Comments on: But what about Thailand? http://guyberes.com/2008/12/01/but-what-about-thailand/ On Sunday ring road supermarket. No killing moths or putting boiling water on the ants. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:39:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Guy http://guyberes.com/2008/12/01/but-what-about-thailand/comment-page-1/#comment-4274 Guy Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:12:13 +0000 http://guyberes.com/2008/12/01/but-what-about-thailand/#comment-4274 Yes, it is a fairly interesting and confusing situation, given that it appears that neither the government nor PAD should be exempted from criticism. The government has now been <a HREF="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/02/thailand-protests-somchai-wongsawat" rel="nofollow">thrown out</A> on charges of electoral fraud. You have to pity the poor Thai people in this situation; on the one hand they have an apparently corrupt government, and on the other hand, they have a myopic, out-of-control opposition! Yes, it is a fairly interesting and confusing situation, given that it appears that neither the government nor PAD should be exempted from criticism. The government has now been thrown out on charges of electoral fraud. You have to pity the poor Thai people in this situation; on the one hand they have an apparently corrupt government, and on the other hand, they have a myopic, out-of-control opposition!

]]> By: Stilgherrian http://guyberes.com/2008/12/01/but-what-about-thailand/comment-page-1/#comment-4244 Stilgherrian Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:15:16 +0000 http://guyberes.com/2008/12/01/but-what-about-thailand/#comment-4244 The People's Alliance for Democracy is indeed badly named, given their anti-democratic and even fascist tendencies. But the pro-government side isn't exactly clean either. The other day I wrote <a href="http://stilgherrian.com/politics/intro-thailand-political-crisis/#comment-14785" rel="nofollow">Thailand's political crisis: an introduction</a> which describes the problems with the Thaksin-Samak-Somchai sequence of prime ministers. (The criticisms of PAD only appear in the comments, oops.) My Thai ex-pat partner has also put together <a href="http://www.outtospace.com/thai-politics-in-black-and-white/" rel="nofollow">a longer-term political view</a>. I'm wondering what sort of "assistance" you think Australia might give? This is an internal dispute within another sovereign nation which, while inconvenient, doesn't really have any direct impact upon Australia. Neither side can be seen as "the good guys" or "the bad guys". And, unlike previous times, the Royal Thai Army is staying well out of it. Can Australia really take sides here? The People’s Alliance for Democracy is indeed badly named, given their anti-democratic and even fascist tendencies. But the pro-government side isn’t exactly clean either. The other day I wrote Thailand’s political crisis: an introduction which describes the problems with the Thaksin-Samak-Somchai sequence of prime ministers. (The criticisms of PAD only appear in the comments, oops.) My Thai ex-pat partner has also put together a longer-term political view.

I’m wondering what sort of “assistance” you think Australia might give? This is an internal dispute within another sovereign nation which, while inconvenient, doesn’t really have any direct impact upon Australia. Neither side can be seen as “the good guys” or “the bad guys”. And, unlike previous times, the Royal Thai Army is staying well out of it. Can Australia really take sides here?

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