Welcome! This is an unapologetic, agenda-free zone. Just commentaries on current events that’ll move you to think, laugh, rage, and even cry.
President Trump’s supporters hail him as the disrupter in chief. And, given the chaos and conflicts that define his presidency, he seems hell-bent on pleasing them at every turn. This, not least by championing a form of Darwinian nationalism not seen since the days of the Thirty Years’ War … 1618-1648. Only this explains his… Read more.
The death of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore and dealings of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma have dominated the news coming out of Southeast Asia thus far this year. Actually, you could be forgiven for thinking that Western media place a quota on coverage from this region, and that… Read more.
I was more than a little annoyed yesterday when a well-intentioned friend tried to get me to sign a celebrity-fronted petition, which exhorted me to: Please act immediately to stop thousands of dogs from being tortured and butchered for their meat. You can save thousands of dogs from unspeakable pain by adding your name to… Read more.
Even a benign (i.e., popular and bloodless) military coup is not only inherently inconsistent but also politically untenable in a democracy. After all, no matter the extent of Thaksin’s corruption (highlighted by an insider’s deal where he allegedly sold his family’s stake in a state telecommunications company to Singaporeans for $1.9 billion), constitutional provisions were… Read more.
About 30,000 protesters launched a ‘people’s coup’ on Thailand’s government on Sunday, swarming state agencies in violent clashes, taking control of a state broadcaster, and forcing the prime minister to flee a police compound… It is the latest dramatic turn in a conflict pitting Bangkok’s urban middle class and royalist elite against the mostly poor,… Read more.
It seemed Thailand was bursting with national pride last week when President Obama made it the first stop on his historic trip to Southeast Asia. The president’s visit made quite an impression on Thailand, and adoring crowds gathered around him and chanted ‘Obama, Obama’ as he visited the Temple of Reclining Buddha just after arriving… Read more.
I don’t agree with the coup, but now that they’ve done it, I support it because Thaksin has refused to resign from his position… Allowing Thaksin to carry on will ruin the country more than this. The reputation of the country may be somewhat damaged, but it’s better than letting Thaksin stay in power. (University… Read more.
For over seven weeks about 100,000 poor farmers – calling themselves the Red Shirts – held Thailand practically hostage. They barricaded themselves in encampments in the middle of downtown Bangkok where they held daily rallies demanding dissolution of parliament, early elections, and a battery of democratic reforms. And most of them were clearly motivated by… Read more.
Can you imagine Democrats mounting months of nationwide protests, including mass sit-ins that forced airports in major cities like Miami, New York, and Los Angeles to shut down, after Republican George W. Bush was declared the winner of the very flawed 2000 presidential election? Because that, essentially, is what has been happening in Thailand. Recall how… Read more.
…a benign (i.e., popular and bloodless) military coup is not only inherently inconsistent but also politically untenable in a democracy. After all, no matter the extent of Thaksin’s corruption (highlighted by an insider’s deal where he allegedly sold his family’s stake in a state telecommunications company to Singaporeans for $1.9 billion), constitutional provisions were in… Read more.
