If you think those people are "the poor of Thailand", you've got a lot to learn about this country.
And as near and dear to your heart as it may be, there has not been a single discussion or mention by the opposition about bar opening hours. And longer opening hours do not figure into the Democrats' platform. It is a ZERO issue to all but pimps, prostitutes, bar owners, and sex tourists. So get over it.
Ok, I'll add my 2 satays.
Thaksin is doing the same way as all savvy politicians do - get the mass of uneducated poor to support you by throwing a few token social programs here and there. Juan Peron did that in Argentina, any U.S. president do that with the farmers lobby, Fidel Castro did that in Cuba, etc, etc. Of course, the other side of the coin is to make them afraid of city folks because they'll take away all those few token programs if their candidate becomes elected. Hum, didn't chairman Mao do that in China?
But it is worse here. Thaksin doesn't really believe in those programs. He is not really a populist. It is just to buy him time to do what he wants - make his family (and hence, himself) richer. What most people feel unfair is the wholesale sale of a huge chunk of the backbone of the Thai enterprise system without any benefits being given back to the country. IMHO, the Shin corporation can be considered as the GE of Thailand. Can you imagine if a controlling shareholder of GE sells the whole GE to, well lets say, China, and then finds a way not to pay taxes to the IRS? I am sure the whole U.S. Congress would be up in arms.
Here Thaksin was able to sell through the use of his political power, more than a Billion Dollars of assets tax free. He may have been able to make it legal. But it stings. Even worse, the sale was to a foreign government (yes, yes, forget the bs that the Singaporean government is saying, it is a corporation wholly-owned by it). This is why that Bangkok shopowner is so angry.
Ok, back to regular programming.
Very good 612 your satay is spot on. Thaksin basically bought the rural vote, handing each town lumps of money. He is no more than a self serving arse hole.
On another note,though not entirely, isn't it a pleasure to see Bushes face on TV these days, how pathetic the mighty man looks,a shell of his former glory. What a sad reflection on the American voter. Florida and Ohio particularly.
I agree: Davey is spot on.
The rural voters are still in the feudal mindset. They don't care so much that a leader puts a billion dollars in his own pocket, as long as he kicks some down the line to them. In their view, this is far preferable to an honest politician who puts nothing in his own pocket, but also doesn't have anything to trickle down. They're not big on principles...all they care about is what scraps are being tossed their way. But, their votes are just as good as city city slickers with a few more brains in their head ... so what can you do?
What an interesting concept - would they be chicken, beef or pork satays? I've had goat satay in Bali - satay kambing - lumps of grilled goat meat on a skewer.Originally Posted by Davey612
The Thai coins are satang, by the way.
It is clear, Bucknaway and boygeenyus, who the protesters are - at least according to Sebastien Berger, the Bangkok correspondent of the UK News Telegraph, who claimed that: "Students, office workers and aesthetic (sic) lay Buddhists installed themselves in front of these temples (i.e., Siam Paragan, etc) to Mammon to listen to speeches and denunciations of Thaksin Shinawatra..." Obviously, it is Thailand's "beautiful people" who don't like Taksin! See www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml ... world.html
Cottman, goat Satay is the best, marinaded in coriander powder and rich sweet soya then barbecued to perfection all caramelised and chewy, must be over hot coals or it looses all its flavour.
You're kidding!Cottman, goat Satay is the best, marinaded in coriander powder and rich sweet soya then barbecued to perfection all caramelised and chewy, must be over hot coals or it looses all its flavour.
The goat almost wins out in Greek kebabs in my book too, but the pork can be more juicy. Something that's difficult to find in the Malay States.
MPR
BTW is the common theme of this thread "grilling"
"Very good 612 your satay is spot on. Thaksin basically bought the rural vote, handing each town lumps of money. He is no more than a self serving arse hole.
On another note,though not entirely, isn't it a pleasure to see Bushes face on TV these days, how pathetic the mighty man looks,a shell of his former glory. What a sad reflection on the American voter. Florida and Ohio particularly."
Thankfully though, even the Rethuglicans have wised-up to the Bush Crime Family. His reign of terror has basically ended at this point. Would be rather difficult to sell anyone on another one of his "initiatives" . So all we have to do now is start working harder so we can pay off that $2 trillion debt he created (that's just the Iraq war debt).
Dboy
тАЬI want you to just let a wave of intolerance wash over you. I want you to let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes, hate is good....
тАЬOur goal is a Christian nation. We have a Biblical duty, we are called by God to conquer this country. We donтАЩt want equal time. We donтАЩt want pluralism.тАЭ
тАФ Randell Terry
Prophet of The New Christianity
Go Ms Clinton, I suppose? Go lame duck president ! Go China!
Isn't Bush pathetic trying to muster, scrape the barrel type last minute support, with his "China is subsidising its industry" neo-republican force meat.
This is tipping a can of worms amongst the punters, I know but bring it on, all China has to do is to start selling off its 100's of billions of US treasury bonds.
It is a two-edged sword. The debt owned by other countries is only good to them if the country that owes them is able to pay. If China sought to destroy the US economy, thn it would hurt itself as well - especially as long as they tie the yuan to the dollar.
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