Friday, 31 January 2014
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Monday, 27 January 2014
Cyclone Conditions Now Perfect for Far North Queensland/ Approach: Coral Sea to Cairns
Potential Cyclones: The monsoon trough extends from Papua New Guinea to the Solomon Islands, with an area of low pressure located southwest of the Solomon Islands. The monsoon is expected to strengthen early next week. It is likely that with the intensification of the monsoon trough, the low will develop further, however the uncertainty with its future movement is high. Likelihood of a tropical cyclone in the Eastern Region on: Monday Low Tuesday Moderate Wednesday High NOTES: The likelihood is an estimate of the chance of each system being a tropical cyclone in the Region for each day. Very Low: less than 5% Moderate: 20 to 50% Low: 5% to 20% High: over 50% The area of coverage for this outlook is the Coral Sea and northern Tasman Sea west of 160E.
Harvest Moon Rising for the Writer
LATE HARVEST MOON for writing
i'm hoping that the stable-enough work and the stable-enough life will give me some opportunity to print out one manuscript at a time onto real paper, and then just spend an hour here and there 'removing stuff' from it/them...not adding or expanding stories etc at all. There has been enough wild warm frenetic creativity with That totally unregulated 'hit & miss' part of the Mind...and now what is needed is some appropriate cool destruction. Much like approaching each page as a grim reaper...or a Tony Abbott.
these manuscripts are my 'intellectual property' in the world...mostly like small farms of idea and emotion and plot crops. They have quite gone wild and to seed in most cases and they do need a Late Harvest. What remains after this 'threshing' is, as they say, grist for the mill.
i'm hoping that the stable-enough work and the stable-enough life will give me some opportunity to print out one manuscript at a time onto real paper, and then just spend an hour here and there 'removing stuff' from it/them...not adding or expanding stories etc at all. There has been enough wild warm frenetic creativity with That totally unregulated 'hit & miss' part of the Mind...and now what is needed is some appropriate cool destruction. Much like approaching each page as a grim reaper...or a Tony Abbott.
these manuscripts are my 'intellectual property' in the world...mostly like small farms of idea and emotion and plot crops. They have quite gone wild and to seed in most cases and they do need a Late Harvest. What remains after this 'threshing' is, as they say, grist for the mill.
Sunday, 26 January 2014
I guess we all need occasional reminders that there are behavioural 'boundaries' in any modern society.
"Sun, 26 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0700 : KAMPHAENG PHET : One of 21 anti-government protesters thought to have defaced a sign at the Royal Thai Police Office had his home sprayed with bullets while his family was sleeping inside."
Saturday, 25 January 2014
I like Clint Walker
Clint was good enough at acting. He didn't have much of a clue or a job or a career when he was young and seemed to have got into the movie business whilst being a bouncer at a nightclub. He always portrayed basically good characters, he could act, sing and talk well, and always looked like a moral being. He was very handsome and had a dynamic huge frame/body.He seems to have had a nice and normal life, and still does now in his eighties. Basically a benign being who had some opportunities and took one or two of them, slowly; worked hard, and loved his family.
Friday, 24 January 2014
Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
Political Situation in Thailand : the PM along with DPM/FM Surapong, DPM Niwatthamrong, DPM Pongthep, DPM Pracha, Royal Thai Police Commissioner-General Adul and Permanent Secretary for Defence General Nipat gave an interview to members of the foreign media - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand
Peter Greste Australian Al Jazeera Journalist incarcerated in Egypt
I'm sad to hear of Mr Greste's imprisonment. It appears very unfair. One of the charges seems to be past links to an outlawed organisation, support for an outlawed organisation (The Muslim Brotherhood). As the Muslim Brotherhood was the democratically elected government of Egypt prior to the military take over, it would appear that anyone who voted for the previous government or interviewed them, or spoke with them when they were legal and proper was in fact supporting a now outlawed organisation...
Monday, 20 January 2014
Thailand: Why it matters, Present Troubles, and Pressure and Prognosis
Why Thailand Matters
Nice people, 70 million. Unique culture. 900 year direct Monarchic Society. A Real Kingdom.
World's largest Rice Exporter.
2nd largest economy in SE Asia.
Present Troubles: (Bangkok and North)
A war between New Capitalism and Old Capitalism, a battle between City and Country.
A war between two families using the people to fight the battles.
South:
A separatist movement wishing to become part of Malaysia...a ten year war already.
