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The Forum > Article Comments > Democratic transition in Thailand > Comments

Democratic transition in Thailand : Comments

By Keith Suter, published 13/5/2014

Banning the Shinawatra dynasty from being prime minister will not solve Thailand's problems. Thailand is in a democratic transition - and history shows us that democratic transitions tend to be messy.

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A deep analysis of issues only treated in shallow ways by the mainstream media. That said ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is too darn good looking (at 46!) to be dumped by unfeeling Thais - see http://www.jaagtv.com/Thai-Court-Ousts-PM-Yingluck-Shinawatra-news-20859.html

The imagery of Red Shirts in Southeast Asia may confuse some (like in the US) that they might have Khmer Rouge potential. This is, of course, mistaken.

Bismarck's welfare achievements appear to have been largely forgotten - while his militaristic expansionism is more remembered (also because he preceded Kaiser Bill and Hitler).

Has our own Abbott consciously taken a leaf from Bismarck's book concerning a 70 and over old age pension? Is it just the beginning?

Pete smitten :)
Posted by plantagenet, Tuesday, 13 May 2014 3:57:51 PM
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It's part of the now centuries old contest between the ongoing Enlightenment and the Revolt Against Reason. Elections and reasoned open debate are both instruments of the Enlightenment. Both will be opposed by those see themselves as entitled to bully - sometimes through violent suppression of the exercise of ballots and of reasoned debate. We saw the former in the antidemocratic hullaballoo of privileged Thais and the bullying EU and US threats greeting people's referenda in eastern Ukraine and the latter in the shutting down of open debate by chanting gimme-gimme hoons at a recent Q&A.
Posted by EmperorJulian, Wednesday, 14 May 2014 5:21:55 PM
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That is certainly a blancmange of geopolitical allusions EmperorJulian.

But what of my new found love for Julia G. Sorry I meant Ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra. I mean the lady is out of job and of course she is penniless. Thailand bein uncorrupt un all. She could turn up to my place.

Remember http://www.jaagtv.com/Thai-Court-Ousts-PM-Yingluck-Shinawatra-news-20859.html .

Toto
Posted by plantagenet, Wednesday, 14 May 2014 6:55:35 PM
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Plantagenet: The point is that the allusions are not geopolitical but anti-geopolitical. Geopolitics is the language of the throwbacks who assume predators are entitled to determine the disposal of countries oth er than their own. Foreigners drew up the map of the Ukraine and are screaming their heads off at the spectre of ballots of the people taking a hand. The people of the eastern provinces (dumped in Ukraine by Khrushchov) are voting to be independent of the bunch of "Right Sector" Nazis and collaborators sending killers to deprive them of their right to self-determination as set out in international law[1].

The same principles apply to the right of the Falklanders to remain independent of the losers in Argentina and the Kosovars and Bosnians to independence from the Serb racists and the Taiwanese to independence of the Peking thugs - all, like the easterners run from Kiev, fortunate enough to have their independence backed by those with the firepower to do so.

We the people, not the predators, are the international community and have a responsibility in our own ultimate interests to discern the democratic interests of peoples wishing to rule themselves and respond positively to them, not to the geostrategic ambitions of major predators.

[1]http://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/self_determination_international_law
Posted by EmperorJulian, Thursday, 15 May 2014 2:41:53 PM
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