Bangkok in flames as protesters refuse to back down

The Telegraph ^ | 5/19/2010 | Damien McElroy and Ian MacKinnon in Bangkok

[colorado tanker]

I agree that our government should keep it’s eye on this, but the people we have in there now would love nothing more than for violence to break out. As long as it could be blameed on White Constitutionalists, Obama would be happy as a pig in ——, well you know.

No question about that.

[Chode]

shoot the bastards...

[GeronL]

Parts of that city look modern but they are still a 3rd world country.

[ASA Vet]

I have only one bottle of Three Crabs brand left..
Hope the shortage doesn't last long.

[ASA Vet]

You've met Sarit?? Damn you're an old fart!
I knew and drank too much Singha several times with Thanom's brother. but Sarit was long gone by then.

[Ann Archy]

THANKS!!!

[Hank Kerchief]

“You’ve met Sarit?? Damn you’re an old fart!”

Well, it doesn’t seem old to me, as it won’t to you when you get here. Of course my family all live into their lat 90s or 100s, so that might have something to do with it. I’m a young 70.

By the way I spent a few evenings with the “White Tiger,” which I’m betting you will not know—unless you’ve done some Second World War research concerning allied spies.

You have no idea how I miss Singha. I loved that hoppy (mistaken for formaldehyde by the ignorant) half-liter bottle. When were you in Thailand? (60s for me—civilian duty—intelligence.)

Hank

[Hank Kerchief]

I noticed the link to the page of Michael Yon’s picks does not come up. To make sure those picture are not lost I’ve reposted them all to my own server. You can see them here, if the other link does not work.

http://usabig.com/articles_pending/yon_pics.html

Hank

[Hank Kerchief]

You are certainly welcome, though it was not much. You can almost always be sure those whose method is destruction and terror and for individual liberty and freedom even if they call themselve, ahem, “anarchists.”

You might be interested in this:

http://usabig.com/atnmst/jrnl_ii.php?art=89

and this:

http://usabig.com/atnmst/jrnl_ii.php?art=90

That is, if you really are Ann Archy.

Hank

[Ramius]

Sounds like you know something of what’s going on there. I’m woefully ignorant on the politics of things in Thailand. Who’s side should we be rooting for in this deal? Are there even good guys and bad guys?

[GeronL]

thanks. I guess I should ‘friend’ Yon

[Lurker]

The Red Shirts are communists. That’s all you need to know. They should be shot in the streets like rabid dogs.

[JerseyHighlander]

You have no idea how many grains of rice were extracted from the Thai underclass by threat of the barrel of a gun to build these “irreplaceable landmarks” in the last 6 decades.

The wealth gap in that country, and the oppressive trickle up redistribution has created this problem over 4 generations... the elites, the owners of society’s treasures brought much of this upon themselves...

[Longbow1969]

Sounds like you know something of what’s going on there. I’m woefully ignorant on the politics of things in Thailand. Who’s side should we be rooting for in this deal? Are there even good guys and bad guys?

Thai politicians are pretty much all corrupt, so there really is no good side here.

I can't really claim to understand all the nuances of Thai politics. The Redshirts basically want their left leaning populists back in charge. These are the type of uneducated people that in other countries vote for the likes of Chavez, Morales, etc. They want government handouts. They are the majority and have very little wealth. They see places like Bangkok and think they deserve some of the "pie" whether they actually work for it or not.

The middle, upper and business classes want to keep the status quo which is basically a free market capitalist system. They still control the military and have the ear of the aging King.

We need the Redshirts to lose here. It would be very bad if they win this fight. On the other hand, we need Thai governments going forward to make a real effort to bring the rural poor into the system so they have a stake in what happens to government. You simply can't keep a free market system in place if a majority of the people see no benefit from it. Once that majority feels completely alienated they simply have nothing to lose.

Bottom line, the proverbial lesser of two evils is the current government. The Redshirts had some legitimacy at first, but it has become a militant, revolutionary leftist organization and must be wiped out.

[STD]

Coming this summer to an American city near you by Beelze-Bama, courtesy of SEIU, George Soros, Cas Sunstein, Rahm Immanuel and those wonderfully compliant members of the SCOTUSA, Congress and the Federal Reserve.

I strongly urge every one to lay up enough food, water, medications and gasoline to make it through the next six months. Go ahead, get started most of you have a lot of work to do! More comprehensive lists of must have items can be found on the internet. Just search for a 'get outta Dodge' (GOD) Bag, or survival supplies.

Good luck to all of you. May God Bless You and keep you all.

This weekend is going to be a most remarkable event for all of us!

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks Lurker. I wasn’t aware of that. Good to know.

[DoughtyOne]

Okay, I can understand that. And now more rice will have to be extracted so new buildings can be built. How does that help things? Your point is valid. I’m just not sure it justifies what took place. Even if the price was high, those treasures were property of the nation. Every citizen lost something there. If a new government is formed, where does it now meet?

Utter destruction doesn’t help anyone IMO.

[killjoy]

The Red Shirts are communists. That’s all you need to know. They should be shot in the streets like rabid dogs.

You are wrong.

[sushiman]

” Very sad looking at these pictures of my second home. I hope to be back later this summer. Hopefully by then things will have been sorted out so I don’t face medieval forts in the middle of the shopping district!”

Greets from a fellow American in Japan . Heading to Bangkok Nov. 4th for 6 nights . Should be exciting , whatever happens !