Pigs walk on two legs

Published: 20 Dec 2012 at 09.17
Online news: Opinion

Watching pedestrians cross the street can pretty much sum up Thai politics. Every morning when I drive through Klong Toey to get to the office, there lays before me the scene.

The skywalk is just right there, perhaps not more than 10 metres away, yet the people – old, young and parents with little children – run across the streets illegally and dangerously, rather than just take the time and use the skywalk, legally and properly.

So when it comes to political conflict, it is not a wonder that those involved would rather resort to the illegal and the dangerous, rather than rely on what is legal and proper, the democratic process.

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ringmaster
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Discussion 27 : 21 Dec 2012 at 07.5327
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D26 Yes, I kind of do. They'll go back and campaign harder in the next election. That's what democracy is all about. They understand it, the so called educated people like the PAD and Pitak Siam do not.
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oldairman
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Discussion 26 : 21 Dec 2012 at 07.3526
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D4
What do you suppose will happen if the vote goes against the PTP and Thaksin government.

Do you honestly believe that the UDD and the Redshirts will pack up and go home saying, OK we lost it's all over now?
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facts_only
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Discussion 25 : 21 Dec 2012 at 06.0325
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rmigo 23, Two sentences later, J.A. proposes the solution to 'mob rule' as the separation of powers:
"'...no laws whatsoever should be made but by the people's consent, as the only means to prevent arbitrariness.' But we must carry the conclusion farther, namely,--that since all men are so inclinable to act according to their own wills and interests, in making, expounding, and executing laws, to the prejudice of the people's liberty and security, the sovereign authority, the legislative, executive, and judicial power, can never be safely lodged in one assembly..."
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nitnoi
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Discussion 24 : 21 Dec 2012 at 02.0624
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They are the expert chefs who show cooking skills without using any measurment mean and hope the dish would come out the same way every time. The problem is the first dish is lousy but no one can comment or criticize about it. What happen when chef want to try the new thing or spice up the dish ? He kicks up or kick down a notch or two and the dish has to go to the trash can. Evolutions and adaptations made pigs walks on two legs.
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rmigo
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Discussion 23 : 21 Dec 2012 at 00.3523
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If the majority of people don't use the skywalk and if the majority of people accepts corruption is OK, then the result of the referendum is predictable and it's flawed. John Adams saw the danger of mob rule and this what he said ....

"If a majority are capable of preferring their own private interest, or that of their families, counties, and party, to that of the nation collectively, some provision must be made in the constitution, in favor of justice, to compel all to respect the common right, the public good, the universal law, in preference to all private and partial considerations..."
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DONHUAN
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Discussion 22 : 20 Dec 2012 at 22.4922
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The uncomfortable truth of holding a referendum on the Constitution is that a deeply partisan populace within our Thai society cannot come to a conclusive decision. Legal issue pertaining to the quantum of voters require to authenticate/verify the result is still subject to Constitutional interpretation. This impasse will continue so long as the main proponent is not resolved: TS. Amendments to the Constitution, if any, must be for the good of the people / nation but never about one man’s fate/fortunes; unless this pertinent point is recognized / accepted by all parties to the conflict, it’s “Two legs good, four legs better.”
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facts_only
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Discussion 21 : 20 Dec 2012 at 22.1621
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TKinnear 20, "khun voronai wants a public referendum on whether or not to overturn that conviction."
Section 309 declares all actions taken to commit the coup are legal, including but not limited to the ASC.
The proposed referendum is only on Section 291.
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TKinnear
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Discussion 20 : 20 Dec 2012 at 21.5320
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I have the greatest of respect for khun voronai and his opinions, but in this case he is totally wrong.
A man was convicted by a court of law -- and khun voronai wants a public referendum on whether or not to overturn that conviction.
To be logically consistent, he would have to be in favour of granting a public referendum to every convicted person. That is both legally indefensible (why bother with the legal process at all?) and logistically infeasible.
Equality before the law must be universal -- or it is meaningless.
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crunchy
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Discussion 19 : 20 Dec 2012 at 21.2919
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Ringmaster #4: The problem is that some of the "educated" adults just don't accept election results. And I won't BS either - it's the anti-Thaksin forces.

You always boast that your PTP/UDD/Redshirt won the last election. Well because you bought votes, populist policies, corrupt promises.. Besides, court cases filed against your master thaksin was BEFORE -2006 Coup. It so happen that Yellow shirt came out to rally because your master thaksin even bribe judges, threatened the court, your face square thaksin even sue a journalist because of reporting a crack airport runway (but it came out the cracks are real).
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facts_only
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Discussion 18 : 20 Dec 2012 at 20.4518
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The author refers to the story Animal Farm. It is about animals who overthrow a dictatorship, only to find out they were used to install a new dictatorship worse than the previous. Their new constitution, written by the revolutionaries, became a means to engrave dictatorship in law.

Another recommended book, by the same author, is 1984. It is about a society unknowingly under a brutal dictatorship. They believe their leaders protect them from the evil of one single man they passionately hate, Goldstein.
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Pigs walk on two legs | Bangkok Post: opinion