Bangkok

Best wishes to you too Chuck! Nothing to stop us starting another thread on the Discussion forum :O) I meant to edit 'Mage' to 'Sage' in my previous post but you were too quick - it should definitely be 'Sage'.

I meant to drop the subject but this amused me... http://philipgolingai.blogspot.com/2008/12/planning-coup-heres-how.html No, I don't discuss Thai matters anywhere but here Chuck... (sounds a bit like Hilda Ogden - is she still on Corrie?)

What baffles me is how rare it is that anyone ever asks the really important questions – like “How do you know?” - at least publically. Take Thailand: Wouldn’t it be nice if someone asked the new PM this question... “Is it true that a group of terrorists, disguised as PAD supporters, broke into the place where all the nation’s secret defence details are held on computer disks and stole the important disks while wiping the others and mixing them up so that no-one could be sure what was taken before selling the lot to Cambodian Intelligence?” When the PM replies “Of course it’s not true – that’s absolute nonsense!” Then you get to ask the important question... “How do you know?”

I can’t think of anywhere else in the world (at least anywhere with a democracy) where an armed group could neutralise the surveillance system before breaking into the state spy centre, capturing the guards and stealing some top secret computer disks while wiping others – all without anyone in authority even bothering to respond! They interrogate the captured guards and eventually release them and still no response from the authorities. Maybe the state wanted to get rid of all that intelligence anyway so they didn’t mind :O)

Some logic perhaps Chuck. I noticed the General who refused to help with clearing the airports has proclaimed his affection for the mis-guided Thaksin supporters and said he is going to send some of his men to put them straight. Sounds logical to me. The misguided say "Talk to the hand" and the troops respond with "Talk to the tank." :O) Cold, conventional logic. Soon, no doubt, the Democrats will change their name to the People's Alliance Democratic Party and attempt to demolish their name and the army will change its name to the People's Alliance Defence Corp and peace will reign supreme :o)

And now for something completely different - A... dream No Country for Good Men? At first I thought it was Kofi Anan in a cowboy outfit but as soon as he started talking I realised that it was Morgan Freeman. “How can I help you son?” he asked I told him my story and he said. “So you came by this money honestly and the town council have bribed the judge into finding you guilty of abusing your position as Sheriff and confiscated your money and sentenced you to a couple of years in jail?” I nodded. “You say that you think the Governor is a good man but somehow they have his hands tied? Some friends of yours tried to talk to the Governor but couldn’t get an audience. Meanwhile a gang working for the council hijacked the stage coach station, obstructed the movement of goods and people, and also broke into the Town Hall and stole important documents and yet this gang haven’t been arrested or punished in any way? Sounds like they’re spending a lot of money to keep you out of town son!" I nodded again. “Well son, you tell me that the Governor plays good jazz – has its roots in us coloureds you know (he winked) and it’s a gift rarely given to bad men. Tell you what I’ll do if you want me to... I’ll make a big announcement to the World Media of my plan to visit the Governor and why... should get headlines like - “Ex Sheriff Offers A Million Dollars to help the Poor!” Then If I’m granted audience - I’ll go have a word with this Governor of yours and I’ll tell him you’ll give him half of your money to help the poor if he gives you a pardon and clears your name. Now, before you start squawking, I’ll make conditions that the money be spent on helping the poor; things like irrigation, health care and job creation. I’ll demand that it has UN oversight so that the money doesn’t get funnelled to the council. That ought to take some weight off the Governor and put it on those grubby hands that are trying to steal your money son. You’ll still have the other million dollars and you’ll have helped the people at a time when they desperately need help. Chances are that they won’t want to play ball and I’ll get turned down... In which case you’ve lost nothing and the people who have been claiming that all you care about is money will have a lot of explaining to do – especially when the town starts paying all the bills for the damage the Council’s gang caused.” Then I woke up and wondered if dreams ever come true. :O)

Pax Vobiscum...