Pressures: Fuel.
The country has got by very well on very cheap under-the-counter fuel, oil and gas, from Myanmar for decades now. Thailand runs on cheap oil and gas. Myanmar, as it reforms itself, can now sell its oil and gas at world prices, thus the economy of Thailand, now, because of the opening up of Myanmar, is suffering a lot and will suffer more in terms of price of production of...everything.
Sad Prognosis:
Civil War, separation of the state into 3 disparate entities. Very bad for the people, very bad for the poor of the world in terms of an escalating rice price. Very unstable for SE Asia.
Happy Prognosis: Resolution using remarkable and unique well honed Thai methodologies of dispute settlement and social inclusion, requiring some redistribution of money.
Nice people, 70 million. Unique culture. 900 year direct Monarchic Society. A Real Kingdom.
World's largest Rice Exporter.
2nd largest economy in SE Asia.
Present Troubles: (Bangkok and North)
A war between New Capitalism and Old Capitalism, a battle between City and Country.
A war between two families using the people to fight the battles.
South:
A separatist movement wishing to become part of Malaysia...a ten year war already.
Pressures: Fuel.
The country has got by very well on very cheap under-the-counter fuel, oil and gas, from Myanmar for decades now. Thailand runs on cheap oil and gas. Myanmar, as it reforms itself, can now sell its oil and gas at world prices, thus the economy of Thailand, now, because of the opening up of Myanmar, is suffering a lot and will suffer more in terms of price of production of...everything.
Sad Prognosis:
Civil War, separation of the state into 3 disparate entities. Very bad for the people, very bad for the poor of the world in terms of an escalating rice price. Very unstable for SE Asia.
Happy Prognosis: Resolution using remarkable and unique well honed Thai methodologies of dispute settlement and social inclusion, requiring some redistribution of money.
I appreciate having some letters published in Nation and the Bangkok Post regarding my concerns for Thailand but with the latest death and injuries I believe it is best now to stop with the letters and just to hope that there will be no more deaths or injuries. Best wishes to Thailand. My wishes and prayers are with you.
Saturday, 18 January 2014
Friday, 17 January 2014
letter to Khun Voranai at Bangkok Post
Having had the happiness and the honour of living in Thailand, I remain a grateful person for that time and experience. I have an interest in politics in my own country, Australia, although as I have grown older my passion for a particular ideological position has changed and I am far more interested in Governments and especially politicians simply doing a basically okay job without praising themselves everyday, without being the centre of attention, without being celebrities and without the pretence of greatness or wisdom. We, as a people, are far better off if our representatives are relatively honest and relatively boring and relatively sane.
I live in a society that doesn't really value what Voranai calls 'the Great Man' experience of leadership. Our leaders are more often than not deeply flawed egocentric characters with quite a short 'use by date' and are usually ridiculed when in office and then afterwards; and I believe this is the norm in most democratic societies that function satisfactorily. A good political team in government will be useful to the majority of people for a term or two and then are removed. This is a healthy thing. It is not so healthy to keep removing the clowns before their due-date as this presents a society with too many dilemmas and also makes ambitious people far too ambitious and far too fearful of losing their positions too quickly to actually be useful to the people.
Political infighting, factional power groups, back-room deals, special treatment etc are all part of the boring, normal experience of normal boring flawed democracy, as is corruption in its myriad forms. Thailand is no more corrupt than any other nation. Corruption is a human universal property and will remain so. It has been the cause of many middle-class developments over human history. Still, the best way forward is to acknowledge it, limit it, and downgrade its impact on the economy, and society in general, in every way. This takes many, many decades and is a task that never finishes simply because the human intellect is quite a clever thing, indeed.
Politicians are, indeed, public servants and their work is not visionary nor is it particularly innovative simply because this is not what people need. People do not need leaders who blame another group whether in their own country or in neighbour countries for everything that goes wrong. People do not need governments that stir up patriotism at the drop of a hat to deal with their own social issues and failings.
What is necessary is slow, planned movement towards agreed social goals over a long period of time where the only casualties are the politicians who do not deliver stable progress over the term in Government.
Social goals within a democracy will always focus on general wellbeing of the Majority whilst acknowledging Minority Rights. The problem I see with Khun Suthep's vision is that he wishes to alter the general and reasoned paradigm to install Minority Rule with some Dispensation of Grace to the Majority...and this can't work in a democratic framework. It doesn't even work in a totalitarian system, unless you count North Korea, Saudi Arabia, or the rule of the Myanmar Generals as outstanding social successes.
