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Good piece. However, the fact his sentence above avoids reference to the military, the aristocracy and their engines of personal wealth-creation -- the corrupt senior bureaucrats (amart) really underscores why Thailand is now so low in the World Press Freedom index.Quote:
Originally Posted by StrontiumDog
:sssh: either by an editor-strike-through, or by fear - amounts to the same thing.
^It was a good article. Made some very good points in clear, concise (American) English.
It's a good article, from somebody who is clearly knowledgeable on the subject.
Perhaps this Professor can walk to the Faculty of Medicine and explain these issues to one of their Professors...
Should be expected, yes? Regardless of the lucidity and sound intelligence of said punditry.....you really wouldn't expect the Post to encourage nor promote a real model of critical inquiry, less challenging/question the establishment and convention. As founded as this piece might be, it remains vacant of a truer clarion call of reality - instead, dancing around the surfaced rhetoric designed to misdirect as to the real issues. The core of things is always missed or omitted.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom SawyerGood piece. However, the fact his sentence above avoids reference to the military, the aristocracy and their engines of personal wealth-creation -- the corrupt senior bureaucrats (amart) really underscores why Thailand is now so low in the World Press Freedom index.Quote:
Originally Posted by StrontiumDog
:sssh: either by an editor-strike-through, or by fear - amounts to the same thing.
^
Yes - but it's getting closer.
Nice that you're an optimist, TS:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Sawyer
^What's nice is to read a Thai author that breaks the stereotype of the dog-like Thai intelligence.
When Thai Culture is no longer rammed down the throats of school children, when the ministry of culture is relegated to what it should be doing (instead of what it does now) & when religion takes a back seat in this country, quite fast change can be expected.
^ But the MofC and MofE are stepping up their efforts, and folk such as the writer of this article are being attacked through state mechanisms and boy scout type mechanisms, spy on your neighbour type mechanisms, that are being encouraged by the far right and their media outlets (who funds them? who owns the buildings they work out of?).
Religion here, is pretty much behind the everyday man and woman. That's why is has been consistently persecuted by the senior institution over many many decades. Look at Myanmar for example, we are not that far apart here; religion (much as I dislike the whole area generally) is more likely to be part of the solution here than the problem.
You need to absorb more Thai writings....the variety and diversity is quite available. Might even surprise you {or not} and retract your model of stereotype.Quote:
Originally Posted by Agent_Smith
Some are not willing to accept and blind to the basic fact that the core of instigations and their birth remain steadfast to prime senior institutions, as it has been for decades.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bettyboo
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rural SurinQuote:
Originally Posted by Agent_Smith
You need to absorb more Thai writings....the variety and diversity is quite available. Might even surprise you {or not} and retract your model of stereotype.
I am quick to judge, yes. But only because I saw so little biting satire/irony from Thailand - the clearest civilizing factor.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/o...f-expectations
Beware the curse of expectations
- Published: 27/10/2010 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: News
Inequalities have been constantly talked about in recent months, first by the red-shirted protesters and now by the reform committees as well as the general public.
In Malcolm Gladwell's way of analysing events, those talks have created a "stickiness factor" strong enough to make the issue reach the "tipping point" - inequalities are now blamed for being the root cause of just about everything that is wrong in this country.
From now on, politicians running for national office will promise to eradicate them. Such a promise will create false expectations which will add to problems, for inequalities will never be eradicated.
Take economic inequality, for example. Two fundamental forces tend to push towards more inequalities, negating measures to reduce them. One force relates to new technologies and the other to accelerated growth.
Before our ancestors learned to domesticate plants and animals that led to the dawn of agriculture some 10,000 years ago, they all subsisted as hunters and gatherers. The income and wealth gap among individuals then was minimal.
After agricultural technology was discovered, people who had access to it were able to raise income and wealth manifold, setting them apart from those who continued to remain hunters and gatherers.
The income and wealth gap became wider when industrial technology ushered in the industrial age some 250 years ago. Those who had access to powerful machines were able to generate huge income and amass fabulous wealth, creating billionaires such as the Rockefellers and the Fords, who left the hunters and gatherers further behind.
