Thailand - A New Colour Revolution coming?

[STEVE G]

These attempts to link the red shirt movement to Maoism and Marxism are a bit wide of the mark as well, although I suppose they do well to put fear into the type of elderly conservative who was bought up with “reds under the bed”.
The fact of the matter is that a whole generation of student activists in Thailand was driven into hiding with the communists after the 1973 crackdown and these people now appear on both sides of the political divide.
As has been pointed out by observers in the Thai press, at one point the yellow shirted PAD had almost the whole former politburo of the Communist Party of Thailand on its protest stage.

[sandman67]

The thing is Steve is that the actions of the reds, and especially the dread screecher Wife of Weng who is now the "Dear Leader" come straight out of old Chairman Mao's little red playbook. Re-education camps, indoctrination of schoolkids, cynical media manipulation through black propoganda, bellicose threats of dire consequences should they not get their shabby desires, blackmail, extortion, open insurrection, treason, corruption of the executive structures to their compromise..... hmmm.

They are also, like the PRCCP a cult of personality, and one that is like the PRCCP completely fecking delusional. They not only ignore the fact that Toxin is a money grubbing nepotistic corrupt swine, but he has also somehow been morphed into the champion of the common man when all he cares about is making himself and his scabby pack of nobrain brats and bulldogs arse faced Imelda Marcos clone wife obscenely rich.

Then on the opposite side we have the yellow scum.... whose only association with socialism requires the insertion of National before the S word. They indulge in stupid stunt politics - Burn the Reichstag stunts like deliberately provoking border spats, acts of US Tea Party style flag draped sickening empty headed nationalism, Night of the Long Knives backstabbing, nepotism and power grabbing.

BOTH sides are a total plague on Thai society, and BOTH need excising like the cancers they are.

However, that said, only ONE side uses military hardware and terrorist tactics to force its agenda.

[MrPlum]

I think MrP has just reigned this one in a bit, credit where it's due

Great. Someone calling himself 'Super', dispenses favours.

This article by a Thai analyst raises the spectre of another revolution...

'Thailand's growing political abyss'
http://opinionasia.com/node/850

[Spitfire]

Well, there is a case to be made in favour of the statement that Thailand's political landscape has become somewhat bankrupt with few options, or characters with enough charisma/appeal to get anything done at all.

We seem to be in a bland/spineless landscape of political non entities at the moment with barely any credible choice to address any of the real problems afflicting all.

[buksida]

BOTH sides are a total plague on Thai society, and BOTH need excising like the cancers they are.

However, that said, only ONE side uses military hardware and terrorist tactics to force its agenda.

[STEVE G]

The thing is Steve is that the actions of the reds, and especially the dread screecher Wife of Weng who is now the "Dear Leader" come straight out of old Chairman Mao's little red playbook. Re-education camps, indoctrination of schoolkids, cynical media manipulation through black propoganda, bellicose threats of dire consequences should they not get their shabby desires, blackmail, extortion, open insurrection, treason, corruption of the executive structures to their compromise..... hmmm.

I can imagine that some of the leadership are trying to use those type of tactics but surely no one actually thinks that Thailand is in danger of facing a Maoist revolution do they?
Certainly in the parts of Issan that I visit there are no re-education camps or indoctrination of children and no interest in any form of Communism that I've heard about.

[Spitfire]

...Certainly in the parts of Issan that I visit there are no re-education camps or indoctrination of children and no interest in any form of Communism that I've heard about.

Agree Steve, none of that sort of stuff in danger of manifesting itself. Yes, they are pissed-off but it hasn't degenerated to that yet.

[caller]

The thing is Steve is that the actions of the reds, and especially the dread screecher Wife of Weng who is now the "Dear Leader" come straight out of old Chairman Mao's little red playbook. Re-education camps, indoctrination of schoolkids, cynical media manipulation through black propoganda, bellicose threats of dire consequences should they not get their shabby desires, blackmail, extortion, open insurrection, treason, corruption of the executive structures to their compromise..... hmmm.

For one minute there I thought you were talking about the Thai education system over the years!

[caller]

By the by, which members of the Bin Laden family? They are a rather large crowd and stonking rich.

So what? It only takes one member to manage their investments and the company is hardly likely to admit to any significant investments by the Bin Laden's, after the events of 9-11. If they are stonking rich it is somewhat of a surprise to read that their investments were 'relatively minor'.

Let's stick to Thaksin, before we go down another tangent.

You mentioned them first!

For what its worth, I'm not so sure they have a figurehead managing all their investments as in the past? They got rich on the back of the house of Saud and for many years were construction 'advisors' to a few kings (if you can get hold of it, 'The Bin Ladens' by Steve Coll is very informative).

[MrPlum]

...I'm not so sure they have a figurehead managing all their investments as in the past?

Welcome to the world of speculation.