I do know that Thai history and society are remarkably subtle and complex. The peaceful achievements of Thailand, and its independence for 900 years, are in fact a great lesson for every other nation. At the same time, it is still best practice to provide a simple template for social equality at the centre of the political spectrum, no matter how complex the system, simply because this profoundly important human value can't be put aside for the sake of a leader or a minority.
Votes can only be bought in a society of great inequality in terms of poverty, disadvantage and ignorance. It is the task of all governments to end poverty, disadvantage, and ignorance through good policies and quiet, tedious and boring actions over time...a long time. It takes a long time and a lot of people to do good in this world.
re Feb 2 election Thailand
I like charismatic leaders, but they aren't necessarily good human beings at all, which is the issue with any reform. Reform without revolution is always slow, somewhat like '2 steps forward, one step back' all the time, but as long as movement is forward, then all is well for the future. A reasonable step forward is to have the election. Votes can usually only be bought if people are poor, uneducated and disadvantaged. The job of government, whether red or yellow, is to ensure people aren't poor, uneducated or disadvantaged.
Thursday, 16 January 2014
US suspends 34 nuclear missile officers over exam cheating | Bangkok Post: news
US suspends 34 nuclear missile officers over exam cheating | Bangkok Post: news
'hey, um, how do we turn this thing off? Oooops!
'hey, um, how do we turn this thing off? Oooops!
Good News from Thailand
Very good news.Sense and Sensibility prevailing.
The PM Yingluck Shinawatra has pushed forward again that there will be a national election on February2.
Her government has done the right thing, even as a massive majority government, to take on board the complaints of the minority, the people of Bangkok, and has set an election date for all, and will do that... as it is the only legal and constitutional thing they can do.
The Army General who was the person in charge of the military coup that threw out her brother, Thaksin, has also said that the country needs a legal, democratic election and that the situation is quite different to that in 2006. This government has nothing wrong or illegal and they have bowed to pressure to have an election, and so the election must happen.
So even the Thai Army has come to the defence of the overwhelmingly democratically elected Government...a very rare thing indeed...the first time ever in Thailand.
So Thailand is not so much walking the path of Egypt, Myanmar or North Korea...which is a very good thing for all of Thailand and indeed all of Asia.
Thailand does have some economic problems related to the increasing well-offness of the poor farmers, for sure, but the Yingluck Shinawatra government seems on track to bring about such essential reforms even though the reforms will cost the Elite of Bangkok quite a bit of money they are used to having all to themselves to splurge in their city.
The PM Yingluck Shinawatra has pushed forward again that there will be a national election on February2.
Her government has done the right thing, even as a massive majority government, to take on board the complaints of the minority, the people of Bangkok, and has set an election date for all, and will do that... as it is the only legal and constitutional thing they can do.
The Army General who was the person in charge of the military coup that threw out her brother, Thaksin, has also said that the country needs a legal, democratic election and that the situation is quite different to that in 2006. This government has nothing wrong or illegal and they have bowed to pressure to have an election, and so the election must happen.
So even the Thai Army has come to the defence of the overwhelmingly democratically elected Government...a very rare thing indeed...the first time ever in Thailand.
So Thailand is not so much walking the path of Egypt, Myanmar or North Korea...which is a very good thing for all of Thailand and indeed all of Asia.
Thailand does have some economic problems related to the increasing well-offness of the poor farmers, for sure, but the Yingluck Shinawatra government seems on track to bring about such essential reforms even though the reforms will cost the Elite of Bangkok quite a bit of money they are used to having all to themselves to splurge in their city.
makes sense
Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin, leader of the Matubhum Party and of the 2006 military coup, said the election should be held on Feb 2 as planned. He said the current political dispute is different from that...
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Egypt, Myanmar and North Korea...a template for a better Thailand?
Suthep's plans to bring on a military coup and install a Military Junta in Thailand to protect the rights and rule of the Minority who live in Bangkok really are irrational and ill advised ideas.
I don't think it is a good idea to emulate the Military of Egypt, Myanmar or North Korea in terms of having a better or less corrupt Thailand. It's the sure-fire way to make things a lot worse.
