Thailand 2011

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It's amusing how everyone here loves Thaksin just because opebo hates him. He's an extremely corrupt, not all that democratic either kleptocrat.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Gustaf has struck me as fond of him from his posts before.

Whatever the case I'm in favor of the liberal party known for being the opposition to previous right-wing military regimes over the party that put a former officer of one those regimes in the PM spot.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

By liberal party I was referring to the Democrat Party.

Thaksin's people on the other hand put this fascist and murderer in power: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samak_Sundaravej

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Yes, he was a member of the Democrats just as George Wallace and Strom Thurmond were members of the American Democrats. He split at about the same time as they did:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

The Democrats as a party though were consistently opposed to fascist regimes:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I'm not too sure a movement ran by a rabid nationalist, racist and autocratic billionaire should be considered liberal.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Really the only logic in which one could call Thaksin a leftist is the through process of radical libertarians who like to say things like "Hitler and Mussolini were left wing."

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The Hitler thing was in reference to libertarians saying things like "Well Hitler expanded the power of government so he was obviously left wing." It's blatantly idiotic to anyone who isn't a radical libertarian, but it's not too far off from calling Thaksin some type of left winger on those grounds. It should be blatantly obvious that all Thaksin cared about was pandering to his base of voters anyway. Robert Mugabe's base of support could also be described as "rural poor" and he started out with similar economic policies too.

Thaksin's party was called "Thai Rak Thai", which means "Thais Love Thais". That's basically a sentiment echoed when the BNP says things like "Britain for the British." He was an extreme nationalist and the rural poor often respond well to nationalistic sentiment. I've heard libertarians say things like that the BNP is left wing too. Was Jorg Haider left wing? His party proposed the nationalization of all agriculture, something that no other party did. In addition to his nationalism Thaksin had a horrible record of corruption, vote fraud, and a horrible human rights record of extrajudicial killings. Do you think the Muslims in southern Thailand are all fascists or aristocrats? That's what their voting patterns would imply if you accept "Thaksin = leftist/opposition = fascist" Did Samak become a leftist at some point before becoming PM too?

Furthermore the last election before Thaksin's ouster was boycotted by ALL opposition parties, not just the Democrats but also the conservative Chart Thai Party. Thaksin's party was later banned for pretty blatant vote fraud.

And Thanom Kittikachorn, a supporter of democracy? LOL.

Oh are you calling Xahar and Hashemite fascists too? They share opebo and I's views in regards to this.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

So are Xahar and Hashemite fascists or people who based their political views only on what opebo supports? Are the Muslims of southern Thailand hardcore royalists?