mess out so they may as well do as they please and lets just hope they don't descend into civil war.

[Fat Haggis]

Yeah John, listen to the monkey. You can't criticize Thaksin's sycophants because Suthep ...............exists?

Hey, halloween. Good to have you back! Too bad you time off hasn't improved the quality of your posts, though.

The point I was actually making (and I know you find this hard to comprehend) is that Suthep is a key player in the group/faction that is currently in power so when John English, you, and the other cheerleaders do your perpetual Thaksin rants you're just a bunch of hypocrites.

There are new snouts in the trough, but they're definitively in the trough.

When you make a wrong assumption, what follows is garbage. It seems you are unable to see that most of your assumptions are wrong. Yet you continue advocating a return to the previous systems which saw abuse of office to new extreme levels, and despite proof of this, the same people being returned to office.

i suppose you are entitled to think this acceptable, after all, it's not your country's money being stolen.

It's not yours either!!!

[lostoday]

Democratic government has never survived in Thailand quite simply because the establishment snuffs it out if it results, or if (as is the case this last time round) it looks like it may result in a government not to their taste. It really is as simple as that.

As they will never let it evolve, then inevitably the people will eventually overthrow them. Not a happy prospect, but the eventual outcome.

You don't consider the excesses of the last government distasteful? Should the rice scam and the huge loan to prop up its losses been allowed to continue, the G2G theft allowed to reap millions, and the perpetrators to enact their own amnesty?

Your lessons in democracy are fine, but at what price.

The price it costs for an election. How much does an election cost in Thailand. It's not that expensive is it? In he West political parties spend the money on advertising in Thailand they cut out the middle man and give the people the money for the votes directly however I think it's still a lot cheaper than what it costs to be elected in the West.

[TheKnave]

I think the first sentence needs changing; "Thailand is unfit for Western-inspired democracy" is far more appropriate.

There, that's better.

The majority of Thai people would not agree with you. The minority would.

Just what Thai people wouldn't agree? Those who have no idea what a "Western-inspired democracy" is. They would claim they are ready for what they perceive as the benefits of such a system: free money on all the trees, everyone gets a Free Lamborghini, huge flat screen TVs, etc.

Oops, then comes that damned responsibility: becoming educated on the issues you need to vote for, instead of casting your vote as the puyaiban 'suggests', becoming involved in your community, schools, etc.

As democracy gets gifted from one generation to the next, it loses its vitality without strong education and ethical values. Exactly which Thais are practicing those principles?

The sad thing here is that many people still look to the West, and particularly, the US for inspiration, when we now have the government we deserve - nothing like a democracy.

Truth told, especially since the Citizens United decision, which made corporations people, the US is an oligarchy, run by and for corporate-persons. Individuals have no recourse, period.

Thailand will need to start at the equivalent of the US's 1776, and do a whole lot better job preserving that spirit than the US has, to ever truly become (and sustain) a democracy.

"Give me motocy, or give me sia na", said Somchai Henry.

[Rykbanlor]

Oh the guys whose ideology comes from their wives, yawn.

[lostoday]

I think the first sentence needs changing; "Thailand is unfit for Western-inspired democracy" is far more appropriate.

There, that's better.

The majority of Thai people would not agree with you. The minority would.

Just what Thai people wouldn't agree? Those who have no idea what a "Western-inspired democracy" is. They would claim they are ready for what they perceive as the benefits of such a system: free money on all the trees, everyone gets a Free Lamborghini, huge flat screen TVs, etc.

Oops, then comes that damned responsibility: becoming educated on the issues you need to vote for, instead of casting your vote as the puyaiban 'suggests', becoming involved in your community, schools, etc.

As democracy gets gifted from one generation to the next, it loses its vitality without strong education and ethical values. Exactly which Thais are practicing those principles?

The sad thing here is that many people still look to the West, and particularly, the US for inspiration, when we now have the government we deserve - nothing like a democracy.

Truth told, especially since the Citizens United decision, which made corporations people, the US is an oligarchy, run by and for corporate-persons. Individuals have no recourse, period.

Thailand will need to start at the equivalent of the US's 1776, and do a whole lot better job preserving that spirit than the US has, to ever truly become (and sustain) a democracy.

"Give me motocy, or give me sia na", said Somchai Henry.

So?

Today, one in five Americans — 67 million of us, all told — rely on federal aid in obtaining housing, food, income, health care or education.

http://nypost.com/2012/02/13/on-the-dole-a-fifth-of-all-americans/

[chiang mai]

If democracy is so good and great, why did less than 60% of the UK and US populations exercise their democratic right to vote in the last elections.