As digital technology was helping people like Bill Gates and Larry Ellison generate income and accumulate wealth at an unprecedented speed in the past three decades, hunters and gatherers continued to live the way their ancestors did centuries ago. As a result, the income and wealth gap between the groups of people who sit at the opposite poles of technology have become even greater.
In the past 50 years, some developing countries that pushed for accelerated development have achieved unprecedented rates of economic growth. With the high growth rates often comes higher income inequality, at least at the initial stage of accelerated growth.
Developing countries such as Thailand, therefore, are faced with the two forces which tend to reinforce each other, making it more difficult to reduce the gap in income and wealth. It should be noted that advanced countries, which have gone beyond the stage of accelerated growth, are also having difficulty reducing said gap. In the US, technologically the most advanced, this gap is in fact getting wider.
Faced with these strong forces, Thailand will do well just to maintain the current gap for the next couple of decades, when new technologies (nano, material, bio-engineering) will open up more opportunities to create income and wealth. Promises to eradicate economic inequalities, therefore, are a pipe dream that will serve only to create false expectations. We already have a good example of what false expectations may lead to. For almost a decade now, Thais have been promised access to every aspect of health care at a cost of 30 baht.
As a result, the people flock to state hospitals, expecting to get everything taken care of at the minimal cost, from the common cold to dialysis and heart surgery. Most state hospitals are now jammed beyond capacity. Doctors are under pressures as never before and patients become ever more impatient, as queues get longer and longer while the time to consult doctors is getting shorter and shorter. In this process, something so vital is getting lost - trust in doctors. This loss of trust will be the straw that breaks the camel's back in the health sector, and perhaps in Thai society as well.
The answer to economic inequalities is not to eradicate them but to focus on raising the income of the absolute poor to a level where all their basic needs are met. So, please, for those who should know better than the unscrupulous and often corrupt politicians, do not talk up eradication of inequality, for your loose talk will create more false expectations, which are the curse that will only aggravate social tension that is already so serious it could even sink the country yet.
Sawai Boonma has worked as a development economist for more than two decades. He can be reached at <
sboonma[at]msn.com>.
^
Nice try Sawai. Now please feck off back into the back seat of daddy's Benz will you? The real answer is to get rid of people like you..
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/o...ds-of-the-east
The wizards of the east
- Published: 31/10/2010 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: News
In 2006, the armed forces and the not-so-mysterious element were complicit in the overthrow of the Thaksin Shinawatra government. They were confident that the coup would not fail. Why? Because famed Chiang Mai soothsayer Varin Buaviratlert said so. They had his blessing.
Varin is the man senior military officials seek for clarification on personal issues to matters deciding the fate of a nation.
The yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy and Sondhi Limthongkul also have their potent black magic.
They blinded the holy statues and shrines at Government House before they stormed in, successfully. They used female sanitary towels to rub the foot of the monument of King Rama V to ward off black magic done by the red shirt United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship.
The red shirts' black magic is also said to be strong.
The smashing of cooking pots in front of King Taksin's monument. The use of the statue of King Naraesuan. The smearing of blood at Government House, at the Democrat Party's headquarters and at the prime minister's residence.
The world thought it was a symbolic gesture. We Thais knew it was black magic.
But as it turned out, their black arts weren't strong enough.
Perhaps the UDD failed not because of the work of the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation, but because the Democrats battled black magic with stronger black magic.
To ward off the evil spells of the blood, they held a ceremony enlisting Mother Earth, the political party's sacred symbol, and rearranged the feng shui.
Is there a man of power in Thailand that doesn't consult the black arts? Who knows? One thing we do know is that every Wednesday the luxury cars of powerful men line the street in front of an office on Vibhavadi Road.
The office belongs to a famous man _ a prophet, soothsayer, wizard, witch doctor, astrologer, fortune-teller or whatever other name you might use.
Here, politicians from the government and the opposition gather together in peace and cordiality. Unlike what we see on TV and in parliament. Because they all have one thing in common, respect and belief in the power of he who has a strong force within.
They make offerings. They conduct ceremonies. They ask for blessings.
