White House Warns Of Us-thai Rift?

[Gonzo the Face]

Interesting article today in online Bangkok Post.

http://www.bangkokpost.net/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=113337

Maybe now is the time for the new PM to take to task the almighty G.Bush who thinks by throwing US Taxpayer money to other countries, that this gives him some right to call the shots.

Perhaps the good PM should warn the White House that there is a possible "RIFT" on the horizon for WORLD-US Relations, in part due to the actions of Mr. Bush and company who seem to feel they can tell each and every country, they choose, how to run their own governments.

G. Bush seems to be ok-ing the actions of the former PM Thaksin, probably as they seem to be "birds of a feather"

Georgie ole boy, your troops are starting to wear thin...... better not start too much more trouble in the world, or you may bite off more than you can chew...... and the rest of us suffer.

[Ulysses G.]

Maybe now is the time for the new PM to take to task the almighty G.Bush who thinks by throwing US Taxpayer money to other countries, that this gives him some right to call the shots.

That is how it usually works. TIT.

[Tywais]

Will be watching the direction this topic goes.

[Maizefarmer]

.......................................and then there was silence

Tim

[Old Man River]

Interesting article today in online Bangkok Post.

http://www.bangkokpost.net/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=113337

Maybe now is the time for the new PM to take to task the almighty G.Bush who thinks by throwing US Taxpayer money to other countries, that this gives him some right to call the shots.

Perhaps the good PM should warn the White House that there is a possible "RIFT" on the horizon for WORLD-US Relations, in part due to the actions of Mr. Bush and company who seem to feel they can tell each and every country, they choose, how to run their own governments.

G. Bush seems to be ok-ing the actions of the former PM Thaksin, probably as they seem to be "birds of a feather"

Georgie ole boy, your troops are starting to wear thin...... better not start too much more trouble in the world, or you may bite off more than you can chew...... and the rest of us suffer.

Actually, Perino's comments are correct as it relates to the global perception of the coup. Senior Thai leaders are now calling for road shows to explain to the leaders of other countries why the coup was necessary. As it relates to GW Bush, there is a reason why his approval rating in the US is so low, it is now called a disapproval rating.

[silverhawk_usa]

I read in previous news articles, and I am going purely by memory, that U.S. law stipulates that Foreign Military Aid cannot be given to a country whose sitting government has gained power through a military coup. Therefore, they had no choice but to stop the Military Aid (at least temporarily) while other aid is still continuing.

Not commenting on the other statements, but it appears the rescinding of Military Aid was clearly mandated and not a matter of choice or politics.

[Old Man River]

I read in previous news articles, and I am going purely by memory, that U.S. law stipulates that Foreign Military Aid cannot be given to a country whose sitting government has gained power through a military coup. Therefore, they had no choice but to stop the Military Aid (at least temporarily) while other aid is still continuing.

Not commenting on the other statements, but it appears the rescinding of Military Aid was clearly mandated and not a matter of choice or politics.

Silverhawk, you are correct on this and I have made that point elsewhere in another thread. However, politicians being politicians, it is the continual harping on the coup, which those of us closer to the situation view as a positive thing, that tends to upset people.

[Barney_the_Dinosaur]

I 'd like to remind President George W Bush just which country caught Hambali in Thailand.

I.e Thailand did.

[Rdrokit]

The US needs a coup to replace Bush...the only problem is there would be no one qualified to run the country

[Thaiquila]

The US needs a coup to replace Bush...the only problem is there would be no one qualified to run the country

Nah. The US has some good military men as well.

We don't do coups though.

Not enough BANANAS.

I don't mind that Washington is trying to apply pressure for elections to happen sooner than later. The trouble is that Washington has pretty much lost all its credibility under the current failed and morally questionable leadership.

[Old Man River]

The US needs a coup to replace Bush...the only problem is there would be no one qualified to run the country

Which is why I voted for him, although many of us are now having second thoughts on that.

[Gonzo the Face]

The US needs a coup to replace Bush...the only problem is there would be no one qualified to run the country

I propose the unemployed guy in London..... whats his name..... Toxicwaste or something, let him be president for a few months, then the great unwashed multitudes who now scream "Coup, Coup not democratic" and this is the way to do it....... lets see if they change their tune

[Gonzo the Face]

The US needs a coup to replace Bush...the only problem is there would be no one qualified to run the country

Nah. The US has some good military men as well.

We don't do coups though.

Not enough BANANAS.

I don't mind that Washington is trying to apply pressure for elections to happen sooner than later. The trouble is that Washington has pretty much lost all its credibility under the current failed and morally questionable leadership.

But unfortunately Thaiquila, as recent history has shown us, The US will scream for free and democratic elections, but if the winning candidate did not meet with the acceptance of the US, all aid would be cut off and sanctions probably put in place.....