I don't think it is a good idea to emulate the Military of Egypt, Myanmar or North Korea in terms of having a better or less corrupt Thailand. It's the sure-fire way to make things a lot worse.
Majority Rule, Minority Rights & Shared Decision Making for Thailand's only future as a stable nation
The above notion mooted by Bill Clinton: majority rule, minority rights & shared decision making would go a long way towards resolving Thailand's issues at the moment. I don't think Thailand is more corrupt than any other country. Corruption is a natural enough human flaw not limited by borders or systems or races or classes or generations on earth at all or in any way.
You don't have to live in a democracy to see the lasting value of the above general rule in terms of having a peaceful and hopeful society. China is doing it through a very different cultural apparatus than democracy, but it is still doing it through their own forms of representation and it is working.
The current destabilisation of the Thai state for minority interests is very anti-historical, moving society backwards at high speed...yet there is no safe place to stop back there. This is what is so perplexing about the uprising. It can have no future except destabilisation.
..............................
I think that now I have thought it through, I don't need to further comment. ("Yeah!" call out the audience)
Suthep rushes to appease Luang Pu after rally stage 'snub' | Bangkok Post: news
Suthep rushes to appease Luang Pu after rally stage 'snub' | Bangkok Post: news
This is one of the odd things about the Suthep coalition...it is made up of many disparate units...businessmen, uni students, trade unions, monks etc who don't particularly even like each otehr...but are united on the basis of throwing out the government yet not having a plan for the future...so the present shutdown of the city may well fizzle out, and I hope so because the only other option is a violent uprising/revolution which would not be in the interests of the country at all. It is a dangerous situation indeed. Just because one can 'shut down' a city, it doesn't mean it is a good idea at all and it would be very easy to lose control of such a mis-adventure to the detriment of everyone.
This is one of the odd things about the Suthep coalition...it is made up of many disparate units...businessmen, uni students, trade unions, monks etc who don't particularly even like each otehr...but are united on the basis of throwing out the government yet not having a plan for the future...so the present shutdown of the city may well fizzle out, and I hope so because the only other option is a violent uprising/revolution which would not be in the interests of the country at all. It is a dangerous situation indeed. Just because one can 'shut down' a city, it doesn't mean it is a good idea at all and it would be very easy to lose control of such a mis-adventure to the detriment of everyone.
Tuesday, 14 January 2014
Monday, 13 January 2014
out of proportion Bangkok
it is the strangest situation. the yellow shirt movement has risen organised powerfully just in 2-3 months, and their leader, suthep was the deputy PM in a former government run by Abhisit...and was no one special, and wasn't someone whose life defined him as being anti-corrupt in any way.
the Yellow Shirt plan and activities are far outside what the situation called for even in emotional Thai terms.
the yellow shirt plan for the future is quite mysterious, blank, in fact, so there is a lot that is not being made public.
the only thing clear is to purge the country of the Shinawatra family...to make them go away or not exist anymore. hard to do to the very popularly elected prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra.
i believe the yellow shirts are surrounding her house and her family's houses today.
the yellow shirts know they don't actually have the power to do it...but they continue.
It is reminiscent of the shadow-puppetry prior to the purge of Indonesia years ago that led to the rise of Soeharto. Puppets and Shadows.
hopefully it will all fizzle out in usual Thai style.
the army is saying 2 things today: 1: we do support the government. 2: we do protect the people from the government.
Bangkok Shut
The worrying thing with the Bangkok unrest is that there seems no way out of it.
As usual neither the Yellow nor Red shirts want anyone to be hurt, yet 7 have been shot even before the blockade began.
The Army has said that there may well be Civil War but they are not getting involved.
The purpose of the blockade is to remove the caretaker government and to stop democratic elections in February.
What the Yellow Shirts want is to remove the government and suspend democracy until they have changed the constitution...but only the government can change the constitution.
The Yellow Shirt folk and leaders seem to have come out of veritable nowhere in the last 2 months and now blockade the city leaving the only option the Army...
I am quite worried about a civil war and a very blood purge at the moment.
As usual neither the Yellow nor Red shirts want anyone to be hurt, yet 7 have been shot even before the blockade began.
The Army has said that there may well be Civil War but they are not getting involved.
The purpose of the blockade is to remove the caretaker government and to stop democratic elections in February.
What the Yellow Shirts want is to remove the government and suspend democracy until they have changed the constitution...but only the government can change the constitution.
