The Brighter Side Of Life
As you may have observed posts haven’t really been updated recently. There are several reasons for that. Well, after nearly three years of practically nonstop blogging I did not burn myself out yet. That’s not it. It just there are so many other things ahead and in life. Gonna blog occasionally, but finetune priorities in the weeks ahead, and then decide. So many plans, so many projects.
The recent terrorizing of Bangkok was a blogger’s dream. Healthy stats and great traffic. But mighty depressing. That can’t be it. The blood of others should not allow for one’s profit. Even though it was a waste of blood and I really don’t want to beat a dead horse, but having to defend common sense, sanity and reason on this blog against prevarication and lies was hard to swallow.
In the days before the red march started, when it became clear that mayhem is the only strategy the reds have, when I switched from a neutral position to a clear “no, this kind of sad movement is insane,” formerly loyal readers turned against me. Well that happens when you go public with an opinion. Many of you joined in and encouraged. And it is you I want to thank for keeping this unimportant little blog going.
The badmouthing goes on, just for the sake of badmouthing. We know this is never gonna be a perfect society, but at least those promising shortcuts to wealth and equality have become silent. For the moment. There are no shortcuts. There never were and will never be. Thailand will be back at some dangerous juncture in the future, but next time common sense may act more swiftly and decisively.
And, to be honest, if the forces opposing sanity and reason stop at nothing I don’t mind a certain restriction of civil liberties. You think life in the West is freer? The people of this blessed place are obviously not yet able to handle all the consequences that come with freedom. But for the moment I must no longer always butt in.
Have some traveling ahead, must take better care of myself – hey already lost 10 kg in a few weeks – and got a new project taking shape that would actually contribute to the betterment of life and society, and not just talk about it. This little blog though isn’t all but dead. The News Feed and BKK Vids will continue to be updated, expect a new post now and then – and your contributions are more welcome than ever.
Again, thank you for your criticism, encouragement and constructive disputation. Let the open healthy debate roll on. The love for this place and dedication can’t be for nothing. But then again, who’s right? No one’s only wrong.
Decent blog which in the comments gets a better variety of views than some others.
Keep it going in whatever form you want and with whatever frequency you want, you’ll always have at least one interested in your views. Thanks for the time and sweat and honesty. How many would admit to ratings surging under such dire cicrumstances and say it wasn’t right?
Oddly enough I notice the Pundit one is also pulling a vacation. I take it you two ain’t connected?
(BD: Pure coincidence the timing of the two “vacations.”)
OK, well I can certainly understand your fatigue. Having to edit and check others comments means you can’t switch off at will and blank it out when it all becomes too much. I know I myself had to tune out about this red thing quite some time ago as I was getting really riled about it.
And those dills that feel the need to defend the reds and their criminality? Insane beyond belief.
And feeling that way doesn’t mean I (or anyone else) thinks the government side of the equation is squeaky clean. Of course not. There is guilt (and incompetence) there too … but it is dwarfed by what the red shirts and their puppet master got up to.
Take a break and come back stronger than ten tigers … love your work.
I would like to add my thanks to you as well.
OP is correct in saying, AB gets “a better variety of views” than most other blogs.
But, I also know, many of the red shirt apologists vehemently disagree with that opinion and prefer the “comfort” of several other sites, where they can beat the drum while chasing their “happy land” called “Thailand.”
Enjoy your next moves.
I don’t frequent AB but I can feel the warmth. You earned that good rest. But don’t you quit this excellent blog. The next thing we do is ID and demonize an enemy and we have movement like the red shirts. Had they been peaceful and toe the line at Sanam Luang, the red shirts’ farmers from the north and northeast should have harvested their first crop of glutinous rice. BTW, Sanam Luang/The Royal Field is closed temporarily. I heard a theme park will emerge.
Something random and surreal: Thaksin buys Koh Kong from comrade Somdej Hun Sen, currently down with H5N1. Thaksin could invite his fellow fugitves and secessionist red shirts. Strongman Somdej Thaksin will rule Koh Chao Tak. If he misses northern Thailand, he can go embrace the Burmese junta. Make a land deal and call it Thaksinistan. Seh Daeng knew too much and had an honest bark, so both sides agreed to shut him up, once and for all. Barking up the wrong tree or barking mad? RIP.
Also from here, thanks and congrats here for this blog; but yes your health and well-being is more important! Wish you a great holiday time, and nice to hear your shrinking a bit too. Greetings from Samui; also big time break here!
OP: Nothing is coordinated.
Dan – Have a nice break and good luck with the new project.
What utter cock. One sentence pulled pretty much at random:
You patronizing, racist cunt.