The notorious Newin Chidchob, de facto leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, isn't just a once-upon-a-time friend of Thaksin Shinawatra. He was also the former prime minister's consultant in the black arts. Mr Newin is reputed to be well-versed in Ancient Cambodian witchcraft. The force is strong within him.
Dear readers, today is Halloween, and if you really want to understand Thai politics and learn what the future may hold, I am here to tell you. Journalists are clueless. Academics are lost. Analysts and pundits can't help you.
If you want to know, find a witch or a wizard, grab a fortune-teller or an astrologer, go to famous temples that are reputed to have monks with the gift of foresight.
The decision-makers of Thailand do not make a move without consulting the black arts.
Don't jeer. Don't sneer. Do not mock what you don't understand. The black arts are real. There are powerful forces at work in this universe.
It's Oct 31. It's Halloween. Embrace it and you too may be blessed with a glimpse into the future.
But the black arts are what they are. Unlike science, which bases its principles on absolutes, the black arts can be fickle. They can be wanton, even careless. Hence, one plus one doesn't necessarily always equal two in the black arts. There are other possibilities.
Have you wondered why so many still cling to their belief in Thaksin? Especially Thaksin himself? There are perhaps many reasons, not least of which is this. A famous monk once prophesised: Thaksin Shinawatra will be ousted in a military coup d'etat in 2006. He was ousted in a coup in 2006.
The same monk also prophesised he will return to glory once again. He was correct once. Why wouldn't he be correct a second time?
After all, hope springs eternal, as the saying goes. So the fugitive former prime minister fights on.
Rumours of his ill health and near death? Why worry? He has already taken part in a ritual to extend his age at Wat SrisatoTng in Nakhon Pathom province. The bargain is sealed. Death will just have to wait.
But of course, this is not written in stone. The black arts offer different possibilities, depending on which prophet you consult.
Varin Buaviratlert, soothsayer to the Thai military, predicted: The next prime minister of Thailand will have a name that starts with the initial ''P''. Both his real name and his nickname. There's one reason why Defence Minister General Prawit ''Pom'' Wongsuwon is such a popular man these days.
Black magic. Don't mock it just because you don't understand it. May the force be with us all.
Contact Voranai Vanijaka by email via voranaiv[at]bangkokpost.co.th.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/o...n-war-on-graft
EDITORIAL A ray of hope in war on graft
- Published: 30/10/2010 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: News
While the public perception of corruption is less tolerant than it once was, it falls short of the disgust and loathing that should be directed at those who make graft a way of life. Fortunately, times and attitudes are changing and the openly corrupt will eventually be so despised they will be made outcasts by a modern Thai population tired of being robbed, exploited and preyed upon by these parasites.
For years the payment of bribes was viewed as an unofficial tax that supplied the grease necessary to keep the wheels of government turning smoothly while granting special favours to the person stuffing the white envelope or enlarging the overseas bank account. After all, public sector salaries were abysmally low and tea money was seen as a supplement to make ends meet, so those in authority turned a blind eye to it. The trouble came when it ceased to be a low-key habit, greed took hold and massive inflation followed.
After that things could only get worse. Kickbacks reportedly soared to as high as 30% on some infrastructure contracts and endemic corruption became a malignancy blighting the health of the nation. Morally and ethically such practices are indefensible and, over the years, even provided the excuse for the occasional coup, ostensibly to wipe out corruption but which usually ended up merely enriching the coup-makers.
It is against this backdrop that hundreds of anti-corruption commissioners are preparing to descend on the capital to hold their 14th international meeting to discuss how best to combat the evils of graft and restore trust, transparency and good governance to those countries in need of it.
Given the rampant corruption poisoning our own society, the choice of Bangkok as a venue might sound like more than a coincidence. But we are not the sole target. The delegates are here by invitation and our National Anti-Corruption Commission will help in hosting the event, which will even feature an eye-catching mascot called the "Honest Angel" to keep us on the straight and narrow.
This week has also brought genuine grounds for optimism. Delegates will be aware of the 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index report just released by the Berlin-based Transparency International. In it Thailand received a corruption rank of 3.5 out of 10, an improvement on last year's score of 3.4. A score of 10 in the survey reflects a state where official corruption is absent. The kingdom ranked 78 out of 178 countries worldwide in terms of its ability to root out corruption. This was an improvement over last year's rank of 84 and on a par with China, Colombia, Greece, Lesotho, Peru and Serbia.
