Comments on: Coup Maker to Enter Politics… the Proper Way http://www.tumblerblog.com/2009/09/coup-maker-to-enter-politics-the-proper-way/ A Thai political & current affairs blog Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:41:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: » Old Soldiers Should Just Fade Away TumblerBlog.com – A Thai political and current affairs blog http://www.tumblerblog.com/2009/09/coup-maker-to-enter-politics-the-proper-way/comment-page-1/#comment-167 » Old Soldiers Should Just Fade Away TumblerBlog.com – A Thai political and current affairs blog Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:11:07 +0000 http://www.tumblerblog.com/?p=78#comment-167 [...] Prisoners in Thailand has more on this subject. Readers may also want to see my earlier post on Gen Sonthi’s earlier announcement that he wanted to enter politics. Share this [...] [...] Prisoners in Thailand has more on this subject. Readers may also want to see my earlier post on Gen Sonthi’s earlier announcement that he wanted to enter politics. Share this [...]

]]> By: Andrew Spooner http://www.tumblerblog.com/2009/09/coup-maker-to-enter-politics-the-proper-way/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Andrew Spooner Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:29:36 +0000 http://www.tumblerblog.com/?p=78#comment-28 I think the point of creating the image an "impartial" party is to infuse it with a sense of "naturalness" and that it exists beyond the forces of history. No debate can therefore take place as this "impartial" party has access to the "truth" rather than having to take part in the tawdry process of dialectics. It's deeply ideological in the sense that it is an attempt to place its assumptions within the realm of the unconscious, thereby shutting down any alternative. Fascists and other nutters have been saying stuff like this for decades. The PAD spout this kind of thing all the time. I think the point of creating the image an “impartial” party is to infuse it with a sense of “naturalness” and that it exists beyond the forces of history. No debate can therefore take place as this “impartial” party has access to the “truth” rather than having to take part in the tawdry process of dialectics.

It’s deeply ideological in the sense that it is an attempt to place its assumptions within the realm of the unconscious, thereby shutting down any alternative.

Fascists and other nutters have been saying stuff like this for decades. The PAD spout this kind of thing all the time.

]]> By: Bedwyr http://www.tumblerblog.com/2009/09/coup-maker-to-enter-politics-the-proper-way/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Bedwyr Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:45:30 +0000 http://www.tumblerblog.com/?p=78#comment-24 One of the fascinating things about Thai life and culture is that many Thais are able to adopt a wholly untenable and incongruous position, without seeming to be aware of how ridiculous it makes them look. This guy is a typical example. Here we have someone who overthrew a legitimate (though corrupt) government at the bidding of Prem and his masters, and now wants to work to restore the very national unity that he and his equally dopey mates did so much to destroy. The truly remarkable thing is that he can (apparently) keep a straight face and take himself seriously. It is one of the truly wonderful things about Thais that remind me so often of 9-year-old kids back on the sensible side of the looking-glass. One of the fascinating things about Thai life and culture is that many Thais are able to adopt a wholly untenable and incongruous position, without seeming to be aware of how ridiculous it makes them look.

This guy is a typical example. Here we have someone who overthrew a legitimate (though corrupt) government at the bidding of Prem and his masters, and now wants to work to restore the very national unity that he and his equally dopey mates did so much to destroy.

The truly remarkable thing is that he can (apparently) keep a straight face and take himself seriously. It is one of the truly wonderful things about Thais that remind me so often of 9-year-old kids back on the sensible side of the looking-glass.