[halloween]

Democratic government has never survived in Thailand quite simply because the establishment snuffs it out if it results, or if (as is the case this last time round) it looks like it may result in a government not to their taste. It really is as simple as that.

As they will never let it evolve, then inevitably the people will eventually overthrow them. Not a happy prospect, but the eventual outcome.

You don't consider the excesses of the last government distasteful? Should the rice scam and the huge loan to prop up its losses been allowed to continue, the G2G theft allowed to reap millions, and the perpetrators to enact their own amnesty?

Your lessons in democracy are fine, but at what price.

The price it costs for an election. How much does an election cost in Thailand. It's not that expensive is it? In he West political parties spend the money on advertising in Thailand they cut out the middle man and give the people the money for the votes directly however I think it's still a lot cheaper than what it costs to be elected in the West.

Are you being deliberately obtuse? The cost to the people of Thailand of Defendant Number 1's criminal governments has been huge, yet their supporters continue to accept their electoral bribes and re-elect them. The majority of Thai voters who DIDN'T vote these criminals have rights too, to a government that would obey the laws of the land, not suborn police to ignore their crimes, and not vote themselves an amnesty to prevent future prosecution.

Democratically elected governments should represent ALL the people, not just their supporters. It is not a winners and losers scenario, where the winners are entitled to ride roughshod while stealing as much as possible, and then offering expensive and unsustainable electoral bribes to be re-elected.

[Lunchbob]

Unfit for everyone on this planet who does not want to be a slave. Western style democracy is called, oligarchy.

[MZurf]

Yeah John, listen to the monkey. You can't criticize Thaksin's sycophants because Suthep ...............exists?

Hey, halloween. Good to have you back! Too bad you time off hasn't improved the quality of your posts, though.

The point I was actually making (and I know you find this hard to comprehend) is that Suthep is a key player in the group/faction that is currently in power so when John English, you, and the other cheerleaders do your perpetual Thaksin rants you're just a bunch of hypocrites.

There are new snouts in the trough, but they're definitively in the trough.

When you make a wrong assumption, what follows is garbage. It seems you are unable to see that most of your assumptions are wrong. Yet you continue advocating a return to the previous systems which saw abuse of office to new extreme levels, and despite proof of this, the same people being returned to office.

i suppose you are entitled to think this acceptable, after all, it's not your country's money being stolen.

"When you make a wrong assumption, what follows is garbage."

Pray tell me what those incorrect assumptions are - or are you just trolling?

"i suppose you are entitled to think this acceptable, after all, it's not your country's money being stolen"

It doesn't matter whether I think it's acceptable or not, it's up to the people of Thailand to decide this , not a group of military officers (ably helped by some very unsavory civilians).

I know, I know. You have stated earlier that you don't care what level of "uncleanliness" exists in the current group of snouts in the trough due to the bogeyman in Dubai, but you have to understand that more/most, nay, a majority of us find this rather simple minded.

Edited August 27, 2015 by MZurf

[Fat Haggis]

Can you please provide links as to the cost to the people of Thailand as nobody in my house seems to be hit in their pockets.

Most rural people more than likely don't pay taxes, most don't qualify for the state pension and welfare scheme, so how exactly will they be worse off ?

[MZurf]

Yeah John, listen to the monkey. You can't criticize Thaksin's sycophants because Suthep ...............exists?

Hey, halloween. Good to have you back! Too bad you time off hasn't improved the quality of your posts, though.

The point I was actually making (and I know you find this hard to comprehend) is that Suthep is a key player in the group/faction that is currently in power so when John English, you, and the other cheerleaders do your perpetual Thaksin rants you're just a bunch of hypocrites.

There are new snouts in the trough, but they're definitively in the trough.

When you make a wrong assumption, what follows is garbage. It seems you are unable to see that most of your assumptions are wrong. Yet you continue advocating a return to the previous systems which saw abuse of office to new extreme levels, and despite proof of this, the same people being returned to office.

i suppose you are entitled to think this acceptable, after all, it's not your country's money being stolen.

It's not yours either!!!

He doesn't care where the money goes as long as it's not going to the bogeyman in Dubai.

[halloween]

Can you please provide links as to the cost to the people of Thailand as nobody in my house seems to be hit in their pockets.

Most rural people more than likely don't pay taxes, most don't qualify for the state pension and welfare scheme, so how exactly will they be worse off ?

So they don't use roads, bridges, town water, hospitals, schools or any other government infrastructure that might otherwise be built or improved with revenue stolen and wasted?

[halloween]

Yeah John, listen to the monkey. You can't criticize Thaksin's sycophants because Suthep ...............exists?

Hey, halloween. Good to have you back! Too bad you time off hasn't improved the quality of your posts, though.