If we are to attract greater foreign investment, put the economic slowdown behind us, rejuvenate and overhaul the worst aspects of the system we live by and finally achieve reconciliation, then there is no place for outstretched hands or a continuation of "business as usual". We know that the factors usually blamed for corruption being so widespread are the rise of consumerism, the patronage system and inadequate salaries. But the real villains are greed, public indifference and a complete lack of shame. That mindset has to change.
Solving the problem is not as easy as identifying and condemning it. At least we can start by enforcing the many laws that already exist to curb graft. The government is improving the salaries of those working in the bureaucracy, but it still has to instil a greater sense of civic duty. Above all, the government must promote and practise honesty, even if this means parting company with fellow members of its coalition.
Thaksin and the Poor | by Prof. Dr. Khien Theeravit | Facebook
Thaksin and the Poor | by Prof. Dr. Khien Theeravit
by สมเกียรติ อ่อนวิมล | Somkiat Onwimon on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 at 8:50pm
Thaksin and the Poor
by Prof. Dr. Khien Theeravit
https://teakdoor.com/images/smilies1/You_Rock_Emoticon.gif
Is it true that Thaksin Shinawatra was the heroic fighter for the poor? Have Thaksin’s populist projects benefited the poor? Is there any reason to believe that Thaksin’s antagonists and the so-called “Ammat” (Oligarchy) were biased against the poor? These are top issues the Thaksinists have tried to convince the people at home and abroad to say “yes”. This paper would like to try to respond to these questions.
“Populism” for Whom?
The poor and the underdog were two big target groups for the Thaksinists to build their political power. Hence, various devices were designed to incorporate them into their power base. A number of corrupt populist projects served as amazing examples of the Thaksinists’ intrigues against the poor.
The healthcare program in Thailand has been humane for decades: poor patients were eligible for receiving medical treatments at the government hospitals free of charge. But no previous governments were crooked enough to claim the credit of the proceeds being done by others. The Thaksinists made it an important political campaign issue: “30 baht can cure all diseases” was hot campaign slogan for Thaksin’s party. The campaign message for this project purported to help the poor in propaganda, but in fact, the real beneficiaries have been the community leaders and the owners of small and medium enterprises, who used to pay medical bills without too much difficulty. They automatically got the right of the poor. In any case, Thaksin trickily gained popularity and votes from the poor. He certainly obtained more rewards from the non-poor sectors – canvassers, community leaders, merchants – who were not required to explain why they obtained such a right under such a capitalist system.
Other populist projects such as the village fund, the farmers’ debt moratorium, the farmers’ rehabilitation fund, and the asset revolving fund apparently looked good for the poor farmers, but in fact they harmed more than helped the poor.
The asset revolving fund, in fact allowed the poor to use the plots of land previously distributed by the government as guarantee for raising loans. That could not be done before, as plots of land were distributed to landless farmers with a legal condition that land right was granted for life but was not transferable except to legally inherited descendants. If this project could be carried out, soon poor farmers would become landless farmers again.
The one million baht village fund was essentially a vote buying scheme, and as such, it had to be executed urgently. Soon, a large number of villagers found easy access to loans and became addicted to consumerism. As a result, this scheme had accumulated bad debts approximately 150 billion baht before Abhisit Vejjajiva took over the premiership in December 2008.
The farmers’ debt moratorium and farmers’ rehabilitation funds similarly helped the poor to gain easy access to loans and encouraged debt accumulation. As a result, the poor were “rich” in debts, mobile phones and their accessory expenses. Hence, the big beneficiaries were no other than Thaksin’s family members who reaped benefits at the top of such relevant lines of businesses.