The Yellow Shirt folk and leaders seem to have come out of veritable nowhere in the last 2 months and now blockade the city leaving the only option the Army...
I am quite worried about a civil war and a very blood purge at the moment.
Sunday, 12 January 2014
Thai Army now positioned at Chaengwatthana
The Thai Army has positioned itself to block Red Shirt supporters (supporters of the democratically elected Government) from entering Bangkok at the Chaengwatthana intersection in the city's north.
US Embassy has advised citizens to store water and food for the long haul.
Kuwait Government has told citizens (even resident long term Bangkokians) to immediately evacuate Bangkok before Monday.
Tick tick tick
....here it comes
US Embassy has advised citizens to store water and food for the long haul.
Kuwait Government has told citizens (even resident long term Bangkokians) to immediately evacuate Bangkok before Monday.
Tick tick tick
....here it comes
Ariel Sharon dies after 8 years in a coma. A magnificent contribution to world peace and nationhood.
Regarding the 8 year coma and subsequent death of Ariel Sharon....I don't know what else one can say except....Jesus, that was expensive...
Imagine the cost to the Israeli State of maintaining that body mass in a coma for eight years. I guess the good thing is that the expense of his maintenance meant, hopefully, 8 less Israeli houses on God-Given Palestinian Land, within the Nation of Palestine...and we should all be grateful for that small mercy.
Well done Ariel! Well done!
The best thing you ever did.
Imagine the cost to the Israeli State of maintaining that body mass in a coma for eight years. I guess the good thing is that the expense of his maintenance meant, hopefully, 8 less Israeli houses on God-Given Palestinian Land, within the Nation of Palestine...and we should all be grateful for that small mercy.
Well done Ariel! Well done!
The best thing you ever did.
Friday, 10 January 2014
cairns/anti-asian, long time learning/aquis
I recall quite clearly giving a donation of $15 to help prevent Skyrail ever happening, and I have the t-shirt to prove it.
At the same time, Sky-rail has proven itself to be one of the most wonderful quiet and real successes of mixing humans with wondrous landscape, with good benefit to both.
I am certain the Aquis development will have a far more positive, and far larger, longer, impact on the Cairns landscape and future than Skyrail could ever hope to achieve, and Aquis will do their work more effectively and more sympathetically than Skyrail.
Aquis is a good thing.
It still, I guess, won't stop my Chinese wife, a life long teacher, communicator, and language scholar, when riding her bicycle safely in the bicycle lane along the road at Earlville, being spat at for being Asian and for not getting off the road to suit various ute drivers...but sometime in the future, Cairns will accommodate the real world and thus accommodate the benefit of a better, stronger future for itself...and for its ute drivers also.
Thursday, 9 January 2014
Aquis, Cairns, CAFNEC
Talking to the people who oppose the Aquis development in Cairns must be like Doctor Evil talking to his son..."You just don't get it, do you?"
CAFNEC has had a good run for years opposing various ecologically odious things...and for the benefit of FNQ, and they won.
The nature-future is quite secure now. Well done.
The Aquis development is on track, smart, fully resourced, supported, and a very good thing for a very long time for both people and nature.
There is nothing wrong with replacing canefields with a far better and more sympathetic and natural ecology.
I wish that the people who oppose sound, good, long lasting development that actually improves the Cairns environment a long and happy career in their next venture into job security.
Thankyou CAFNEC...It is very satisfying to be important for awhile, I know this myself, and it is very important to have done the good work you have done.
Your work is done. Don't create problems just to have a nine-to-five job now. Don't get so small-minded just for yourself now. Don't do it for the Superannuation. Be big people. be like me. Don't lie now. Don't undo the good work for the many now, just for the personal benefit to yourselves. Don't become pointless and ridiculous.
Thankyou.
Goodbye....and, indeed,Well done, my comrades!
CAFNEC has had a good run for years opposing various ecologically odious things...and for the benefit of FNQ, and they won.
The nature-future is quite secure now. Well done.
The Aquis development is on track, smart, fully resourced, supported, and a very good thing for a very long time for both people and nature.
There is nothing wrong with replacing canefields with a far better and more sympathetic and natural ecology.
I wish that the people who oppose sound, good, long lasting development that actually improves the Cairns environment a long and happy career in their next venture into job security.
Thankyou CAFNEC...It is very satisfying to be important for awhile, I know this myself, and it is very important to have done the good work you have done.