The point I was actually making (and I know you find this hard to comprehend) is that Suthep is a key player in the group/faction that is currently in power so when John English, you, and the other cheerleaders do your perpetual Thaksin rants you're just a bunch of hypocrites.

There are new snouts in the trough, but they're definitively in the trough.

When you make a wrong assumption, what follows is garbage. It seems you are unable to see that most of your assumptions are wrong. Yet you continue advocating a return to the previous systems which saw abuse of office to new extreme levels, and despite proof of this, the same people being returned to office.

i suppose you are entitled to think this acceptable, after all, it's not your country's money being stolen.

"When you make a wrong assumption, what follows is garbage."

Pray tell me what those incorrect assumptions are - or are you just trolling?

"i suppose you are entitled to think this acceptable, after all, it's not your country's money being stolen"

It doesn't matter whether I think it's acceptable or not, it's up to the people of Thailand to decide this , not a group of military officers (ably helped by some very unsavory characters).

I know, I know. You have stated earlier that you don't care what level of "uncleanliness" exists in the current group of snouts in the trough due to the bogeyman in Dubai, but you have to understand that more/most, nay, a majority of us find this rather simple minded.

You can't see the obvious "Suthep is a key player in the group/faction that is currently in power" ?

Refer to post #78. But you do find it acceptable, because they were elected. Don't give a rat's about abuse of office and electoral bribes, you never got past democracy 101 - elections.

You are a majority of 1 in your own little mind. Those who lack a sense of relativity are referred to as gormless.

[Bakseeda]

I'm sorry to say that he is right.

The cornerstone of democracy is that the people elected by the government are people of the highest morale fiber who will put the needs of the people in their constituency and the country above their own. More than that : if they do not then the people have the power to remove them from office.

The 310:0 amnesty disgrace was a tragedy with implications far beyond whether the bogeyman comes back or not. It showed just how dishonest and corrupt every single member of the government was.

A democracy cannot function when the people will elect representatives like that. Thailand needs something else - where naughty officials can get spanked for stealing. Long prison terms and lifetime bans would be a start : the rules as they are now have clearly been written by politicians with an eye to protecting themselves should they end up being the one under the spotlight.

You are dead right..... nail right on the head etc....... But, Thailand does not have one politician of the highest moral fiber .. sorry, not one.. If the Thai people knew just how many Multi millions of dollars consecutive Thai prime ministers have been paid by the government of Singapore NOT to build a canal from just south of Chumpon only 48 Kilometres to the canal at La-un and straight out to sea at Ranong.. Just this one continuous bribe has cost the people of Thailand dearly.. Singapore would have been finished years ago.. Completely finished, And that canal would have become more important than the Suez canal... But Thai politicians think more about their personal bank accounts than they do of their own peoples... and their own countries... Remember they are almost all Thai-Chinese .. same as Singapore... Lee Kuan Yew was the man..!

[yellowboat]

I'm sorry to say that he is right.

The cornerstone of democracy is that the people elected by the government are people of the highest morale fiber who will put the needs of the people in their constituency and the country above their own. More than that : if they do not then the people have the power to remove them from office.

The 310:0 amnesty disgrace was a tragedy with implications far beyond whether the bogeyman comes back or not. It showed just how dishonest and corrupt every single member of the government was.

A democracy cannot function when the people will elect representatives like that. Thailand needs something else - where naughty officials can get spanked for stealing. Long prison terms and lifetime bans would be a start : the rules as they are now have clearly been written by politicians with an eye to protecting themselves should they end up being the one under the spotlight.

So the Junta has not protected themselves either ? They are liable for coup ? Your hatred of Mr. Thaksin keeps you from seeing entire problem. There are no good guys. Fat Hagis was correct, as long as, you have a court system that is controlled by elites, there will be know rule of law and no representative government.

Taiwan has a fully functioning representative government. They went from autocratic rule to where they are today in a few years. They wanted and needed change, as they wanted to differentiate themselves from the Chinese speaking country to the north . Thailand is hopeless as long as the elites control the courts and the army..

[Fat Haggis]

Thailand isn't ready? Yes it is, it's the controlling elite of the country from all sides who are not ready to lose their grip and control over their minions, if the Military stopped interfering and went back to running the country's golf courses sorry providing defence to the country, trimmed down their over inflated list of Generals, who all need backhanders, sorry salaries, Thailand might actually start being allowed to move into the 21st century.

It's always the Junta fanbois who keep stating that Thailand isn't ready for any sort of democracy, and yet they whined and bitch about this, but still decided that whatever Thailand has/had to offer, it's a hundred times better than their home countries yes? ... I highly doubt this for one minute!!