http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/article.aspx?cp-documentid=12212086 You've got to laugh at the Thai media - here's an excerpt from The Bangkok Post : "...the pro-Thaksin United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship is waging a war of attrition against the new government under the flimsy pretext that it is protecting democracy." Never a word about PAD's total hypocrisy when they were closing airports and attacking the democratically elected Government in the name of an alliance which wanted to remove the very thing they claimed to support! Many years ago in the army we were all expected to keep the barracks spick and span... I would notice that there were always one or two people who took it upon themselves to shout at everybody else for not doing enough and, after a while I was shocked to discover that they themselves did nothing. If you shout loud enough people are usually too busy defending themselves and trying to prove you are wrong to notice that you are the biggest offender. So it is with corruption - those that shout loudest about corruption are the most corrupt! The fact that one of the top jobs in the new government has been given to a PAD member who still maintains that the airport seige was a good thing should speak volumes to all but the deafest... there are none deafer than those who do not want to hear! No wonder Mr Head is being threatened with 15 years in jail he hasn’t quite learned that yet. I feel I ought to point out that the King never makes any comments about corruption just in case they want to charge me too! I do not believe that the King is behind all this corruption - the corruption is in the 'System' and I expect time will prove me to be correct!

To be honest I can't understand why anyone would think the King was behind all this. The King has consistently proved to be a clever, thoughful and intelligent man and yet the 'power' behind PAD et al has proved to be the exact opposite. I would have said it had all the hallmarks of a military mind with more power than brain cells but that's a simple intuition and I don't say that it's true. I think the real opposition to the lese-majeste law is that it is used like a shield to protect the 'System' and we all agree that that is corrupt!

In my opinion, if the so called Democrat government is to have any chance of success then some of the PAD core leaders are going to be forced to fall on their swords – that’s when they’ll have to put their money where their mouths were and pay the price. Talk is cheap and actions speak a lot louder than words... it’s easy to claim you’ll fight to the death if it’s just another sound byte!

:O) Thanks Chuck - that made me laugh. After the feeding frenzy that heralded the birth of this new government it hard to imagine they'll care too much about the trough for a while. Let's face it someone's been feeding them truffles and the slops are probably a mis-direction to explain their eagerness to get into the sty.

It’s a small world - now we have the Internet - where even electronic dreams can make a difference :O) Just imagine how desperate you would be if you were down to your last half billion dollars. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/12/26/politics/politics_30091929.php This clarifies the problem as to why world banks are unwilling to lend to each other - they're afraid that the "System" will say "Thank you very much - we're keeping it! Don't call us we'll call you." :O)

I’ve been quite ill over the last few weeks and it has made me even more stupid and paranoid than I normally am! Thinking about the problems in Thailand I realise that there is one thing that is blatantly obvious: There is no point in arguing over who pays the phone bill while the house burns down around you! All Thais have got to pull together to make this government work – the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about! It will be hard for many but they will have to bottle their anger and ferment it into determination. Both PAD and pro-Thaksin supporters are in the new government and will be forced to compromise to find new ways forward – the country desperately needs that if it is to be rescued from the fire. It is obvious that any PAD style protests by the ‘Reds’ would not be handled with the same ‘delicacy’ that the PAD protests were and the very same hypocrites who were screaming “Police Brutality” would be cheering at the top of their voices as the ”Reds” were clubbed to the ground. So don’t give them an excuse, Reds, grit your teeth, avoid large groups and don’t be provoked into starting something that they will finish. You’ve done extremely well until now – don’t fail at the last! Now, it’s not fair but then nobody really believes that life is fair do they? Trust the King because he loves you and has your welfare at heart!

I had not meant to post to this thread again but after reading today’s The Nation (Thailand) I feel that I owe the UK banks an apology! SORRY! “... the UK government has frozen about US$4.2 billion in assets believed to belong to ex-prime minister Thaksin shortly after it revoked his and Khunying Pojaman Shinawatra's visas in November, according to local and international money managers.” (from yesterday’s online issue) “... it is anyone's guess as to whether the UK really has frozen $4.2 billion of his (Thaksin’s) assets and, in case the rumours are true, why it decided to do so.” (from today’s online issue) So, sorry UK I should have known better than to believe anything a right-wing rag writes about Thaksin! http://www.nationmultimedia.com/topstory/30091972/Thaksin-provides-a-tal... So, I suppose poor Mr Thaksin is down to his last 5 Billion dollars now... ;O)