No, I fear, the only democratic elections approvable by the current US admin, would be their own preapproved candidate.

[Thaiquila]

The US needs a coup to replace Bush...the only problem is there would be no one qualified to run the country

Nah. The US has some good military men as well.

We don't do coups though.

Not enough BANANAS.

I don't mind that Washington is trying to apply pressure for elections to happen sooner than later. The trouble is that Washington has pretty much lost all its credibility under the current failed and morally questionable leadership.

But unfortunately Thaiquila, as recent history has shown us, The US will scream for free and democratic elections, but if the winning candidate did not meet with the acceptance of the US, all aid would be cut off and sanctions probably put in place.....

No, I fear, the only democratic elections approvable by the current US admin, would be their own preapproved candidate.

I am as anti-Bush as they come, but that is ridiculous.

The US would accept any reasonably fair elections in Thailand and any winner.

I am not saying in some countries in the past and now that the US is much more involved (Iraq) but they are not all that influential in modern Thailand.

[LoveDaBlues]

The US needs a coup to replace Bush...the only problem is there would be no one qualified to run the country

I propose the unemployed guy in London..... whats his name..... Toxicwaste or something, let him be president for a few months, then the great unwashed multitudes who now scream "Coup, Coup not democratic" and this is the way to do it....... lets see if they change their tune

You'rer either young or have a short memory. Heard of Richard Nixon? Coup not needed in USA.

[Gonzo the Face]

The US needs a coup to replace Bush...the only problem is there would be no one qualified to run the country

Nah. The US has some good military men as well.

We don't do coups though.

Not enough BANANAS.

I don't mind that Washington is trying to apply pressure for elections to happen sooner than later. The trouble is that Washington has pretty much lost all its credibility under the current failed and morally questionable leadership.

But unfortunately Thaiquila, as recent history has shown us, The US will scream for free and democratic elections, but if the winning candidate did not meet with the acceptance of the US, all aid would be cut off and sanctions probably put in place.....

No, I fear, the only democratic elections approvable by the current US admin, would be their own preapproved candidate.

I am as anti-Bush as they come, but that is ridiculous.

The US would accept any reasonably fair elections in Thailand and any winner.I am not saying in some countries in the past and now that the US is much more involved (Iraq) but they are not all that influential in modern Thailand.

Thaiquila, I know that this will go against your grain, but what about the democratic, free, and certified recent elections in Palestine.....

The Palestine voters spoke, but not to US liking..... so what was the result..... Not saying that I agree with the end result either but that is the democratic process.

Here I do think there was a time and a place for this coup....I am pleased to see the good General Surayud , the new PM taking the steps he is..... If it and he continues on this path, I think Thailand will be a much better place for all. Thais and expats.

[Sing_Sling]

I read in previous news articles, and I am going purely by memory, that U.S. law stipulates that Foreign Military Aid cannot be given to a country whose sitting government has gained power through a military coup. Therefore, they had no choice but to stop the Military Aid (at least temporarily) while other aid is still continuing.

Not commenting on the other statements, but it appears the rescinding of Military Aid was clearly mandated and not a matter of choice or politics.

Pakistan springs to mind as the most recent contradiction to this stipulation . . . Musharaf did stage a coup to gain power, and still is a military man.

The problem with rules and regulations is that they don't fit every situation . . . this reminds me of Clinto on his interview where he wallops Wallace and says he tied to assasinate Osama . . . isn't this also in direct contravention of a presidential dictate, or was that only in relation to heads of state? (memory is failing . . .)

[GuestHouse]

Its early days yet. So I'll not be rushing to judge the coup.

However, spare a little time to consider the regional implications of Washingtom legitimizing a militarly coup. We need only look over the boarder to Burma to understand that there are those who would like to see a coup accepted by Washington and those who would not.

That the Anti Bush camps allow their feelings towards Bush to blind their own judgment of these matters says a great deal about their own lack of a convincing political argument.

Bush is many undesirable things. But it seems his oposition has nothing desirable to offer, short of the proclamation 'we don't like Bush'.

Many of us do not. But please rather than repeating the mantra, give us a real alternative, and in the mean time don't condemn everything that comes out of Washington only because you don't like Bush.

[cathyy]

I am as anti-Bush as they come, but that is ridiculous.

The US would accept any reasonably fair elections in Thailand and any winner.

I am not saying in some countries in the past and now that the US is much more involved (Iraq) but they are not all that influential in modern Thailand.

Really? Are you sure? Ho Chi Minh was democratically elected in North Vietnam. The US didn't allow elections in the south because he would have been elected there, too, being the Vietnamese hero general who threw out the French. They set up their own friendly puppet government.

