local election

[Wanderlust]

Aah...someone else who remembers 'I Didn't Know You Cared' and, of course, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine.


I 'eard that, pardon...

[niggle]

Obviously wanderlust is Uncle Mort reincarnated.
Or maybe its Annie Brandon (what a gorgeous specimen of womanhood)
_________________
A man is not truly dead unless he is also forgotten.

[Jockey]

[Big Boy]

They're all in it to look after number 1.
_________________
Green Army position 21
Burnley 0 - 0 Plymouth Argyle
Who said, "I've dumped PAFC for Eutopia at Liecester?"
Ian Holloway (job seeker extrordanair)

[richard]

ANYONE KNOW WHY THE BARS ARE SHUT??????
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Why does my head feel so bad why does my soul feel so bad - Moby (Dick)
Enjoy the silence, enjoy the silence, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy the silence (Digweed)


Khun Richard of Yorkshire (Halifax) and Hua Hin

[caller]

[redzonerocker]

i also agree with the points of your posts jockey & b/boy
uk politics is just as corrupt as anywhere, driven by self interest & greed
no such thing as a true democracy
_________________
when all are one & one is all, to be a rock & not to roll.

[barrys]

Hi Richard

It is because of the local elections.
They're also closed in Pattaya this weekend for the same reasons, I'm informed.
_________________
Barry Stone
Mermaid Cruises
Tel. 032-632223 (office)
084-8007400 (mobile)

www.huahincruises.com

[Gutte]

This is an interesting thread, but, sorry, I have to disagree with many of the posters. Corruption is a lot worse here in Thailand than anywhere in Europe. Sure there are corrupted politicians in Europe too, but they are more like exceptions to the rule. Here the corruption is the rule, the fuel of the system, on all levels. And it’s not only the politicians, it is present in all parts of society and every citizen has seen it daily since childhood and finds it perfectly natural.

That’s why you can’t even trust a neighbour who says he or she knows of a very good car or a fantastic piece of land that you might want to buy. All you know about the car or the land is that the person telling you about it does so because he or she is looking at a 3% commission.
It’s the same with the staff in Homepro: ask for the best TV or toilet or paint and the answer will have nothing to do with what is the best brand. It will to 100 percent depend on what brand is paying the staff person you are talking to. These two examples may not be illegal at all, and some may say that they are not examples of corruption. I disagree again. They are examples of the same thinking, and the fact that they are so well accepted makes me pessimistic about the possibilities to overturn corruption here.

I heard somewhere that China managed to get rid of more or less all corruption through a very tough and impressive 10 year programme, but unfortunately I don’t remember any details of the programme. Anyone heard about it?

Perhaps this was a bit off the OP topic, but to get back on topic I just want to agree with everyone stating that we indeed should protest when people are selling their votes and the likes. We can’t do much, but our western democratic values are in this case both more fair and more efficient in the long run and we should tell everyone who cares to listen. Corruption is bad and nothing else.

[Jockey]

[lindosfan1]

Gutte
The Thais are open obout it.
Look at Europe the curruption in thr EU. hidden expenses. directorships, most politicians are in it for what they can get out of it.
If you think the politicians in Europe are any better you are living in cloud cuckoo land.
I also agree with what Jockey said absolutely spot on
_________________
Woke up this morning breathing I thought this is a good start to the day.

[Gutte]

[Jockey]

Gutte, Sorry - no offense meant. most of what you said in your post is sensible but the part implying our "democratic western values are fairer" or in some way superior is in my opinion way off the mark. I used the fact both the USA and UK lied to invade another country against the wishes of their people as a very good example of how undemocratic our western countries are. The TV pictures we get, or should I say don't get, about our illegal war (invasion is more accurate) are censored and sanitised so that citizens are not consciously aware of the horror our countries have created. There is also huge corruption at every level in our societies in the west from ENRON to social security benefits, 9/11 lies to tax dodging, corrupt police, union leaders, EU politicians, councillors etc. Its just more sophisticated in the way its all hidden. There is no need for vote bribery in the west anymore. The voters now have an illusion of choice between democrats or republicans, labour or tory but its hard to tell the difference now. Independents very rarely get anywhere and the parties are controlled by the multi national businesses. Every election in the west uses lower income tax bribes to gain votes and we fall for it every time!

[johnnyk]

China got rid of corruption? 555
Speak to anyone who has ever tried to do business there. It is everywhere and out in the open.
In the west it is more subtle. Bribe people with their own money, brainwash them through corporate compliant media and make sure there are lots of shopping malls to narcotize and distract them from the real action where pols take care of their corporate friends with billions of taxpayers' money.
When was the last time a high rank politician went to prison in the west?

[Jockey]