In short, the Thaksinists were brilliant in exploiting the poor with all kinds of populist projects. They successfully harmed the poor by causing no pains to the victims. They ruled Thailand with despotic power for 5 years and 7 months (from February 17, 2001 to September 19, 2006), the gap between the rich and the poor was widening; the poor got poorer, and their debts were increasing rapidly, as a research report indicated as follows:[i]
Year
Farmers’ average debt per household (baht)
2000
68,405
2001
68,279
2002
84,485
2004
104,571
2006
116,585
In contrast, in the same period, Thaksin and his family enriched themselves 100 times or more within 5 years and 7 months. Thaksin’s asset report submitted to the NACC (National Anti-Corruption Commission) when he assumed the premiership on February 17, 2001 was as follows: Thaksin’s personal asset, 569,154,868 baht (including 112,818,068 baht of investment), his wife’s asset, 9,959,597,869 baht (including 1,542,470,878 baht of investment), and his two minor daughters’ asset (Pinthongta and Paethongtarn), 4,767,045,528 baht. So, the total amount of Thaksin’s declared asset was worth 15,294,797,265 baht. (Thaksin’s elder son, Panthongtae, had reached adulthood and therefore was not required by law to be included in Thaksin’s asset declaration.)
Thaksin’s asset declaration submitted to the NACC after being ousted by the military coup on September 19, 2006 was 9,399,441,078 baht. (His wife’s included but his two daughters had by then reached adulthood.)
However, Thaksin’s asset reports have never been reliable, as already established by the verdict of the Supreme Court for the political office holders (26 February 2010). Thaksin’s asset seized by the Asset Examination Committee alone was worth 76,621 million baht, over 8 times more than the declared asset. No one has ever verified the actual amount of his asset, but most people believe the figures often quoted by the mass media that the real assets of Thaksin and his wife being hidden inside and outside the country, when his government was overthrown, were approximated to be around 90,000 - 100,000 million baht—the worth of the concealed asset exceeded that of the declared asset by about ten times.[ii]
Would the Thaksin regime and his populist policies purport to benefit the future generations of the poor, especially, the debt-ridden farmers? The answer tended to be in the negative! During his tenure as prime minister, Thaksin continued to accumulate public debt burden for the country’s next generation to bear. The public-debt figures below were compiled by the Ministry of Finance.
Year
Thailand’s public debt (mill baht)
2001
2,934,431
2002
2,943,008
2003
2,930,041
2004
3,216,554
2005
3,235,008
If Thaksin were concerned about the destiny of the poor and their future generations, he should prove it with deeds, in line with treating his own children. His three children were granted huge amount of assets when Thaksin was in power in 2001-2006. The exact amount of their total fortune at the end of Thaksin’s despotic rule was not disclosed, but an estimate based on the three children’s shares in 23 companies was approximately 23,100 million baht.[iii] That doubled the amount they had 5 years earlier. The future of Thaksin’s own children, in comparison with other Thais, especially the poor, was moving to an opposite direction in the human security of life index.
Thaksin, a Psychopath?
Thaksin is said to have suffered from a mental illness called “psychopathy”, defined as “a personality disorder characterized by an abnormal lack of empathy combined with a strong amoral conduct, masked by an ability to appear outwardly normal.”[iv]
Robert Hare, a renowned researcher in psychopathy describes psychopaths as “intraspecies predators” who “use charisma, manipulation, intimidation, sexual intercourse, and violence to control others and to satisfy their own needs”. They lack in conscience and empathy, take what they want, and do what they please, “violating social norms and expectations without guilt and remorse.”[v]
The above description by Hare and other experts in psychopathy squarely fit well with Thaksin’s past behavior. So far, no one, even his ex-wife, has taken him to the attention of a psychiatric hospital. He should be treated as a mentally ill patient, and should be tested by Hare psychopathy checklist (20 items), and if the test is in the negative, he should be banned from politics for life, because experts in this field have agreed that so far this illness cannot be cured.
Populism in Disguise and the Damages
Populism was originally rooted in humanitarian considerations. It was the harbinger of the Russian socialist revolution in the early 20th century. The movement was led by the intellectual and the idealist city dwellers who volunteered to sacrifice their personal happiness and went to work, eat and sleep with the poor at the grassroots level, so as to improve the living conditions of the poor. The Thaksinists, on the other hand, sacrificed nothing personally to the poor. They used tax payers’ money to boastfully “help” the poor, but in fact to benefit their potential election canvassers and their own moneybags.