Well … I’ve looked at your bovine lowings again:
So in the first sentence, it’s the same in “the West” – wherever that mythical place is – but in the second, it’s different; Thais are -and when you say “the people,” you’re obviously not talking about the pampered little lords of Thonglor – especially immature, at least compared to the lucky white guy. As a one-time inhabitant of – I presume – this fabled land, I apparently enjoyed no more freedom in England than do the inhabits of Thailand. This is despite – for example – not being subject to mediaeval laws governing what I could and couldn’t say about the value of having a monarch as head of state, nor ludicrous levels of government censorship, nor, again, extraordinary restrictions on freedom of assembly. The judicial system in England has tremendous flaws but it seems that I could have got away with shutting Heathrow for two months simply by professing my adoration for the queen yet tying a couple of red ribbons to a street sign in Oxford Circus would have landed me in jail. The shame. Had I but known. Oh, how different the recent political history of Britain could have been.
But then it’s not the same. I guess as a glorious white male middle-class Westerner – oh, how lucky we are, aren’t we, we who are the very pinnacle of existence – I’ve somehow attained the maturity to deal with my freedom, unlike the stupid natives who are, in the words of that bald buffoon Andrew Biggs, “under-educated and over drunk.” (As a side-note, you might like to read up on 19th century history and racial science if you want to get your apologetics for racist and classist oppression up to scratch). But I don’t understand. If it’s no freer in “the West” – and the answer you quite obviously expect from your ill-judged rhetorical question is that it’s not – and Thai proletarian and peasant untermenschen are too congenitally stupid and immature to do anything other than labor – physically or sexually – for their overlords – then presumably you believe that such freedoms as the untermenschen have ought to be further curtailed. What did you have in mind? Sterilization? Forced labor? Stripped pyjamas and an identifying mark? A ban on travel and restriction on their occupations? Perhaps designated areas for these degenerates to live in? It must be something along those lines since there’s already no equality before the law, no respect for human rights, no economic justice, and no basic democratic rights.
Of course, as anyone who doesn’t follow your nauseatingly self-serving “argument” – I’ll be generous – can see instantly, rights are far more fully entrenched – not totally but more fully – in European democracies. And the Thai people – the “uneducate” masses – are quite capable of handling their freedom. They’re fully able to elect governments, like TRT, which institute policies which benefit the electorate, which, after all, is exactly how democracies are supposed to work. The people in Thailand who are clearly incapable, however, of understanding this – and, as a consequence, are incapable of functioning within a democracy – are the elites, who see the faintest hint of a threat to their economic, social and political dominance as justification for the absolute revocation of democracy, either with a gun, or with the scales – snigger – of justice so, despite yourself, you’re almost right. What you should have said was “the rulers of this blessed place are obviously not yet able to handle all the responsibilities that come with power.” And, incidentally, as a neo-liberal capitalist and serial murderer, I would consign Thaksin to the lowest level of hell, so you can forget all that sub-ThaiVisa bullshit. Or, and in fact better, save your idiotic witterings for that playroom for the educationally subnormal – at least there they have the good grace to ban anyone whose IQ gets above single digits so there’s no possibility – as I’ve just done for the first and last time – of accidentally stumbling upon drek like this.
You’re welcome Dan. Some valid points – and you yourself mention the T-word. Take Mr. T out of the equation and we have a whole new ball game.
Apologies for my unlucky phrasing. Didn’t turn against THE reds, but THESE reds. There has to be limited freedom to counter THESE reds. Under the pretext of freedom THESE nominal reds are freedom’s worst enemies.
Nah, don’t tell me THESE reds have outgrown Mr. T and are on their own. We all know that’s a cheap excuse.
BangkokDan
Dan, some much needed off time is always a good thing and I hope your new endeavors go well but I’m sure they will if you go about them as you have Absolutely Bangkok.
I do hope though you return to regular posting sooner than later as you have a strong Thailand voice.
I hope you keep the blog going. I have you linked on fousesquawk, and it’s good to keep up with what is happening there, especially in these troubl;ed times.
I hope and pary that things will get better cause I really love the Thai people.
Gary Fouse
Bangkok 1975-78
For some comic relief you can read World According to Clarkson books which are his Sunday Times columns about all the wonderful “freedoms” he enjoys in England.
OK let’s all go back to serious business.
And the most serious business Thailand needs to attend to with urgency is national healing and reconciliation.
The one thing that could clear all the political foul air following Thailand’s Black May 2010, is THE ELECTION.
PM Abhisit should not dilly-dally delay the Thai election one day longer. Let’s have the Thai election by November or December of 2010 this year, as originally promised by PM Abhisit. No ifs and buts.
From “A Discourse on the Love of Our Country” speech delivered November 4th, 1789, by the Protestant minister, Richard Price standing at the pulpit at the Meeting-House in the Old Jewry in London.
The sun is definitely shining brighter and brightly over Thailand.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/09/11/politics/Students-talk-tough-to-PM-over-deaths-30137761.html
I like it when students and the very young question authority … particularly authority they suspect to have been misused or abused.