More Trouble In Thailand

Anti-government protesters have shut down Bangkok airport and stranded thousands and probably shot this year's tourist season all to hell.

Assholes.

The fact is, these protestors are a minority viewpoint who are protesting against... as they have always been protesting against... the fairly, legally, and democratically elected government of Thailand.

If you are an American, and don't understand the situation, think of it this way: Imagine if Republicans were totally corrupt, but used their positions in government to spend loads of government money on programs that hugely benefitted farmers, blue collar workers, small town residents, and the poorest people in the nation, and because of that, Republicans always won elections with 70% of the vote.

Now, imagine if Democrats (primarily middle-to-upper-class residents of major cities) didn't like the fact that Republicans were enriching their private business interests through their government connections, and started protesting and occupying goverment buildings, shutting down airports, setting off bombs, and insisting that the President, Senate, and House of Representatives all step down.

Now (continuing on with our allegory) the annoying part is that the Democrats have already succeeded once in ousting the President and the Republican Party from government in 2006, and had the military take over governing for a while. They even got the Republican party banned, and the old Republican President has fled the country with a warrant out for his arrest. Then, new elections were held in 2007, and (what a surprise) the Republicans (but under a different name) won the election with 70% of the vote yet again. And now, once again, the Democrats are back in the government buildings, back in the airports, back with the bombs, making the same demands all over again.

Now you have an idea of what is going on in Thailand.