swillowbee

... I am unaware that the US Embassy chose to offer any sort of reply ... if not, their silence is deafening.

... what a sad, pathetic tragedy Thailand is turning itself into ... I mean really, have these people lost their minds? ... do these people really think anything good can possibly come from this idiocy? ... my God, I want out of here so badly!

... Thai politicians are such disgusting, despicable people ... soulless, sub-human animals.

... "lady market" and "fake Rolexes" ... prostitution + counterfeiting ... immoral + unethical ... in a phrase, Lady Gaga nicely summarizes the world's view of Thais.

... Thailand is what it is ... if Thais do not like what it is, only Thais can change that.

"But for red-shirt leaders at the Ratchaprasong rally, their key message was a demand for justice over the bloodshed. No-one talked about bringing Thaksin home.

On the issue of reconciliation, it is clear that Thaksin and his red allies are not on the same page.

Thaksin wants the red shirts to let bygones be bygones. But the reds insist on uncovering the truth about their blood spilled before this occurs."

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Historically, once the privileged Thais take control of a political movement, the uninformed, illiterate and hapless poor prai follow without questions ... patronage politics ... millions of voters follow the money passed down to their 'tribe'.

... (note the 'who gets rich' appeal in Toxin's speech, above ... it apparently did not work).

Fast forward to 2012 ... we might be witnessing a nascent ideology evolving in a Thai political movement ... for the first time ... Thai patronage politics has never, ever been defined by any ideology; only charismatic, crooks from high-born Thai families ... the recognition of an ideology by a newly awakened and empowered rank and file, and the keen awareness that the old school privileged leadership is maligned with that ideology could mean a new era in Thai politics ... no more mindless kreng jai ... no more money over principles.

Imagine the surprise by the political leaderships, who could formerly rely on being corrupt and having kreng jai to win hapless voters to their 'tribe'.

Maybe it is too much to hope for in the Thais' perversion of a political system, but we can hope a change is afoot.