]]> By: tumblerblog http://www.tumblerblog.com/2009/09/coup-maker-to-enter-politics-the-proper-way/comment-page-1/#comment-23 tumblerblog Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:56:29 +0000 http://www.tumblerblog.com/?p=78#comment-23 <b>@Wally</b> Early reports have linked Gen Sonthi to the Matubhum Party (a party formed mostly by deep south MPs from the Wadah faction). Apparently it is believed that Gen Sonthi, as a muslim, has the expertise necessary to help tackle the insurgency there. But more recently the Chart Thai Pattana Party is reportedly courting him as well. <b>@Steve</b> <i>"In English, an impartial party is a perfect (and obvious) contradiction in terms – and thus totally absurd; is it the same in Thai?"</i> That hasn't crossed my mind before, but I think you're spot on. It would be absolutely pointless to be impartial in politics. Having read what he said in Thai, I think Gen Sonthi actually intended to say that he wanted to join a party that doesn't seek to create division in society or worsen the conflict that already exists. @Wally
Early reports have linked Gen Sonthi to the Matubhum Party (a party formed mostly by deep south MPs from the Wadah faction). Apparently it is believed that Gen Sonthi, as a muslim, has the expertise necessary to help tackle the insurgency there.
But more recently the Chart Thai Pattana Party is reportedly courting him as well.

@Steve
“In English, an impartial party is a perfect (and obvious) contradiction in terms – and thus totally absurd; is it the same in Thai?”

That hasn’t crossed my mind before, but I think you’re spot on. It would be absolutely pointless to be impartial in politics. Having read what he said in Thai, I think Gen Sonthi actually intended to say that he wanted to join a party that doesn’t seek to create division in society or worsen the conflict that already exists.

]]> By: Steve http://www.tumblerblog.com/2009/09/coup-maker-to-enter-politics-the-proper-way/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Steve Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:47:14 +0000 http://www.tumblerblog.com/?p=78#comment-19 I'm right with you on the notion that everything we are seeing now tracks back directly to the events of 19 September 2006 - courtesy of that nice General Sonthi and his accomplices. Fifteen months of get-nowhere limbo that solved - let alone achieved - nothing. One possible saving grace: the military may have finally realised that staging a coup is the childsplay bit - trying to actually manage running the whole Thai machine is very much a game for grown-ups........ as the current (however notional) PM is discovering. To quote Thitinan Pongsudhirak's latest Post article: "the Thai body politic is nowhere nearer than at any point over the past four years to reconciliation and workable compromise. A new consensus is still far off in the distance. This harsh reality is not what Mr Abhisit and his government of custom-made circumstances are meant to bring about". Nor is it remotely close to what Gen Sonthi's coup was said to be for. One last thought: the good general is quoted/translated as saying "I want to join a political party that is impartial". In English, an impartial party is a perfect (and obvious) contradiction in terms - and thus totally absurd; is it the same in Thai? I’m right with you on the notion that everything we are seeing now tracks back directly to the events of 19 September 2006 – courtesy of that nice General Sonthi and his accomplices. Fifteen months of get-nowhere limbo that solved – let alone achieved – nothing. One possible saving grace: the military may have finally realised that staging a coup is the childsplay bit – trying to actually manage running the whole Thai machine is very much a game for grown-ups…….. as the current (however notional) PM is discovering. To quote Thitinan Pongsudhirak’s latest Post article: “the Thai body politic is nowhere nearer than at any point over the past four years to reconciliation and workable compromise. A new consensus is still far off in the distance. This harsh reality is not what Mr Abhisit and his government of custom-made circumstances are meant to bring about”. Nor is it remotely close to what Gen Sonthi’s coup was said to be for.

One last thought: the good general is quoted/translated as saying “I want to join a political party that is impartial”. In English, an impartial party is a perfect (and obvious) contradiction in terms – and thus totally absurd; is it the same in Thai?

]]> By: Wally http://www.tumblerblog.com/2009/09/coup-maker-to-enter-politics-the-proper-way/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Wally Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:00:53 +0000 http://www.tumblerblog.com/?p=78#comment-17 Interesting he always said he was not interested in politics, hmmm. Sounds like he is fishing for invitations, probably the Dems best fi, unless he starts his own fascist/military coalition. Interesting he always said he was not interested in politics, hmmm. Sounds like he is fishing for invitations, probably the Dems best fi, unless he starts his own fascist/military coalition.

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