Thailand isn't ready? Yes it is, no its not, yes it is, no its not...reason why I have stepped back from political debate on this site and happily watch the good general getting on with opening the corrupt countries' mouth and jamming down a brand new medicine however bitter and different, as nothing else has to date corrected the low morality of the country's leaders and power bases and more so try to defuse or disable the patronage system especially starting in all levels of politics and governance that is at the front of the countries problem.

I'm a Junta fanboy, only as it is a better short term option that what was before, I am an admirer of Khun Prayuth for having the balls to undertake what he has, but am intelligent enough to know that Thailand was a basket case that was heading for the cess pit under the Shinawatra's and comes nowhere close to the democratic paradise of New Zealand that I was blessed to be born into. Its a hundred times worse than my home country. But then I am not there to abuse the place and its people.

So I can disagree cause I see Thailand's needs something and it ain't just another reset for more of what it has ever had to date including the inept democrats, the more criminal and democratic less Thaksin, nor the bumbling generals. The only thing putting the generals back to the golf course will do is allow the inept and criminal political scumbags back in to continue raping and pillaging the place at the ever increasing rate that was occurring.

From the comments in the OP"s article what is being proposed and being gradually implemented is a different medicine and different approach by the Thai's. No democracies are the same and what works for some would not for others. Take two western democracies like New Zealand and the USA and while they are both built on the basic principles of democracy they are nothing like each other. New Zealanders would not tolerate the corruption and garbage of American politics, yet it works for America. And that is the key here for the Thai's. Build something that recognises the issues that exist with the potential for development of that system as it evolves. At least this current lot have the intelligence to recognise if one just keeps on churning out the same old garbage, without going to the root cause of the garbage stink, then nothing is going to change.

Will what is being propsed here work? Who knows. Without attacking patronage and enforcing law then probably not. But then those are also items on the agenda that are gradually being reformed. So possibly it might. One thing is for sure. Its different, its attacking the real stink in the country (one only has to listen to the criminal politicians bleating) and at least its trying to find solutions.

All democracies have one thing in common. Leaders appointed by voting of the people.

And all successful democracies are built on more of the pillar stones of democracy than just an election. One of the very first democratic principles that Thailand fails dismally on is "rule of law". Another that especially the political leaders with their mafia families and patronage systems fail on is empathy (morality, equality etc) for others.

That "Rule of Law" is broken not only by Politicians, but those who stage coups. Once you start with a level playing field, where NOBODY is above the Laws of the Land, then there's a chance things might progress, when money is no longer able to talk, and hi-so's and elites walk, then and only then will the first steps be taken. Someone High up is NOT applying the letter of the Law to the Rich and powerful. Article 44 could bring everyone back into line, but it wont, it never will, as Thailand will always be divided politically and financially.

[MZurf]

Hey, halloween. Good to have you back! Too bad you time off hasn't improved the quality of your posts, though.

The point I was actually making (and I know you find this hard to comprehend) is that Suthep is a key player in the group/faction that is currently in power so when John English, you, and the other cheerleaders do your perpetual Thaksin rants you're just a bunch of hypocrites.

There are new snouts in the trough, but they're definitively in the trough.

When you make a wrong assumption, what follows is garbage. It seems you are unable to see that most of your assumptions are wrong. Yet you continue advocating a return to the previous systems which saw abuse of office to new extreme levels, and despite proof of this, the same people being returned to office.

i suppose you are entitled to think this acceptable, after all, it's not your country's money being stolen.

"i suppose you are entitled to think this acceptable, after all, it's not your country's money being stolen"

It doesn't matter whether I think it's acceptable or not, it's up to the people of Thailand to decide this , not a group of military officers (ably helped by some very unsavory characters).

I know, I know. You have stated earlier that you don't care what level of "uncleanliness" exists in the current group of snouts in the trough due to the bogeyman in Dubai, but you have to understand that more/most, nay, a majority of us find this rather simple minded.

You can't see the obvious "Suthep is a key player in the group/faction that is currently in power" ?

Refer to post #78. But you do find it acceptable, because they were elected. Don't give a rat's about abuse of office and electoral bribes, you never got past democracy 101 - elections.

You are a majority of 1 in your own little mind. Those who lack a sense of relativity are referred to as gormless.

I had a look at post # 78 but all I see are more Thaksin rants. And as you have confessed to the fact that you believe everything the present rulers do is excused by what Thaksin and his cronies did you are per definition a fanatic, and your opinions (however entertaining) carry no weight.

"Those who lack a sense of relativity are referred to as gormless"

And those who lack a sense of reality are referred to as feeble minded.

