Should American Banksters And Their Political Protectors Learn A Lesson From Events In Thailand?

Ignorant Thai teabaggers weep when once powerful predator's assets are seized

America-- in terms of the country's collective consciousness-- tries its darnedest to not learn from its own history let alone from events in other countries. The right-wing party in this country has gone so far as to discourage education itself. Earlier today we met North Carolina Democrat Billy Kennedy, who is running against an elected Republican congresswoman, Virginia Foxx, who tries to make a case against public education, her point being that why should rich people pay for poor people's children to get an education. In Utah we learned a couple weeks ago how elements of the GOP were determined to continue chipping away at public education by abolishing the 11th and 12th grades, although the state seems perfectly happy with the "compromise" position of making the 12th grade "optional," while the system discourages the option. It's called "dumbing down" the population, a dream for right-wing politicians who can only thrive on an ignorant and easily manipulated, uneducated voter base.

The Founding Fathers couldn't have been clearer on the importance of the separation of Church and State, based on catastrophic experiences in European religious wars. And yet religionist divisiveness is a keystone of reactionary political thought in America. I remember reading in Rep. Robert Wexler's entertaining book, Fire-Breathing Liberal about his adventures on the House Foreign Relations Committee, meeting Republicans for whom it was a Badge of Courage to brag about not ever traveling abroad or even owning a passport! The current crop of ideologically self-justifying robber barons at the base apex of the GOP is apparently completely unaware of the lessons of the French Revolution. They may be in for an unpleasant surprise. Yesterday Digby pointed out the unseemly whining of JPMorganChase CEO Jamie Dimon-- who still hasn't digested his $17 million bonus this year-- about how "Washington has become increasingly erratic and unfair in its treatment of the banks over the last few months." Like me, I see Digby has also been thinking about the French Revolution.

Oh boo fucking hoo. For the first time in my life I'm really beginning to understand why the French went so nuts with the Guillotine. They were just sick to death of having to watch spoiled aristocrats behave as if a bunch of hungry, armed, very pissed off peasants presented absolutely no threat to them whatsoever. At some point you want to kick their privileged asses just to shut them up.

Unlike Republican members of Congress, I love to travel and I love studying history. I'm proud to say I've lived all over the world for years on end and still travel to remote and foreign places annually. I write a travel blog as well and love learning from the experiences other countries have. One place I've been to over and over is Thailand. In February of 2006 I write about that country's Bush-buddy fascist-- Thaksin Shinawatra, a plutocrat demagogue appealing to desperate and ignorant populism. He was eventually overthrown but today's L.A. Times catches us up with this powerful criminal who could well serve as an idol for American teabaggers. The Thai Supreme Court is confiscating $1.4 billion after determining that he was, simply put, a crook. America needs some lots and lots and lots of that. Maybe it would stave off Madame Guillotine. Oddly, the Court has decided to leave Thaksin with nearly a billion dollars in his ill-gotten gains! Thaksin and his former wife, Potjaman na Pombejra, were unanimously found guilty of 5 counts of corruption (and of pursuing policies with Myanmar that would enrich his family) and convicted of hiding ownership of shares in family business Shin Corp. during his five years in office, and of abusing his power by crafting policies that benefited the company. Thai teabaggers are outraged that their hero was found guilty and that his stolen loot is being returned to the people of Thailand.

"Accepting death is better than letting the elites rule us," said Thonglor Manglat, a retiree and Thaksin supporter, outside the Supreme Court before the verdict was announced. "Even if the soldiers come out and shoot at us next month, we won't run in fear."

Although pro-Thaksin leaders have called for nonviolent disobedience, rallies have turned violent, including an assault on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's motorcade last April and rioting at a summit of world leaders a few weeks later.

And Thaksin opponents seized the capital's two airports for a week in 2008.