Saddam Hussein was elected. Ahmadinejad was elected. And before you start to complain that they weren't fair elections, consider the status of US elections. Kennedy bought the election in 1960 with the help of the Democratic machine in Chicago. Their motto was "Vote early, and vote often." The only difference is that the Republicans are rigging elections now, and using electronic voting machines to flip or mistally votes instead of buying votes.

No, the US can not approve of a coup because to do so might give people in the US Ideas they don't want them to have. Ideas like remembering that the original purpose of the right to bear arms was to defend themselves from or overthrow the government if they ever needed to.

[Douggie Style]

The US govt can't overtly support this particular coup, because Thailand is seen as a 'good' guy with a bad but democratic government.

If they were on the 'bad' guy list it would be quite different and the US would act entirely in their particular self interest -as they have a long history of doing.

This is not really any different to most countries, however the US political machine is more open to corruption from big business or those with money via the lobbyist system. It can lead to very schizophrenic outcomes.

The interesting thing with Thailand will be the level of condemnation and how it progresses. In the great game of chess the opening move was a bit of a tut tut (cutting of some minor military aid), I imagine the point was to say look we don’t like it, and are watching you closely, but will give you a chance to sort things out within a timeframe we suggest. I don’t think it is anything more than a standard move and nothing exciting at this point.

I feel it important to distinguish between the majority of decent US citizens and the impotent, unimaginative and failed US leadership cabal-dead men walking.

Yes this will annoy those still clinging to the dream, I feel pity for them as another example of ‘up country’ folk who placed their faith in a simplistic satisfying illusion.

[Buckwheat]

Do I need a work permit to sell tin foil hats?

[GracelessFawn]

I read in previous news articles, and I am going purely by memory, that U.S. law stipulates that Foreign Military Aid cannot be given to a country whose sitting government has gained power through a military coup. Therefore, they had no choice but to stop the Military Aid (at least temporarily) while other aid is still continuing.

Not commenting on the other statements, but it appears the rescinding of Military Aid was clearly mandated and not a matter of choice or politics.

I agree!

[Gonzo the Face]

I read in previous news articles, and I am going purely by memory, that U.S. law stipulates that Foreign Military Aid cannot be given to a country whose sitting government has gained power through a military coup. Therefore, they had no choice but to stop the Military Aid (at least temporarily) while other aid is still continuing.

Not commenting on the other statements, but it appears the rescinding of Military Aid was clearly mandated and not a matter of choice or politics.

I agree!

Your "I agree" would mean that the US cutting of Military aid to Thailand was mandatory, then can you please justify an earlier , very good point by a poster, the continuance of massive, massive military aid to the coup leader in Pakistan, President Gen Musharaff ???

[Douggie Style]

Self interest, but I guess you already know that right

[Ulysses G.]

Republicans are rigging elections now, and using electronic voting machines to flip or mistally votes instead of buying votes.

[britmaveric]

Republicans are rigging elections now, and using electronic voting machines to flip or mistally votes instead of buying votes.

UG - I agree some mental midgets running amuck.

[Ijustwannateach]

I pretty much see eye-to-eye with Cathyy (and I am an American).

Ironically, I would trust the legitimacy of Indian elections *more* than American ones, because there are so many different parties and so little trust among them. They wouldn't let each other get away with anything.

Since the two American parties are more or less the same, it doesn't suit them to make the rules too fair- and the suspect voting machines are a serious democratic problem. Something like 5 senatorial Republican candidates won in the last election against poll predictions, by a margin of votes which had exactly the same 5 last digits in each case?

But I suspect we're getting away from Thai topics here. Anyway, I don't think my country is such a beacon of democratic light that we have the moral authority to be dictating to anyone else.

"Steven"

[Gonzo the Face]

Republicans are rigging elections now, and using electronic voting machines to flip or mistally votes instead of buying votes.

UG - I agree some mental midgets running amuck.

Be nice now boys, maybe its hormonal ?????

Run Run Runnnnnnnn

[Ulysses G.]

Republicans are rigging elections now, and using electronic voting machines to flip or mistally votes instead of buying votes.

UG - I agree some mental midgets running amuck.

...And they all agree with each other!

[PeaceBlondie]

In her announcement, the US State Dept. spokeswoman cited a legal section of the US Code, something like Section 508. So, she was probably referring to that law, although I understand that as soon as the (unsuccessful) coup against the duly elected Hugo Chavez was announced, the US immediately recognized that failing junta.

And the aid is only military aid which is only suspended. A token gesture, just symbolic.

I'm an American who usually joins the Bush-bashing. But I can't bash Bush for obeying a law.

Hitler never broke a German law, according to Martin Luther King, Jr. Thaksin wasn't Hitler, and Thaksin probably broke Thai laws. I hope he enjoys London.