[Blackfalds]

""After things fell apart like we'd never seen, I would like to ask if we still want it - a Western-style full-fledged democracy?" he asked"

Nothing fell apart. Their own PDRC was designed to create this false facade.

The only thing that fell apart, and was never together anyway, was their inability to win elections.

​One of the clearest examples of their despicable arrogance, was the notion that the system needed diddling for them to win elections. It was not them. I'm Ok Jack.....They could not conceive the notion that perhaps they needed reform, and not the system. They could not accept adapting their policies to meet voter needs. That would have been stooping down to a majority electorate they disdain.

This is also at the heart of their attacks on Populist programs. Income distribution from their lofty, wealthy levels was inconceivable to them...Let the masses adopt 'self-sufficiency' was their mantra. Is it any wonder they constantly demonize the rice subsidy program using only their own self-serving data.

But yet, there are those who profess to be pro-democracy who will 'cheerlead' this thing. Assigning the UDD and Red Shirts with their electoral, democracy fixation as being Armageddon incarnate.

I'm not one of those, thank you very much!

Edited August 27, 2015 by Blackfalds

[Mackie]

I'm sorry to say that he is right.

The cornerstone of democracy is that the people elected by the government are people of the highest morale fiber who will put the needs of the people in their constituency and the country above their own. More than that : if they do not then the people have the power to remove them from office.

The 310:0 amnesty disgrace was a tragedy with implications far beyond whether the bogeyman comes back or not. It showed just how dishonest and corrupt every single member of the government was.

A democracy cannot function when the people will elect representatives like that. Thailand needs something else - where naughty officials can get spanked for stealing. Long prison terms and lifetime bans would be a start : the rules as they are now have clearly been written by politicians with an eye to protecting themselves should they end up being the one under the spotlight.

You are dead right..... nail right on the head etc....... But, Thailand does not have one politician of the highest moral fiber .. sorry, not one.. If the Thai people knew just how many Multi millions of dollars consecutive Thai prime ministers have been paid by the government of Singapore NOT to build a canal from just south of Chumpon only 48 Kilometres to the canal at La-un and straight out to sea at Ranong.. Just this one continuous bribe has cost the people of Thailand dearly.. Singapore would have been finished years ago.. Completely finished, And that canal would have become more important than the Suez canal... But Thai politicians think more about their personal bank accounts than they do of their own peoples... and their own countries... Remember they are almost all Thai-Chinese .. same as Singapore... Lee Kuan Yew was the man..!

Do you honestly think Thailand is the place where the decision about that canal will be made? Who do you think make decisions about important geostrategic projects in the world? USA/UK/IMF or Thailand?

China announces strategically important Kra Isthmus Canal in Thailand

http://chinadailymail.com/2015/05/17/china-announces-strategically-important-kra-isthmus-canal-in-thailand/

[cancan70]

As long as they fail to see and correct the corruption that exists in the RTP, any changes they make are a waste of time and effort. When will they ever wake up to this fact?

[Yunla]

If democracy is so good and great, why did less than 60% of the UK and US populations exercise their democratic right to vote in the last elections.

The simple answer is that democracy, like everything else in the human sphere, is an organic development process. There are no perfect democracies anywhere, and there never were. The original first democracy was atrocious, as far from perfect as is possible to get. Since those origins, we have seen countless democracies emerge, all of them with variations and nation-specific aspects. None of those democracies were truly democratic, they all fell short of the ideal model. This has discouraged people from voting, and in worse cases it has led to the torching of the entire system.

That is why I don't see how Thailand is a failed democracy, or being somehow unfit for a future democracy. In real terms, in the ideal democratic model, all democracies are failed. All democracies are contributing to the "organic development process" of heading towards a more perfect democratic model. We learn from the mistakes that the UK, US and all other democratic nations have made. We have been observing and learning these mistakes for centuries, and it will still take a long time to establish a more functionally sound system. We have observed over the centuries, that people will do peopley things, and that for this reason the top offices need to be strictly regulated, and fortified with total accountability. This is the later stage of our organic development understanding, we are understanding that you can't just drop a politician in the driving seat, without having external emergency brakes and other automatic safety mechanisms in place.

I always see this democratic organic development process as similar to whittling. The completely un-democratic nations are like a block of wood, and by gradual whittling, it becomes more democratic. And this process takes absolutely ages. The more advanced democracies are no longer blocks of wood, but they are all very far from a beautifully finished wood carving. This longterm project that democracy involves, and the ongoing shared global learning process, the organic development nature of this always-evolving social model, is unavoidable, as are most of the other organic development activities in the human sphere.

Edited August 27, 2015 by Yunla