Influencial factors on political viewpoints in Thailand

[Roel]

Do not forget the role of Buddhism. I remember reading a book about this (too long ago to remember details) wherein the author explained that being rich is regarded as a reward for good deeds in the past. That the wealth is generated through corruption is a trivial detail. And why should the rich care about the poor. If they are good Buddhists (for a start accept your fate) they will be rich themselves, sooner or later. If you are poor you deserved it one way or the other.

Secondly most posters refer to our concept of democracy as being the ultimate solution. Once that is established everything will be fine. In theory democracy means that things are done the way the majority wants them to be done. That does not automatically mean that this is the best way! And then we sing the same old song again: first better education needed, indepent media coverage etc. etc. As long as THAT is not established democracy will only mean that the guy who manipulated the masses best will pull the strings justified by the fact that he won "democratic" elections.

[sargeant]

Pete i would like to thank you for your post it is so accurate

if their attitude is endemic to the general population at that class level and above,

i will just add there is no IF it is built into the system from birth

I will at some point go into the crap and cost that i my Mrs and son have had to go through to get him registered to vote on the 29th of this month

and why it was so vital for my sons future

[STEVE G]

Secondly most posters refer to our concept of democracy as being the ultimate solution. Once that is established everything will be fine. In theory democracy means that things are done the way the majority wants them to be done. That does not automatically mean that this is the best way!

“It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.” Winston Churchill.

[sargeant]

Roel i agree democracy is not perfect but i cannot accept a hidden dictatorship masqerading as a democracy is even vaguely the way to go

[PeteC]

Perhaps a bit off topic but I felt compelled. I can't do anything about the past, but the first group in the coming struggle that makes a habit of hurting children, burning their schools or impeding their future they will have an enemy in me, and a heavy financial contributor to any organization who will get rid of them by any means.

Look at the below picture. Some of you have seen it before. Bonus points for telling what and where. This sums it up for me. Ask a person what is the worst part or war and conflict and they'll say a hundred things. No need, it's all summed up in this photo of the innocents who can't understand any of it are left with scars and impressions that last a lifetime. Pete

phpqwW5x8AM.jpg (12.34 KiB) Viewed 737 times

[Norseman]

Operation Iceberg better known as the invasion of Okinawa spring 1945.

[sandman67]

none of the above

Im grown up, smart and am well travelled.

My upbringing and world view is what colours my political opinion. Im a sort of pragmatic socialist libertarian with some unattractive national socialist leanings.

A sound sense of history is also what influences my politics. Unlike most idiot politicians I believe in not repeating the same mistakes over and over and over again. Keep the good bits, trash the bad and learn the lessons. Tell the truth before it ends up plastered on the front page of a paper at a later date. Have the courage of convictions. Be prepared to contemplate what others think unthinkable.

Ive seen first hand what works and what doesnt....and Thailand doesnt, nor will it in my lifetime. It wont work till it detatches itself from its culture of xenophobia, kow towing, non questioning, bribe paying and taking, hooked on scurrulous rumor rather than facts, and bare faced lying to save face ways.

When my kids truly understand what freedom and free speech is, and the responsibilities that come with it, then Thailand will begin to change.

what Thailand needs is about 20 years of stability and consistency in government.

Personally I advocate a military dictatorship as asking Thai politicians to run things obviously doesnt work. The lunatics are currently running an asylum.

[PeteC]

Operation Iceberg better known as the invasion of Okinawa spring 1945.

Bingo. The pic is a still from a film clip of a Marine giving a drink of water from a canteen to that shaking and terrified boy, If the boy is still alive he would be in his 70's now. He perhaps never knew or knows how famous he is. Some reading indicates many have tried to locate him or find out what happened to him with no success over all these years. A ghost of war, but what an excellent reminder to all of us how evil war can be. Pete

[hhfarang]

The invasion of Okinawa was the subject of this week's episode of "The Pacific" and they mentioned that this was the worst part of the Pacific war so far as far as civilians were concerned. The fighting was done in and around many villages and many civilians got caught up in it with no where to run.

Since then nearly every war has been fought that way, in urban areas and villages with many civilian casualties as someone usually tries to use them as human shields.

There was an interview on the tube yesterday with this girl (now a woman) from this Pulitzer Price winning photo from the Vietnam conflict... lucky lady as she is alive and well today. She said parts of her body were still burning from napalm when the photo was taken after it had burned off all her clothing.



Anyway, we've drifted again...

[Takiap]

but the first group in the coming struggle that makes a habit of hurting children, burning their schools or impeding their future they will have an enemy in me, and a heavy financial contributor to any organization who will get rid of them by any means.

My thoughts exactly, hence the reason I mentioned this in the other thread. Why were there so many kids at the protest site. The protester holding that baby above the barricade has at least been seen by others around the world so it's hardly something which can be denied.