Your work is done. Don't create problems just to have a nine-to-five job now. Don't get so small-minded just for yourself now. Don't do it for the Superannuation. Be big people. be like me. Don't lie now. Don't undo the good work for the many now, just for the personal benefit to yourselves. Don't become pointless and ridiculous.
Thankyou.
Goodbye....and, indeed,Well done, my comrades!
Global Situation Very Positive
The amazing thing, overall, is that because of the good work of China and, to some extent, India, Brazil and Russia, there is far less poverty and war in the world than in the past...ever...and the world population has peaked, and so, in general, things are only going to get better, better for everyone alive than human life has ever been, in terms of the total past, in terms of material sufficiency for all.
There is so much news that is negative, always, to generate interest, but over all things are improving at a remarkable rate, world wide, in terms of the Human Condition.
Stunning Achievements world wide every day...and it's true.
There is so much news that is negative, always, to generate interest, but over all things are improving at a remarkable rate, world wide, in terms of the Human Condition.
Stunning Achievements world wide every day...and it's true.
Bangkok, Krung Thep Mahanakorn, The City of the Angels
If you look at the map, it is quite an intelligent blockading of the City that leaves the North-South huge expressways open....so you can transit from North to South, South to North, but you can't enter the City itself.
The Central city area is around Silom-Suhkumvit districts....the main economic apparatus of the City....so, from Monday, you can go past it, but you can't get to it.
The Yellow Shirts have thought this part out pretty well.
I noted in an article to the Bangkok Post some years back about Bangkok: The City of Bangkok, The City of the Angels, The Great Mother City, Krung Thep Mahanakorn, exists not for Thailand at all, but rather for the needs of The City itself.
In many ways, Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, has nothing to do with Thailand...it simply draws wealth, drugs, commodities, rice, child-sex slaves etc from poor Thailand to itself, and by doing so has profited immensely... and beautifully...and this has been the case for many hundreds of years, and the City has created a remarkable Elite with wonderful services, lovely people, excellent schools, great universities, excellent world-class hospitals (far superior to Australian Hospitals)efficient subways, skyrails, highways etc all running into...into itself. The Bangkok Elite will never peacefully agree to national democracy because by doing so they will lose too much, far too much.
The more that the Yellow Shirt Bangkokians demand their own status and wealth, and demand total minority power, the more the populous North of Thailand looks to Cambodia and the military genius Hun Sen for guidance and relief, and release. As for the South, the desire of the Muslim South is to break from Bangkok, and from Thailand, and join Malaysia.
The Central city area is around Silom-Suhkumvit districts....the main economic apparatus of the City....so, from Monday, you can go past it, but you can't get to it.
The Yellow Shirts have thought this part out pretty well.
I noted in an article to the Bangkok Post some years back about Bangkok: The City of Bangkok, The City of the Angels, The Great Mother City, Krung Thep Mahanakorn, exists not for Thailand at all, but rather for the needs of The City itself.
In many ways, Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, has nothing to do with Thailand...it simply draws wealth, drugs, commodities, rice, child-sex slaves etc from poor Thailand to itself, and by doing so has profited immensely... and beautifully...and this has been the case for many hundreds of years, and the City has created a remarkable Elite with wonderful services, lovely people, excellent schools, great universities, excellent world-class hospitals (far superior to Australian Hospitals)efficient subways, skyrails, highways etc all running into...into itself. The Bangkok Elite will never peacefully agree to national democracy because by doing so they will lose too much, far too much.
The more that the Yellow Shirt Bangkokians demand their own status and wealth, and demand total minority power, the more the populous North of Thailand looks to Cambodia and the military genius Hun Sen for guidance and relief, and release. As for the South, the desire of the Muslim South is to break from Bangkok, and from Thailand, and join Malaysia.
Bangkok in Great Trouble/ Military Coup by the 25th of January
The only Bangkok chaos planned for today is a Yellow Shirt 'warm up' protest march to perfect the logistics and some road closures during the day to review and finely tune the expected paralysis of the city on the 13th. The Yellow Shirt leader Suthep has said: 'Come to Bangkok, bring your family, bring your kids, have picnics on the major intersections. You are safe and also a part of History.'
The attached map notes the main roads that will be shutdown from the 13th and also the individuals and groups who will be in charge of each 'paralysis point'.
