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THE REDS ARE NOW UNSTOPABLE



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 19th, 2010, 10:52 PM posted to soc.culture.thai,rec.travel.asia
none[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 77
Default THE REDS ARE NOW UNSTOPABLE

Implications Of Awakening The Sleeping Thai Elephant


The mass Red-Shirt protest may do more than any other factor to
radically affect Thailand both domestically and internationally,
hopefully for the better.

For one thing, the Red Shirt protests represent the awakening of the
‘sleeping elephant’ of the Thai underclass, finally having had enough
of being marginalized and exploited by the Bangkok power elite. Given
the realization that they now have a political voice, they may begin
to flex their ‘muscles of protest’ in earnest, across the board. This
may well have radical repercussions, ranging from stopping the
government from irresponsibly damming the Mekong and adding further to
the depletion of the overall water supply, especially in Esarn, to
preventing foreign investors being allowed to come into the country
and effectively taking over the country’s industrial power-base.

The Japanese, for one, cite the availability of cheap labour as one of
the reasons they find Thailand so attractive. One of the only ways to
equably redistribute the wealth of the country, which is obviously
radically needed, is to give the Thai workforce higher wages, not to
further exploit them as the Japanese and other foreign investors would
like to do, just so they can maximize their own profits.

The property market is another sector of gross exploitation, just so
as to maintain its competitive position internationally vis-à-vis
neighbouring countries by offering lower prices, or domestically by
allowing developers to maltreat their workers. Again, the profit
motive is the driving force here, resulting in the Thai workforce
being underpaid and forced to work in manifestly unsafe conditions
that in the developed world would bring the wrath of the unions down
upon the cynical developers. Thai labour needs to be unionized, in
other words, to give it more clout.

The medi-tourism industry is yet another sector of the Thai economy
that works against the best interests of the Thai populace, especially
the poor, who cannot afford adequate medi-care, partially because the
prices are oriented towards the richer foreign market. Here, badly
needed medical resources are diverted for the benefit of rich
foreigners, with hospitals being taken off-line, only leaving the less
well-equipped, both resource-wise and in terms of qualified personnel,
to cater to the poor Thais. Perhaps a degree of nationalization is the
answer here to put the medical resources back where they belong, to
benefit the Thai society as a whole, not just the rich or foreign
elements.

Education could also do with being fundamentally overhauled, laying
emphasis upon creative learning techniques rather than rote learning
in totally overcrowded conditions that are the antithesis of
progressive education. Now the elite realizes the underprivileged have
found their collective voice, they can no longer control the lower
classes by depriving them of decent educational opportunities.
Furthermore, better education will enhance the comparative socio-
economic position of the country internationally.

These are just a few of the areas that unleashing the voice of the
sleeping elephant or tiger will radically affect. Only by voicing
their disapproval of the exploitation that has traditionally been
their lot, will the life chances of the Thai lower class improve. Let
them have their say at long last.

Reporter: Taliesin Verity (Chief-Reporter)


Photographer: Jack Rames
  #2  
Old March 20th, 2010, 02:39 AM posted to soc.culture.thai,rec.travel.asia
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1
Default REAL DEMOCRACY vs ROYAL POWER ,............THE REDS inTHAILAND ARE NOW UNSTOPABLE

REAL DEMOCRACY vs Royal Appointment .



take your pick .


On Mar 19, 1:52*pm, none wrote:
Implications Of Awakening The Sleeping Thai Elephant

The mass Red-Shirt protest may do more than any other factor to
radically affect Thailand both domestically and internationally,
hopefully for the better.

For one thing, the Red Shirt protests represent the awakening of the
‘sleeping elephant’ of the Thai underclass, finally having had enough
of being marginalized and exploited by the Bangkok power elite. Given
the realization that they now have a political voice, they may begin
to flex their ‘muscles of protest’ in earnest, across the board. This
may well have radical repercussions, ranging from stopping the
government from irresponsibly damming the Mekong and adding further to
the depletion of the overall water supply, especially in Esarn, to
preventing foreign investors being allowed to come into the country
and effectively taking over the country’s industrial power-base.

The Japanese, for one, cite the availability of cheap labour as one of
the reasons they find Thailand so attractive. One of the only ways to
equably redistribute the wealth of the country, which is obviously
radically needed, is to give the Thai workforce higher wages, not to
further exploit them as the Japanese and other foreign investors would
like to do, just so they can maximize their own profits.

The property market is another sector of gross exploitation, just so
as to maintain its competitive position internationally vis-à-vis
neighbouring countries by offering lower prices, or domestically by
allowing developers to maltreat their workers. Again, the profit
motive is the driving force here, resulting in the Thai workforce
being *underpaid and forced to work in manifestly unsafe conditions
that in the developed world would bring the wrath of the unions down
upon the cynical developers. Thai labour needs to be unionized, in
other words, to give it more clout.

The medi-tourism industry is yet another sector of the Thai economy
that works against the best interests of the Thai populace, especially
the poor, who cannot afford adequate medi-care, partially because the
prices are oriented towards the richer foreign market. Here, badly
needed medical resources are diverted for the benefit of rich
foreigners, with hospitals being taken off-line, only leaving the less
well-equipped, both resource-wise and in terms of qualified personnel,
to cater to the poor Thais. Perhaps a degree of nationalization is the
answer here to put the medical resources back where they belong, to
benefit the Thai society as a whole, not just the rich or foreign
elements.

Education could also do with being fundamentally overhauled, laying
emphasis upon creative learning techniques rather than rote learning
in totally overcrowded conditions that are the antithesis of
progressive education. Now the elite realizes the underprivileged have
found their collective voice, they can no longer control the lower
classes by depriving them of decent educational opportunities.
Furthermore, better education will enhance the comparative socio-
economic position of the country internationally.

These are just a few of the areas that unleashing the voice of the
sleeping elephant or tiger will radically affect. Only by voicing
their disapproval of the exploitation that has traditionally been
their lot, will the life chances of the Thai lower class improve. Let
them have their say at long last.

Reporter: Taliesin Verity (Chief-Reporter)


Photographer: Jack Rames


 




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