Maybe when I get time I'll write a report of an experience I had up in Isaan involving some locals and a monk. Apart from making me feel sick, it also showed to what extent some of these people can be brainwashed. Fortunately, the monk in question is now in prison, and hopefully the inmates are using him for their own pleasures.

[buksida]

The brainwashing is the root of the problem, only when Thailand gets a government that puts education high up on its priority lists will the masses stop being so susceptible to propaganda and bribery. Only then will conditions will start improving.

Of course it is not in the government's (TRT/PPP/PT/Dems) interests to do so as we have seen over the past few weeks. I think someone mentioned this before but there is a vast difference between stupidity and lack of education.

Poll results are starting to show a clearer picture: over 60% of foreigners' political persuasion influenced by Thai partner and experiences living here.

[MrPlum]

In theory democracy means that things are done the way the majority wants them to be done.

"Money makes the world go around... the world go around...the world go around".



'Democracy' has been constructed to appeal to the masses and move them away from the thousand year relatively stable rule of the aristocracy. Where peaceful or violent revolution has failed to usurp the aristocracy, wars and assassination have been engineered to finish them off. Democracy has been a boon to the 'hidden hand' (not so hidden recently) steering world events. The ignorant can be influenced by a captive media to vote for either wing of the same capitalist bird, while the political leaders are easily bought or coerced. Their own greed and self-interest ensures their compliance.

Those courageous and inquisitive enough to read the Prowkotols of Zyon (deliberate misspelling) will easily understand 'democracy' and its abuses. Here's a snippet with regard to the destruction of the aristocracy.

26. In all corners of the earth the words "Liberty. Equality, Fraternity," brought to our ranks, thanks to our blind agents, whole legions who bore our banners with enthusiasm. And all the time these words were canker-worms at work boring into the well-being of the goyim (non-Jews), putting an end everywhere to peace, quiet, solidarity and destroying all the foundations of the goya States. As you will see later, this helped us to our triumph; it gave us the possibility, among other things, of getting into our hands the master card---the destruction of the privileges, or in other words of the very existence of the aristocracy of the goyim (non-Jews), that class which was the only defense peoples and countries had against us. On the ruins of the eternal and genealogical aristocracy of the goyim we have set up the aristocracy of our educated class headed by the aristocracy of money. The qualifications for this aristocracy we have established in wealth, which is dependent upon us, and in knowledge, for which our learned elders provide the motive force.

6. The people under our guidance have annihilated the aristocracy, who were their one and only defense and foster-mother, for the sake of their own advantage which is inseparably bound up with the well-being of the people. Nowadays, with the destruction of the aristocracy, the people have fallen into the grips of merciless money-grinding scoundrels who have laid a pitiless and cruel yoke upon the necks of the workers.

7. We appear on the scene as alleged saviours of the worker from this oppression when we propose to him to enter the ranks of our fighting forces---Socialists, Anarchists, Communists--- to whom we always give support in accordance with an alleged brotherly rule (of the solidarity of all humanity) of our social masonry. The aristocracy, which enjoyed by law the labour of the workers, was interested in seeing that the workers were well fed, healthy, and strong. We are interested in just the opposite---in the diminution, the killing out of the GOYIM (non Jews). Our power is in the chronic shortage of food and physical weakness of the worker because by all that this implies he is made the slave of our will, and he will not find in his own authorities either strength or energy to set against our will. Hunger creates the right of capital to rule the worker more surely than it was given to the aristocracy by the legal authority of kings.

8. By want and the envy and hatred which it engenders, we shall move the mobs and with their hands we shall wipe out all those who hinder us on our way.

Those who believe Thaksin is mounting an assault on the aristocracy might well wonder if he is a 'blind agent'.

Control of the media is a critical aspect of influencing the masses to act against their own interests and to create discord. This is all too clear in Thailand's current woes. The Prowkotols deal with that too.

Before you protest about 'fake' prowkotols, either you haven't actually read them, or if, like MrS, you have, you need to explain how a document that is purported to be 'fake', can so precisely mirror present and historical events.

I would love them to be fake because, if they aren't, I'm already a dead man.

[STEVE G]

'Democracy' has been constructed to appeal to the masses and move them away from the thousand year relatively stable rule of the aristocracy.

Was that the same aristocracy that used to have month long parties in their stately homes whilst everyone else lived as peasants?

[MrPlum]

Was that the same aristocracy that used to have month long parties in their stately homes whilst everyone else lived as peasants?

Is living as a poorly educated 'debt-slave', trapped on the dole in some graffiti and crime-infested sink estate, with no chance of escape, any better? The rich have always lived off the backs of the poor but instead of the aristocracy, it's now banker bandits, political chancers, Wall St. brokers and CEO's of corporations who are the robber barons.

[Khundon1975]

MrP wrote,

"Money makes the world go around... the world go around...the world go around".

It certainly does in the UK, when 4/5ths of the new government ministers are millionaires and the rest have a bob or two.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/p ... 133943.ece