The road closures from the 13th January will be significant and aren't planned to end until the Government resigns...which is odd because for the Government to do so would be illegal/unconstitutional just now, as they only have a caretaker role now anyway until Feb 2 elections.
The purpose of the demonstrators is to de-rail the democratic elections altogether, and to make sure that elections do not happen again until the Yellow Shirts (Bangkok Elite) can actually win an election against the overwhelmingly popular Red Shirts who most folk vote for.
I don't know if anyone else finds it odd that the chaos due to the organised political 'shutdown' or closure of a city of ten million can be so.... organised; and advertised in advance; ....so surgical...and legal. Still, this is Thailand, and it is legal.
There are so many ups and downs in Thailand...20 governments in 30 years, 16 successful or failed military coups, a few bloody purges and about 25 new constitutions. As the cynical Chinese Han note: "Look, Democracy in Action in Asia!"
If you look at the map, at "7" Chaeng Wattana - the main Northern City Military Base area and also the main highway to the North, Chiang Mai etc. The Yellow Shirts have to cut off access from the North because that is where the hundreds of thousands of Redshirts will come from, down the highway from Chiang Mai, in huge convoys of buses and trucks, and indeed the 70,000 car taxi-fleet, to save the Red Shirt Government.
The whole disturbance may all, again, become a mess of silk connections and a continuing political paralysis; which would be the best outcome.
As it is the Yellow Shirts' plan is to oust the Government, enable the military to take over, whilst they go about on an illicit but very comprehensive 'final solution' bloody purge of many thousands of individuals and groups including the current prime Minister, her family, the cabinet, her supporters etc.
So whilst the best that can be hoped for is 'the usual' stymied Thai outcome, the great Fear is that the Army will provide the stability and structure so that the Yellow Shirt militia can go about and kill a hell of a lot of people, which then brings up the prospect of Civil War, just like in Egypt.
With the Prime Minister's multi-billionaire brother on the Cambodian border, and supported strongly by Cambodia's Hun Sen.
Predicted Outcome: A military coup next week.
Thailand: Just like Egypt, just as horrible in terms of making people suffer, only Buddhist. Real Buddhism in Action.
Bill Shorten: Letter to the Cairns Post
Dear Editor
It is far too early in time for Bill Shorten or for the ALP to complain that somehow the Liberal Government isn't telling the truth.
It is the burden of those with a better moral/ethical position to live morally and ethically...the burden is not to demand this of others.
The ALP had that ethic and put it aside for the personal profit of its high-flyers...Gillard, Shorten, Rudd, and the rest.
We are the poorer not because the Liberals have power but because the ALP destroyed itself with greed and personal ambition, placing these personal values higher than any decent human policy.
We will have a Liberal Federal and State Government for at least the next 15 years...not because their ideas are better but because they are better at a much simpler form of government...doing a few things here and there, and not saying much.
That's all people want.
To the electors, politics is not show-business, nor is it a game.
Politicians, no matter how much Bill Shorten desires to be a celebrity, are not celebrities at all; not in the real world we live in.
Bill, don't blame the Government.
Fix yourself and fix the party you destroyed so as to become leader of it.
You have at least a decade to do so, and you will need every minute of the time to do anything good...but it won't be good for you anyway.
People will need and will listen to an ALP after all that is done, and after all that brought you to leadership has gone.
It is far too early in time for Bill Shorten or for the ALP to complain that somehow the Liberal Government isn't telling the truth.
It is the burden of those with a better moral/ethical position to live morally and ethically...the burden is not to demand this of others.
The ALP had that ethic and put it aside for the personal profit of its high-flyers...Gillard, Shorten, Rudd, and the rest.
We are the poorer not because the Liberals have power but because the ALP destroyed itself with greed and personal ambition, placing these personal values higher than any decent human policy.
We will have a Liberal Federal and State Government for at least the next 15 years...not because their ideas are better but because they are better at a much simpler form of government...doing a few things here and there, and not saying much.
That's all people want.
To the electors, politics is not show-business, nor is it a game.
Politicians, no matter how much Bill Shorten desires to be a celebrity, are not celebrities at all; not in the real world we live in.
Bill, don't blame the Government.
Fix yourself and fix the party you destroyed so as to become leader of it.
You have at least a decade to do so, and you will need every minute of the time to do anything good...but it won't be good for you anyway.
People will need and will listen to an ALP after all that is done, and after all that brought you to leadership has gone.
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