Comments on: The Thaksin Parable

By: hobby

hobby — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:02:27 +0000

R.N. England: Substitute ‘supplanting’ for ‘liberating’, throw in a new set of toadies, and we are nearly in agreement.

By: R, N. England

R, N. England — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:36:29 +0000

Thaksin nearly succeeded in liberating Thailand from its armed captors, from the filthy-rich descendants of slave owners, and from their grasping, grovelling toadies. Compared to them he is a hero.

By: KWAI JOK FOONG ควายโจกฝูง

KWAI JOK FOONG ควายโจกฝูง — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:30:39 +0000

hobby: I am afraid it’s all of the above. Kind of depressing, really.

By: hobby

hobby — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:12:43 +0000

and the moral of the story is?

A. Choose between justice for all or justice for none
B. Two wrongs still make a wrong
C. Electorally sanctioned extra-judicial killing and corruption is as good as it gets.
D. All of the above

By: Doug

Doug — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:49:16 +0000

Another good analysis. May I add to your reference to the taxi driver who rammed the tank, that he later hanged himself from a bridge in his final act of protest. (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/10/29/politics/politics_30054157.php)

By: KWAI JOK FOONG ควายโจกฝูง

KWAI JOK FOONG ควายโจกฝูง — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:22:48 +0000

Capex: That’s right. Given, however, that anti-Thaksin forces make extensive use of words like “democracy,” “human rights,” and “corruption,” I wanted to point out that Thaksin’s removal had nothing at all to do with any of these things.

By: Capex

Capex — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:14:08 +0000

From the Western point of view, your analysis is good. I agree wholeheartedly with the last line of your piece, however, I don’t believe that you have taken into account the local realities.
Thailand is not a democracy and never was. It still is a feudal society governed by warlords of differing levels within this society and all that happens is that these warlords feud between themselves like dogs trying to get a greater piece of the pie. Like any dog fight, there are casualties or “collateral damage” but nobody will ever face any judicial retribution because all is controlled by one group of warlords or another and they are hardly likely to prosecute themselves.

By: Tarik Abdel-Monem

Tarik Abdel-Monem — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 04:38:45 +0000

Thank you for your continued analysis of these issues. Keep up the great work.

By: David Brown

David Brown — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:54:38 +0000

nicely, and in my view correctly, argued

thank you