Thaksin’s distorted populist project, the 30 baht health care program, has effectively sabotaged the well established health care programs for employees of the state and private sectors, and created confusions to all other health care programs, old and new. The one-million baht village fund and the farmers’ debt moratorium policy have also weakened the nascent sustainable community development programs initiated locally by village wise men and women.
Basic to the distorted populist projects was to use the projects as tools for buying votes: the voters could easily “beg” for loans and cash, and often asked for more when they became addicted – like drug addictions which are difficult to quit. The despotic regime may have known in advance that the burden to solve the problem must be borne by others.
Thaksin’s Popularity among the Poor
It is difficult to assess Thaksin’s popularity among the poor. People tend to take it for granted that the majority of the poor, especially the farmers at the grassroots level support Thaksin. In a sense the observers, especially the mass media, help reinforce Thaksin’s popularity. This is another success story of Thaksin’s image-building intrigue.
In fact, Thaksin’s popularity among the poor has not been carefully scrutinized. An academic analysis requires us to make distinction between “I love Thaksin” and “I love Thaksin’s money”. There are also people who love Thaksin without knowing him and those who side themselves with the Thaksin camp because they do not like Thaksin’s opposite camp.
In electoral politics, the money factor alone could be sufficient to discredit the myth of Thaksin’s popularity among the poor. In every election since 2001 Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai and People’s Power parties won votes/seats more than any other party, but approximately half of the votes cast were the work of Thaksin’s big moneybag: the money was distributed directly to the voters and indirectly through canvassers, community leaders, and donations in disguise to temples and social organizations. Money did not work well in city constituencies where voters were better educated politically. Other political parties neither have big moneybags at their disposal nor have the will to risk themselves to violate election law. So, if law enforcement agencies strictly enforced the law regarding limitations of each candidate’s expenditure, Thaksin’s popularity (in terms of votes and seats) might be reduced by half.
In mob politics, symbolized by the red-shirt movement, the Thaksinists were able to mobilize large rallies elsewhere in 2009-2010; the largest red-shirt rally in March-May 2010 at the peak numbered about 100,000 strong. This depended very much on big moneybags. At least, half of the participants were hired hands. The movement vanguards, security guards, and armed militants were paid handsomely: some received more than one million baht per mission. Common hired hands from the grassroots were given a minimum rate of 200 baht (US$6.7) per day, aside from food and drinks which were freely distributed.
The silent majority of the poor, the honest ones, should be reckoned with. Before Thaksin came to power in early 2001, there were various forms of rural development communities based on sustainable development philosophy. They were initiated by respectable local leaders. These self-reliant development communities were later reinforced by the King’s sufficiency economy philosophy. When threatened by Thaksin’s distorted populist policy, they had to struggle for survival. So far, they have proved themselves to be strong enough to resist Thaksin’s money power. The total number of these dignified poor is perhaps large enough to discredit the Thaksinists’ claim of gaining the support of the majority of the poor.
Conclusion
The Thaksinists have trickily built up an artificial image portraying Thaksin’s popularity among the poor. Community leaders and the rich among the poor may be considered part of the skeleton of the image. But the majority of the poor, those who love Thaksin’s money and the honest ones at the grassroots, are large enough to discredit the dishonest claim.
Thaksin possesses great skills to hide the truth. The poor, and even the general public, are not equipped with scientific techniques to detect the motive behind any of his move. The poor could not be expected to understand how Thaksin could get richer from tax payers’ money out of the populist projects.
Thaksin used the state power to make himself richer: he did not hesitate to suck the blood of the poor of the present and future generations, and make them happy with rising debts.
Thaksin was brilliant in inventing smear tactics to silence his opponents. For example, he made the red-shirt movement symbolic of the poor’s cause (hiding his real intention to return to power) and tried to convince the world that the established elements and the “Ammat” (oligarchy) looked down upon the poor, so that the ruling class exercised no restraints in using force against the red shirts. Some Thaksinist protagonists have even accused the Thaksin’s opponents of committing crime against the poor by not respecting the wisdom of the poor for their right to sell votes in elections. Confronting these kinds of clever tricks to overrule the rule of law, Thaksin’s opponents have found it difficult to disclose Thaksin’s hidden ambition to the public in simple terms.
