local election

Post by **Wanderlust** » Sun May 04, 2008 1:49 pm

Aah...someone else who remembers 'I Didn't Know You Cared' and, of course, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine.

I 'eard that, pardon...

Post by **niggle** » Sun May 04, 2008 2:19 pm

Obviously wanderlust is Uncle Mort reincarnated.
Or maybe its Annie Brandon (what a gorgeous specimen of womanhood)

Post by **Jockey** » Sun May 04, 2008 2:23 pm

spitfire wrote:Fair point above, I suppose we are talking about Thailand as if it was a 'democracy', it's not, it's actually something that is called a 'plutocracy'. To save all from looking in a dictionary, it's a country that is openly run by the rich.

Name one country in the world that is truely democratic. Either you have "bought" the media or you "censure" the media and if you can't do either you have no chance of getting power. What most Farangs can't stomach is open corruption. They would prefer to live in a society where fairness and standards are an illusion. Politics in Thailand is no less corrupt than the UK or USA, the only difference is the western countries have progressed from open bribary of the masses to open brain washing of the masses using the media as their hypnotic tool.

I agree with lindosfan1 - if you think you have non corruption and true democracy in your own country you have been fooled. We are all sheep waiting to be fleeced. Enjoy the meadow while you can!

Post by **Big Boy** » Sun May 04, 2008 2:29 pm

They're all in it to look after number 1.

Post by **richard** » Sun May 04, 2008 2:39 pm

ANYONE KNOW WHY THE BARS ARE SHUT??????

Post by **caller** » Sun May 04, 2008 4:03 pm

richard wrote:ANYONE KNOW WHY THE BARS ARE SHUT??????

The election?

Post by **redzonerocker** » Sun May 04, 2008 4:26 pm

i also agree with the points of your posts jockey & b/boy

uk politics is just as corrupt as anywhere, driven by self interest & greed

no such thing as a true democracy

Post by **barrys** » Sun May 04, 2008 4:36 pm

Hi Richard

It is because of the local elections.
They're also closed in Pattaya this weekend for the same reasons, I'm informed.

Post by **Gutte** » Sun May 04, 2008 11:55 pm

This is an interesting thread, but, sorry, I have to disagree with many of the posters. Corruption is a lot worse here in Thailand than anywhere in Europe. Sure there are corrupted politicians in Europe too, but they are more like exceptions to the rule. Here the corruption is the rule, the fuel of the system, on all levels. And it’s not only the politicians, it is present in all parts of society and every citizen has seen it daily since childhood and finds it perfectly natural.

That’s why you can’t even trust a neighbour who says he or she knows of a very good car or a fantastic piece of land that you might want to buy. All you know about the car or the land is that the person telling you about it does so because he or she is looking at a 3% commission.
It’s the same with the staff in Homepro: ask for the best TV or toilet or paint and the answer will have nothing to do with what is the best brand. It will to 100 percent depend on what brand is paying the staff person you are talking to. These two examples may not be illegal at all, and some may say that they are not examples of corruption. I disagree again. They are examples of the same thinking, and the fact that they are so well accepted makes me pessimistic about the possibilities to overturn corruption here.

I heard somewhere that China managed to get rid of more or less all corruption through a very tough and impressive 10 year programme, but unfortunately I don’t remember any details of the programme. Anyone heard about it?

Perhaps this was a bit off the OP topic, but to get back on topic I just want to agree with everyone stating that we indeed should protest when people are selling their votes and the likes. We can’t do much, but our western democratic values are in this case both more fair and more efficient in the long run and we should tell everyone who cares to listen. Corruption is bad and nothing else.

Post by **Jockey** » Mon May 05, 2008 12:24 am

Gutte wrote:We can’t do much, but our western democratic values are in this case both more fair and more efficient in the long run and we should tell everyone who cares to listen.

What is democratic about invading another country killing their people and openly lying to justify it all against the wishes of the people? Don't get me started! "western democratic values my ass!"!!!

Do you watch Big Brother or is Big Brother watching you?

Post by **lindosfan1** » Mon May 05, 2008 12:51 am

Gutte
The Thais are open obout it.
Look at Europe the curruption in thr EU. hidden expenses. directorships, most politicians are in it for what they can get out of it.
If you think the politicians in Europe are any better you are living in cloud cuckoo land.
I also agree with what Jockey said absolutely spot on

Post by **Gutte** » Mon May 05, 2008 12:52 am

Gutte wrote:
We can’t do much, but our western democratic values are in this case both more fair and more efficient in the long run and we should tell everyone who cares to listen.

Jockey wrote:
What is democratic about invading another country killing their people and openly lying to justify it all against the wishes of the people? Don't get me started! "western democratic values my ass!"!!!

What happened to the normally sensible Jockey? Did I suggest that you should invade a country and kill people?

No, I said that I think we who live here in Thailand should talk to our Thai friends and relatives about corruption as something bad which is not a law of nature. It CAN be faught, and it would be for the better if it was.

Please don't try to read things into my posts that are not there!

Post by **Jockey** » Mon May 05, 2008 1:16 am

Gutte, Sorry - no offense meant. most of what you said in your post is sensible but the part implying our "democratic western values are fairer" or in some way superior is in my opinion way off the mark. I used the fact both the USA and UK lied to invade another country against the wishes of their people as a very good example of how undemocratic our western countries are. The TV pictures we get, or should I say don't get, about our illegal war (invasion is more accurate) are censored and sanitised so that citizens are not consciously aware of the horror our countries have created. There is also huge corruption at every level in our societies in the west from ENRON to social security benefits, 9/11 lies to tax dodging, corrupt police, union leaders, EU politicians, councillors etc. Its just more sophisticated in the way its all hidden. There is no need for vote bribery in the west anymore. The voters now have an illusion of choice between democrats or republicans, labour or tory but its hard to tell the difference now. Independents very rarely get anywhere and the parties are controlled by the multi national businesses. Every election in the west uses lower income tax bribes to gain votes and we fall for it every time!

Post by **johnnyk** » Mon May 05, 2008 1:23 am

China got rid of corruption? 555
Speak to anyone who has ever tried to do business there. It is everywhere and out in the open.
In the west it is more subtle. Bribe people with their own money, brainwash them through corporate compliant media and make sure there are lots of shopping malls to narcotize and distract them from the real action where pols take care of their corporate friends with billions of taxpayers' money.
When was the last time a high rank politician went to prison in the west?

Post by **Jockey** » Mon May 05, 2008 1:25 am

johnnyk wrote: When was the last time a high rank politician went to prison in the west?

Jeffrey Archer?