Thai Army declares Martial Law

[+OverSword]

From the article:

The Thai Army has declared martial law throughout the country, Lt. Gen. Nipat Thonglek told CNN on Tuesday.

The development comes days after the head of the army issued a stern warning, calling on protesters to avoid violence as political tensions deepened.

Nipat said the move is not a coup and said that the precise restrictions of martial law were being worked out.

Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was removed from office along with nine cabinet ministers by a top court earlier this month and subsequently indicted by the country's anti-graft body. If the country's Senate votes to impeach her, she could be banned from politics for five years.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/19/world/asia/thailand-martial-law/index.html

[redhen]

Nipat said the move is not a coup and said that the precise restrictions of martial law were being worked out.

Sort of an "oppress as you go" policy.

[+DieChecker]

Was reading about this. Apparently the military didn't tell anyone they intended this. They just showed up and took charge of the media and transportation.

I'm going to reserve judgement on their motives till some time goes by. We'll see.

[Frank Merton]

It was inevitable and I admire their courage here. The country has been going steadily downhill economically and politically and socially. It is an example of the problem of democracy. The poor keep electing a populist government through their rural majorities and the urban areas don't much like the redistribution policies, but can't democratically win an election but nevertheless will not stand by and have its property confiscated and wasted. An example is free health care for all, something Thailand just cannot afford and has resulted in a mass exodus of doctors.

[+DieChecker]

It was inevitable and I admire their courage here. The country has been going steadily downhill economically and politically and socially. It is an example of the problem of democracy. The poor keep electing a populist government through their rural majorities and the urban areas don't much like the redistribution policies, but can't democratically win an election but nevertheless will not stand by and have its property confiscated and wasted. An example is free health care for all, something Thailand just cannot afford and has resulted in a mass exodus of doctors.

That is interesting. The US has the reverse problem. We have about 82% of the population counted as Urban, and so the rural people feel unrepresented.

[Frank Merton]

With the rule that each state has two senators and a minimum of one seat in the house and the house frozen in size, meaning a minimum for each state of three votes in the electoral college, rural areas in the States are in fact grossly over-represented.

[+DieChecker]

With the rule that each state has two senators and a minimum of one seat in the house and the house frozen in size, meaning a minimum for each state of three votes in the electoral college, rural areas in the States are in fact grossly over-represented.

Touche'

But there are usually at least one big urban area in almost all States. I don't think the handful of states that are primarily rural have much power.

http://www.allcountr...ion_and_by.html

Edited May 20, 2014 by DieChecker

[Frank Merton]

In the Senate they have a lot of power, in the house the over representation is small. The electoral college is an abomination in many ways, the over representation of small states being but one of them.

Small states without large urban areas that dominate: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, S. Dakota, N. Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, S. Carolina, W. Virginia, Delaware, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine. There is also the fact that California is sooo much larger than even the other big states and states like Utah and Colorado and Arizona and Oregon and Alabama and Kentucky and Rhode Island are also over represented and don't have really large urban areas.

[+DieChecker]

In the Senate they have a lot of power, in the house the over representation is small. The electoral college is an abomination in many ways, the over representation of small states being but one of them.

Small states without large urban areas that dominate: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, S. Dakota, N. Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, S. Carolina, W. Virginia, Delaware, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine. There is also the fact that California is sooo much larger than even the other big states and states like Utah and Colorado and Arizona and Oregon and Alabama and Kentucky and Rhode Island are also over represented and don't have really large urban areas.

I beg to differ. Even states like Alaska have 50% or more of their population in an urban setting.

Oregon for example has a total population of 3.87 million, with the Portland metropolitan area being home to 2.31 million of those, or about 60%. And that is not including the other two major cities of Salem (150k) and Eugene (150k).

So basically in Oregon, wherever the vote of Portland goes, there goes the state. This is common in most Western and Midwestern states. Washington, Idaho, Colorado....

Edited May 20, 2014 by DieChecker

[Taun]

Oklahoma has a population of just under 4 million, and 58% live in either Oklahoma City (as I do), or Tulsa... 32% (+/-) live in what is considered Rural areas... Fortunately, for the 'peace and quiet' of the state, the rural areas and the urban areas

generally vote along the same lines (Most definitly a Red state)... But there is friction on state issues...