Reference
[i] See ผลวิจัยพบโครงการ ัฐก่[at]หนี้เกษตรกร พียบแนะ 1 ล้านครัวเรื[at]นปรั [at]าชีพหนี้ยากจน | ศูนย์ปฎิบ
[ii] See http://www.stock2morror.com/forums/s....php?%2F=10804
[iii] See http://www.stock2morror.com/forums/s....php?%2F=10820
[iv] Clara Holzer in “Letters to the Editor,” The Nation, June 5, 2010, 8A. Part of the brief definition in the quotation is from http://en.wikipedia.org.wiki/psychopathy
[v] http://en.wikipedia.org.wiki/psychopathy
Khien Theeravit
2 November 2010
http://www.tannetwork.tv/tan/ViewData.aspx?DataID=1036953
Floods Drown Red-shirt Activities
UPDATE : 4 November 2010
Security agencies have discovered the current floods nationwide have caused a decrease in red shirt activities and terror attacks in the southern border region.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjaiva this morning spent some two hours chairing a meeting of security related agencies to get an update on political movement by the red shirt group and insurgency in the three southern border provinces.
Intelligence reports suggested anti government campaigns led by red shirt elements have become less active due to concern over public displeasure as the country is still reeling from a flood crisis. Attacks in the strife torn southern provinces have also decreased.
Apart from the prime minister, the meeting was attended by army chief General Prayut Chan ocha, national police chief Police General Wichien Podposri, secretary general of the National Security Council, Thawin Pliensri, director of the National Intelligence Agency, Suwapan Tanyuwattana, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij and staff from the Justice and Interior ministries.
that's what I was trying to explain once to brain dead DrB, but him not knowing anything before Khun Thaksin in 2002 when he moved in here, it was completely lost on him :)Quote:
Originally Posted by StrontiumDog
The really funny (ironic) thing is that when a Thai government investigates corruption the investigators are virtually always corrupt themselves and with a political agenda. Naturally, in a country as rotten to the core as Thailand, it isn't hard to uncover corruption at any level. It just depends where you want to look and who you want to convict.
False morality and hypocrisy are the order of the day in Thailand as every subservient citizen knows. You farang no unerstan Thailand.
Independent investigative committees. Usually, not so independent - almost always the case. Yet, isn't this the case nearly everywhere? A false image designed to promote these ideals of fairness and justice, but in reality, hand-picked to protect and project the always stable establishment. Foxes choosing foxes to watch the hen house.Quote:
Originally Posted by Panda
You are correct there. There is always a tendency for political leaders to opt for the less than moral course of action to retain power. Thats how dictatorships come about. The only thing standing between the will of the people and dictatorial leaders is the democratic process. The Thai people cower like beaten dogs before every echelon of corrupt social/political power, but at the ballot box they are allowed to have their say. That is what the oligarchy fears most.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rural SurinIndependent investigative committees. Usually, not so independent - almost always the case. Yet, isn't this the case nearly everywhere? A false image designed to promote these ideals of fairness and justice, but in reality, hand-picked to protect and project the always stable establishment. Foxes choosing foxes to watch the hen house.Quote:
Originally Posted by Panda
Nice suit/robe. Who calls themselves "Professor Doctor"? Oh - and substantively - was the 'Professor Doctor' unable to find any figures beyond 2006 - YOU KNOW- THE COUP YEARS?Quote:
Originally Posted by StrontiumDog
The average Thai with a PhD seems to have an IQ of about 100. Seriously.. advanced studies are supposed to beat into you the fact that you do not try to bias your own research to make a self-fullfilling prophecy. But there it is - yet again.
In fairness to the "average" Thai academic, each perspective and theory will surely follow their respective agenda, political identity, or the underwriter/sponsor. You'll find the instinct of bias throughout the scholarly and academic worlds, be it in the lecture hall or proposed publication. Always consider the source first. Certainly, there is no such beast as a impartial or subjective "Professor"....this applies universally.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Sawyer
^
No way - not like that.