[Frank Merton]

Urban settings like Oklahoma City and Anchorage hardly count. They are not San Francisco or Miami or Philadelphia. The politics of these states represents an over representing of such places at the expense of the San Francisco's and Miami's and Philadelphia's.

[Taun]

Urban settings like Oklahoma City and Anchorage hardly count. They are not San Francisco or Miami or Philadelphia. The politics of these states represents an over representing of such places at the expense of the San Francisco's and Miami's and Philadelphia's.

OKC is the 29th largest city (by pop) in the US... Not sure what you meant by "hardly counts"... And Miami - 44th....

[Frank Merton]

OK City is Bible belt country and although more urban than, say, Tulsa, it is still representative of that way of thinking, which is what makes Oklahoma such a "red" state. The way the system is set up these "red" states (other than maybe Vermont) have a marked but not overwhelming advantage across the board.

[Taun]

OK City is Bible belt country and although more urban than, say, Tulsa, it is still representative of that way of thinking, which is what makes Oklahoma such a "red" state. The way the system is set up these "red" states (other than maybe Vermont) have a marked but not overwhelming advantage across the board.

How so?...

[+DieChecker]

OKC is the 29th largest city (by pop) in the US... Not sure what you meant by "hardly counts"... And Miami - 44th....

Portland is 24th.

[RoofGardener]

... Military takes over after government corruption and failure....

Umm.. isn't that how Egypt started off ?

[MordorOrc]

... Military takes over after government corruption and failure....

Umm.. isn't that how Egypt started off ?

Thailand is a bit different. They've had 11 coups in the time since they decided that absolute monarchy wasn't working for them. But this isn't a coup. As far as I can see, this is the military's attempt to restore law and order to the streets of Bangkok, which has been in near lockdown for at least a year, if not more. Constant protests and protest camps not to mention regular shootings and grenade attacks against both sides committed by both sides and the storming and occupation of public buildings by protesters are probably the sorts of things the military wants to stop happening and seeing as the police have largely been ineffective in their policing, the military had no choice.

Given that this a country where the last elections were voided because people couldn't access polling booths because of protesters being violent and disruptive, I really don't see it as a surprise that the military had to step in, although why the decided to do so after dozens of people being shot and killed is beyond me.

[Frank Merton]

You are using population, which is not relevant. The smaller states, whether they are urbanized or not, tend to be "red" and tend to have over representation. Oklahoma City is practically scarlet compared to Portland Ore.

I would also comment that there is something very undemocratic about a person being elected President with a minority of the vote.

[Frank Merton]

Now is a good time to visit Thailand: hotel rates are dirt cheap.

[MordorOrc]

Now is a good time to visit Thailand: hotel rates are dirt cheap.

It's really only the capital that's affected by the protests and violence. Thailand's premier holiday spots like Phuket are fine.

[Frank Merton]

It's really only the capital that's affected by the protests and violence. Thailand's premier holiday spots like Phuket are fine.

Well to an extent, but prices and crowds are down everywhere. Bangkok is not dangerous and only a little inconvenient to get around in. The Thais are really, in spite of appearances at the moment, a very civilized people.

[MordorOrc]

And now it's officially a coup. Number 19 so far.

[+DieChecker]

And Hitler said, "I just want the Rhineland back".

Why do people always fall for the same lines over and over again? We're all a bunch of suckers....

[+DieChecker]

Chan-ocha said the army had been forced to take action after six months of violent protests between opponents and supporters of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

"We are concerned that this violence could harm the country's security in general," he said after declaring martial law.

"In order to restore law and order to the country, we have declared martial law. I'm asking all those activist groups to stop all activities and cooperate with us in seeking a way out of this crisis."

A senior army official said that the military is to deploy troops and vehicles to remove protesters from large anti-government rally sites in Bangkok.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/thailand-military-takes-control-government-coup-detat-1449577

Some people hold rallies and so the military senses a threat to national security? I did also read that a couple dozen people have died in these rallies over the last several years, but that is hardly a reason to take over the government. I think that the military was "forced' to do something is a little bit of an overstatement. How exactly are the Forced to do this?

[Frank Merton]

Thailand is like Venezuela or Argentina with senseless progressives in power who are ruining the nation. In this case the upper and middle classes reacted enough to force the army to do what it would rather not do. Venezuela and Argentina are not so lucky and will go down the tubes until finally the stupid management becomes unbearable to even the ignorant.